Six Proven Ways to Reduce Stress

Be it a work deadline that seems impossible to meet or a clogged-up commute causing you to be late for an important meeting, stress can have many sources. 

Where stress is essentially your body’s response to a challenge and enables one to respond quickly to danger, chronic stress can have adverse effects on your health. 

Stress is an inevitable part of everyday life, which is why one needs to establish mechanisms that help deal with it in a healthy manner. 

If you find your stress levels climbing, try one of these six proven ways to reduce them.

Deep Breathing 

Breath in and out. It seems a bit cliché, but one must not underestimate the impact of a good breathing exercise. 

In stressful situations, we often let ourselves be consumed by bad thoughts that leave us paralyzed and unable to act. 

Instead of feeling rushed by such thoughts, take a deep breath. Push your thoughts aside and redirect your focus to breathing in and out. 

As you inhale, count to five and try holding it in for a few seconds before you exhale. You should make an effort to stay present and conscious of your breathing. 

Meditation

Guided meditation has been made accessible to everyone by the advent of apps focusing on mindfulness and mental health. 

From chirping bird sounds to words of encouragement, these apps can provide personalized tracks to reduce stress. 

All you need is a stable internet connection like HughesNet to access these apps. No need to worry about stringent data limits as HughesNet Internet service plans can cover all internet needs ranging from a single user to a large household.

The 5,4,3,2,1 Grounding Technique

The grounding technique is a way to engage your senses to shift your focus from the stress-causing surroundings. If you are feeling anxious and unable to concentrate, try to notice:

Five things you see

Four things you feel

Three things that you hear

Two things you can smell