Stretching, using essential oils, scanning your body for muscular tension, and foam rolling are just a few of the many ways to relieve stress — all in under 30 minutes.
Stress is sneaky. It can curl up inside you and grow like a Chia Pet until all the sprouts have grown out of control.
Sometimes, it manifests into physical symptoms, like temporary hives, one-day headaches, or long-term weight gain. One way to manage stress is to reset your body and mind.
- If you’re noticing a bigger pattern, take a longer breather with our 30-minute tips, or speak with a professional to get to the root of the problem.
- If you want something in between, try our 10-minute tricks.
- If you need quick tips, read our ways to calm stress in 5 minutes or less.
When to seek helpIf you notice a change in your patience, consider whether you need to take a break or if there’s something bigger at play. Chronic stress may increase your risk of other mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety. If these strategies aren’t giving you tools to cope, try seeking help from a professional.
Before diving into this section, check out some of our quickest de-stressing tips below:
Quick de-stressing tips
- Force a laugh or smile.
- Correct your posture.
- Mute all phone notifications.
- Give someone a hug (or yourself!).
- Play uplifting music.
Acknowledge your stress
Facing stress is an opportunity to grow and build resilience. Your brain is trying to learn from the experience so you can handle it differently and more efficiently next time.
Consider whether your stress is a buildup or related to a more long-term issue. If it’s unrelated to anything, maybe it’s a sign your mind and body need a break.
If it’s tied to a more long-term problem you can’t immediately solve, try another one of the quick relaxer tips below.
Drink stress-reducing tea
The act of stepping away for a few minutes to make tea can be therapeutic. So why not make a stress-relieving drink?
According to a 2022 research review, some common botanicals for stress may include:
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
- rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)
- passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
- lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Although it might take some time to feel the effects of a cup of tea, just stepping away can signal your body to relax.
Inhale essential oils
This technique, also known as aromatherapy, uses scents to balance physical, emotional, and psychological health. Essential oils for combating stress may include:
- lavender
- rose (Rosa damascena)
- vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides)
- bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
- Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
- frankincense (Boswellia sacra)
- sandalwood (Santalum album L.)
- ylang ylang (Cananga odorata)
- orange (Citrus sinensis)
A 2023 study found bergamot particularly beneficial for improving sleep quality and psychological stress.
A 2022 research review of 17 studies on aromatherapy, with lavender being the most commonly used oil, found it may help relieve anxiety in people with cancer.
How to use essential oils for stress
- Apply 3 drops onto a cotton pad.
- Breathe it in deeply 10 times.
Alternatively, a diffuser constantly releases a calming scent.
While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. It’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before you begin using essential oils, and be sure to research the quality of a brand’s products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil.
Stretch at your desk
It’s incredibly important to take breaks, even when you feel like you’re in a rush to complete your task. If you work at a desk, you can still stretch by sitting for 5 minutes without intervention or while multitasking.
Along with boosted performance, stretching may help with discomfort and work-related pain or injuries. This booklet by NASA has 20 desk exercises (“deskercises”), including seated and standing ones.
Bonus tips for stress
- Keep a stress ball at your desk. Sometimes all you need to do is physically exert all the pent-up energy.
- Have a tactile item for comfort. This can be a crystal or a piece of velvet.
- Invest in a massage pad for your chair. Sometimes, stress results from back strain or pain, or your tensed muscles might increase your stress. If it fits your budget, buying a back massager with heated functionality may help you relax more.
Chew gum
One 2022 study of 94 people who were going to have gynecologic surgery found that those who chewed gum had a
An older 2015 research review suggests gum chewing in human and animal studies may provide a small level of stress relief.
Another older study from 2014 found that chewing for
Current research is very limited and more is needed.
Go on a walk
Walking can help you escape a stressful situation or environment. It also helps your body release endorphins, the hormones that make you feel good.
Think of walking as moving meditation. A few laps around the block or office may help you forget previous tension and relax so you return to your task or situation with a clearer mind.
Practice a yoga routine
Yoga is a popular exercise for all ages. It’s gaining attention for:
- decreasing stress
- promoting overall well-being
- shaping your physiological and psychological health
A simple routine may help lower your cortisol levels, a stress hormone, and heart rate.
Try mindfulness-based, stress-reduction techniques
Sometimes stress may cause your mind to spiral and lead you down an unnecessary rabbit hole of negative thoughts — called negativity bias.
One way of escaping this spiral is to anchor yourself to the present and focus on the immediate results you can achieve.
Mindfulness methods to try
- Full body scan: Close your eyes and focus on your body. Pay attention to the physical feelings.
- Meditation: Find a comfortable sitting position and close your eyes. Pay attention to your breathing, sounds, sensations, and emotions. Let them pass through you.
- Mindful movement: Change up your movement by moving your body in a way that encourages tension relief.
- Take notice: Give full attention to small daily activities, like drinking water, eating, or brushing your teeth.
Write it down
Writing down what you’re stressed about may help you focus your thoughts on the positive or ways to tackle the negative. It
Treat this method as a way of taking notes without derailing your whole workday. Keep these notes, either physical or digital, on hand to check for patterns to see if there’s a deeper reason behind your stress.
Don’t worry about being poetic, grammatical or spelling errors, or length. Just focus on getting your thoughts written down or typed out.
Write away the stress with these methods
- Try the “so what?” exercise by asking yourself that question until it reveals something about yourself.
- See if there are any exceptions to your concerns.
- Keep a journal to track your changes and learnings.
Do 4-7-8 breathing
The 4-7-8 breathing method is a powerful trick that gives your body a boost of oxygen. Deep breathing is an
How to do 4-7-8 breathing
Practice this mindlessly to let your brain relax:
- Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Keep it there the whole time.
- Part your lips slightly and exhale with a whooshing sound through your mouth.
- Close your lips and inhale silently through your nose. Count to 4 in your head.
- Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
- Exhale (with a whoosh sound) for 8 seconds.
- Complete this cycle for 4 full breaths.
Practice the emotional freedom technique (EFT)
Tapping or psychological acupressure is a specific methodic sequence that involves:
- tapping specific meridian points (areas of the body energy flows through, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine)
- reciting setup phrases that will help you acknowledge issues and accept yourself
Practice EFT in 5 steps
- Identify what’s causing you stress.
- Write down how intense the issue is on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being the highest).
- Create a setup phrase that addresses your problem. For example: “Even though I’m stressed about this deadline, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
- Tap on the 9 meridian points (eyebrow, side of eyes, under eyes, under nose, chin, start of collarbone, and under arm) 7 times. Repeat the phrase with each tapping point. Do this sequence 2 to 3 times.
- Rate your final intensity to see if your stress level has gone down to 0. If not, repeat.
Talk it out
Talking with a friend provides social support, which may help lower your stress level. If you do reach out to a friend, be sure to express your thanks and return the favor when they ask!
Talking to yourself, especially positive self-talk, is a form of
However, don’t feel you must limit yourself to just 10 minutes. If you find lengthy, deeper discussions more productive, practice that instead.
Give positive self-talk a try
Instead of saying:
- “I can’t do this.”
- “I messed up.”
- “I hate when this happens.”
Try saying:
- “I’ll do the best I can.”
- “I’m human, and humans make mistakes. I can fix it.”
- “I know how to manage this. I’ve done it before.”
Exercise, but make it daily
We mentioned walking earlier, but that was just a quick break. Routine exercise
The benefits of working out build up over time. You may be able to feel the difference as you stick to your routine.
The
If you’re new to exercise, don’t worry about meeting these numbers. Focus on what you can do right now. You can even set the AHA’s recommendations as your goal.
Types of exercises
Moderate-intensity:
- brisk walking
- water aerobics
- gardening
Vigorous-intensity:
- lap swimming
- Zumba
- jumping rope
Take a warm bath
Warm water helps release endorphins and increase blood flow to your skin. Warm baths may also:
Test the water before you step in to make sure it’s not scalding but a comfortable temperature.
Declutter your space
Removing clutter and relieving yourself from a crowded space is an effective mindfulness practice. Get rid of items you no longer need or use.
If you don’t have time to clean thoroughly, reorganize items or tackle one cleaning task at a time. For example, if you have a load of laundry, use each washing and drying load to time your breaks.
Foam roll out the tension
Sometimes stress may become physical. It can knot your muscles up. These tension knots may develop in specific places and build up over time, which you can’t easily unwind via exercise or self-massage.
That’s where foam rolling steps in.
Foam rolling adds pressure to those trigger points, signaling your body to increase blood flow to that area and for your muscles to relax. A full-body routine may help promote relaxation the way getting a massage will.
Stress is a nuisance, but it’s better to acknowledge that it’s a part of everyday life than to ignore it and let it build up.
Try one or more of these coping strategies to help you manage your stress and become more resilient when facing it again.
We’ve compiled a list of 16 strategies you can do in 5 minutes (chewing gum, drinking tea), 10 minutes (writing, self-talk), or 30 minutes (a hot bath, decluttering).
Connect with us
Explore our Mental Well-Being hub and sign up for our Anxiety & Depression newsletter.
