Whether you’re dealing with the threat of layoffs at work, financial troubles, family conflicts or navigating the daily news cycle and politics, stress and anxiety are inevitable parts of life.
However, stress isn’t entirely bad. In the right amounts, it can actually motivate or energize you.
“It can help us be productive or perform well, so it’s important to keep it in the zone where it’s helpful and doesn’t take a toll on your physical or mental health,” says Michele Patterson Ford, a licensed psychologist and chair of the psychology department at Dickinson College.
Experiencing stress overload on a regular basis essentially leaves you in a constant state of “fight-or-flight,” elevating stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Over the long term, chronic stress increases your risk of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and autoimmune disorders.
To help you protect your health and find your personal decompression valve, we’ve categorized 22 science-backed strategies into five actionable approaches.
| General category | Specific techniques |
| 1. Breathwork and Somatic Anchors |
— Deep breathing techniques — Blow up a balloon — Aim for better posture — Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) |
| 2. Sensory Grounding and Aromatherapy |
— The five senses technique — Color identification — Sensory awareness — Breathe in relaxing scents — Listen to soothing noises |
| 3. Physical Movement and Play |
— Get moving — Try laughter yoga — Reclaim play |
| 4. Dietary Comforts and Creative Outlets |
— Indulge in dark chocolate — Brew a cup of tea — Expressive writing |
| 5. Environment, Digital Detox and Connection |
— Spend time in nature — Connect with animals and plants — Make a personal connection — Practice self-compassion — Distance yourself from your worries — Disconnect from electronics and the news |
[Read: Foods and Drinks Linked to Anxiety.]
1. Breathwork and Somatic Anchors
These physical techniques directly target your autonomic nervous system to halt the fight-or-flight response.
Deep breathing techniques
People often breathe shallowly when they’re stressed or anxious, which can make them feel even more stressed, says Dr. Lise Van Susteren, a psychiatrist in private practice in Washington, D.C., and coauthor of “Emotional Inflammation.“
Here are a few different breathing techniques to help melt stress away.
— The 5-6-7 pattern: Close your mouth and slowly inhale through your nose for a count of five. Hold your breath for six seconds, then very slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of seven. Repeat for five breaths.
— Belly breathing: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. As you inhale, expand your stomach into your hand to engage your diaphragm. Slowly release air through your mouth, deflating your belly.
— Square (box) breathing: Inhale for four seconds. Hold your lungs full for four seconds. Exhale for four seconds. Hold empty for four seconds.
Blow up a balloon
Blowing up a balloon forces you to breathe more slowly and deeply, since you’re using your diaphragm. It also activates your parasympathetic nervous system, reducing your heart rate and relaxing your muscles. The end result? You’re calmer afterwards.
Another tactic: Tell yourself that every time you open a door during the workday, you’ll take a deep breath, Friedman suggests.
Aim for better posture
Believe it or not, better posture can make a difference for your stress level by:
— Boosting your confidence
— Improving your breathing patterns
— Raising your mood
A few good-posture pointers: Stand straight, hold your shoulders back and keep your core engaged.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
When you’re under emotional stress, you may carry muscle tension in your neck, jaw or just about anywhere else. You may feel like you’re wearing your shoulders like earrings as they’re tensed up so high.
Periodically carve out time to intentionally release that tension with progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR. The idea is to start at your head and focus on alternately tensing, then relaxing different muscle groups in your forehead, jaw, neck and shoulders, arms and hands, belly, butt, legs and feet.
[READ: How Poor Posture Can Harm Your Health.]
2. Sensory Grounding and Aromatherapy
When your mind is racing, these techniques pull you out of your head and anchor you safely in the present moment.
The five senses technique
Look around and identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
Another variation of this is the 3-3-3 technique, where you identify three things you can hear, see and touch.
“By drawing your attention to tangible things in your personal space that engage your senses, this technique helps you focus on the moment and away from things that are causing you stress,” Ford explains.
Color identification
One way to help someone else who’s feeling stressed is to ask them to identify their favorite color that they see in the room. Ask them to focus on this color and tell you about why it’s their favorite.
Sensory awareness
Sometimes, we feel stressed because we’re in pain. If you’re with someone who’s experiencing pain, or if you are experiencing pain yourself, ask “Is there any part of my body that feels okay right now?” Maybe it’s a very small part of your body, like the tip of your nose or your palm resting on a cool surface. Focus on that sensation.
Breathe in relaxing scents
Aromatherapy using essential oils like lavender, rose, orange, bergamot or sandalwood has science-backed benefits. One study found that diffusing lavender oil lowered work stress and increased job satisfaction.
Research also suggests that the scent of a romantic partner can lower stress levels in the moment.
Listen to soothing noises
White noise, like the sound of an air conditioner, vacuum or TV static, can help you tune out other noises that may put your brain on high alert, such as doors opening or sirens going off.
Nature sounds like ocean waves or rainfall melt your stress away. Use a noise machine or try apps or online videos with white noise or nature noises.
[READ: What Is Brown Noise? 3 Potential Benefits]
3. Physical Movement and Play
Burn off excess cortisol and trigger a rush of feel-good endorphins through both structured exercise and unstructured fun.
Get moving
When you start to feel anxious, see if you can make time to get outside and move around. Going for a walk or run, even if it’s a short one, can provide immediate stress relief. You can also do a few gentle stretches, and you might be surprised to feel immediate relief.
Even better, plan to get exercise every day to avoid the anxious moments in the first place. Regular exercise is one of the best stress-busters around.
Stretch or do yoga
A few quick stretches can both relax your muscles and energize your body. Plan to do each one five times and hold for a few seconds:
— Neck rolls
— Hugging yourself to give your arms a good stretch (and the hugs feel nice)
— Seated twists
— Toe touches
If you want to take things further, you can do a session of yoga, known for calming effects from its poses combined with breathing.
Try laughter yoga
“There’s a lot to be said about laughing,” psychotherapist Robert Friedman, author of “How to Relax in 60 Seconds or Less.” “You release an endorphin every time you laugh, and those are 200 times stronger than morphine.”
Laughter yoga blends attempts to provoke laughter via eye contact and childlike playfulness with breathing exercises. Look in your area or online for a laughter yoga class so you can add laughter in a more structured way to your routine.
Laughing on the outside, even if you’re initially faking it, will create an effect on the inside that triggers the release of endorphins, combating stress.Smiling even if you’re not feeling so great can also make a difference in your mood.
Reclaim play
When’s the last time you played like a kid?
Here a few ways you can play:
— Blow bubbles.
— Enjoy the equipment at your local playground (just let the real kids go first!).
— Go rollerblading or roller skating.
— Hula-hoop for a few minutes.
— Jump on a trampoline.
[See: Beginner’s Guide to Yoga]
4. Dietary Comforts and Creative Outlets
Slowing down to enjoy a specific flavor or a creative hobby can act as a powerful mental reset button.
Indulge in dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is known to help control heart rate and blood pressure during acute mental stress.
“I recommend that everyone eats 1 ounce of 70% cacao chocolate per day to reap the science-backed benefits before stress hits,” advises registered dietitian Mary Ellen Phipps, owner of the Houston-based nutrition coaching company Milk & Honey Nutrition.
Brew a cup of tea
There’s nothing better than getting cozy with a calm cup of tea. Green tea has an amino acid called theanine, which sends your brain into a state of relaxed alertness that allows you to get a deeper sleep and respond to stress more calmly.
You can also try it iced, or drink warm milk, hot chocolate or even a smoothie for a similar effect. The important part is that you take the time to sip and savor it.
Expressive writing
Vent your frustrations and angst in a journal (a process referred to as expressive writing), or focus on what you’re grateful for. Either way, the practice of putting your feelings into written words has been found to have a stress-relieving effect.
Ford recommends writing in a gratitude journal. Set a goal of writing down just five things every night that you’re grateful for. These can be small things, like how your coffee was the perfect temperature this morning, or big things, like being grateful for friends and family.
5. Environment, Digital Detox and Connection
Your external environment and social circle play a massive role in how you process internal anxiety.
Spend time in nature
The next time you feel stress or anxiety, go outdoors and take a walk in the woods, a park or a garden. While you’re there, tune into the rich colors in the landscape, the sounds of birds chirping, the feel of sunshine or a breeze on your face.
Research has shown that spending more time in natural environments — so-called forest bathing — has provided people with restorative effects, including relieving stress and improving their mental and physical health.
“Connecting with the awe-inspiring effects of the natural world transports you out of your own worries and helps you feel part of something larger than yourself,” Van Susteren explains.
Connect with animals and plants
Petting a dog or cat for just a few minutes lowers the stress hormone cortisol and increases the happy hormone oxytocin. If you don’t have one yourself, head to a local trail or park.
Watching fish float in an aquarium can improve mood and lower pain levels. If an aquarium isn’t feasible, adding indoor plants can fight depression and boost your mood.
Make a personal connection
Research consistently shows that social support plays a significant role in protecting against the harmful effects of stress, acting as a crucial buffer when life feels overwhelming, says Megan Piesman, a New York City-based psychologist who specializes in OCD and anxiety.
“Anxiety, in particular, tends to distort our thinking, often narrowing our focus and making us more prone to catastrophizing or seeing situations in an unbalanced way,” she explains.
A supportive network of friends, family and a mental health professional who will support you and listen without judgment, including when you’re feeling anxious or stressed, can help a lot.
Practice self-compassion
Talk to yourself in your head just as you would to a valued friend. Treating yourself with kindness and understanding rather than judgment calms the nervous system and allows you to see more positive outcomes.
Distance yourself from your worries
Practice cognitive defusion, a technique where you acknowledge a thought and label it without judgment.
Instead of saying, “I’m overwhelmed,” try saying, “I notice I’m feeling anxious right now.” Instead of, “I’m going to fail,” say, “I am having the thought that I might not do well.”
This creates a healthy psychological distance, reminding you that your thoughts are not necessarily reality.
“The core focus is to change the way you relate to your thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change the content of the thoughts themselves or the emotional experience,” Piesman explains.
The visualization part of cognitive defusion involves imagining your thoughts or feelings as leaves drifting away in a stream, clouds floating by or words on a screen.
Disconnect from electronics and the news
The constant barrage of news notifications, social media alerts and the global crisis of the week are enough to overwhelm even the calmest person among us.
Instead of feeling like you need to keep up with everything, put your electronics away (or in airplane mode if you can’t shove them in a drawer). Use the time during your break to do something you truly enjoy.
You may decide to start with avoiding news for a few minutes or a few hours. Then, you could work up to longer stretches of time, like a full weekend. See how you feel different after your news or social media break.
Practice Stress Reduction Daily
While you can’t run away from all the stressors of modern life, you don’t have to be at their mercy.
“The only way to control what’s out of your control is to control your reaction to things,” Ford notes.
If you practice these strategies regularly, they will become second nature.
If you continue to feel overwhelmed and emotionally frayed, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. Evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can provide highly personalized tools to help you cope.
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How to Relieve Stress and Calm Your Nerves originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/19/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
