By Tonja Ward
Engagement Insider

This time of the year is so much like the holiday season with more things scheduled than time in the day.  The combination of school programs, final exams, graduations, retirement parties, weddings, recitals, reunions not to mention family, household and work responsibilities, can all add up to stress.  Like it or not, stress will affect your physical and mental well being so how you navigate stress is important.  While you may not be able to completely dump everything off your ‘end of spring’ check list you can ease into a ‘Summer slow down.’ 

If you are feeling stretched thin and a bit worn out, here are five (5) anytime, anywhere techniques that researchers have found to be effective de-stressors: 

1. Give yourself a quick foot massage – It can have almost the same stress-lowering benefit as a full-body rubdown, according to Roberta Lee, MD, author of The Super Stress Solution.That means rubbing your toes, heel, ankle up to your calves. This is easy to do in your office chair, in the break room or in the car before you get out for that next meeting.

2. Chew Gum – Another stress study found that chewing a stick of gum seems to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as improve mood and mental performance during tasks.  This was true both for students and professionals in the work place. Not to mention they had fresh breath!  (Makes being on the listening end less stressful too J)

3. Take a Deep Breath – No matter where you are, taking a deep breath can put you into a more relaxed state and lower your levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Deep breathing sends oxygen surging through your bloodstream, helping to calm your entire body.  A totally free easy to do anytime anywhere (in traffic, at work, school, home, etc.) stress buster.

4. Take a Walk – Exercise is a great way to ease stress. It helps your body produce endorphins — the neurotransmitters in your brain that make you feel good. It also can boost your mood as you shed tension and calm down. Not to mention that it improves your sleep and gives you more energy. 

5. Build your faith – Prayer and religion rank high on stress busting charts. Research is suggesting that people who use their spirituality to cope, or are more religious, are better able to handle stress.  Dr. Lee suggests that spirituality helps you to understand you aren't responsible for everything that happens in life and you can’t control things all by yourself. Plus faith gives you hope, which alone is a stress reducer. 

There you have it. FIVE FREE easy anytime anywhere de-stressors.  Here’s to your smooth sailing into a stress free-summer.

Resources:
The Super Stress Solution
Chewing Gum to Reduce Stress
Breathing to Relieve Stress
Moving to Manage Stress