5 methods to reduce stress
Stress is omnipresent in everyday life: whether it's time pressure, personal worries or other people - we can't avoid a certain level of stress. The important thing is how we deal with it. We show you facts and figures, causes and effects of stress, and how you can use 5 simple methods to manage your stress and feel calmer and more balanced.
What causes stress?
Stress is a physical and psychological reaction to various problems, challenges and new circumstances in our everyday lives. There are countless sources of stress. It is often the multiple burdens caused by the many demands of work and family life that can lead to overload and result in stress.
In many cases, stress in everyday life is also associated with a lack of time management. Managing our time is much more difficult, especially when working from home, as we literally "live at our workplace" and the boundaries between our professional and private lives are often unclear.
Signs and consequences of stress
Stress manifests itself in different ways in each of us. Symptoms of stress can therefore not be clearly defined, because they range from general listlessness and irritability to serious physical complaints.
On the psychological level , stress can manifest itself in a lack of concentration, a bad mood, emotional exhaustion, depressive moods, sleep disorders, anger and the like. On the physical level , on the other hand, it can lead to tension, headaches, back, neck and shoulder pain, eating disorders, cardiovascular problems, gastrointestinal complaints, skin rashes, etc.
Exposure to stress and its causes for long periods of time without taking action can lead to serious health consequences . If appropriate countermeasures, the targeted elimination of stressors and physical and mental relaxation are not taken, stress can make you seriously ill. For example, it can lead to burnout, depression and a weakening of the immune system , which can result in further health problems.
Stress and its causes should therefore not be ignored or accepted. You have to actively deal with it in order to reduce stress in the best possible way and thus promote your own well-being.
5 methods to reduce stress quickly and easily
There are now many methods for coping with stress. Below we have selected 5 methods that will help you to reduce stress, relax and become fit and motivated again. Simply try out which of these methods suits you best and try to integrate them into your everyday life.
1. breathe deeply
Breathing exercises are a simple but effective method. They can be done anytime and anywhere, even at work. The right breathing technique ensures that the body relaxes. This can significantly reduce stress.
The simplest breathing exercise is abdominal breathing. Sit in a comfortable position and place one hand on your stomach. Breathe in deeply through your nose and feel how your belly expands as you breathe in and your hand lifts. Then breathe out through your mouth and feel your belly contract again. You can repeat this exercise several times.
You can also try the 4-7-8 technique. To do this, place one hand on your stomach and breathe in slowly. Count to 4 and hold your breath while you count to 7. Then slowly breathe out again and count to 8. You can repeat this exercise several times until you feel more relaxed.
2. yoga
Yoga is about bringing body and soul into harmony and combines physical exercises, controlled breathing, meditation and relaxation to achieve this. Yoga helps to reduce stress by relaxing your body through the various exercises, giving you a clear head, stretching your muscles and thus relieving tension and giving you distance from everyday life and stressful situations. Yoga is also effective for back and neck pain.
3. autogenic training
Autogenic training consists of several consecutive exercises that help to increase your concentration and contribute to physical and mental relaxation. This is done with the help of sentences, so-called autosuggestions, which you mentally say to yourself. By focusing on these sentences, the aim is to bring about inner calm and relaxation in certain areas of the body. The simple version of autogenic training consists of 7 exercises.
The calm exercise promotes concentration and helps to calm you down - for example, you focus on the sentence "I am completely calm, nothing can disturb me". The heaviness exercise leads to a feeling of heaviness in the desired areas of the body and relaxes the muscles. The warmth exercise is particularly suitable for back and neck pain, as it creates a feeling of warmth in certain parts of the body and promotes blood circulation.
The breathing exercise helps to relax and reduce nervousness, while the heart exercise allows you to consciously concentrate on your own heartbeat and thus calm down. The abdominal or solar plexus exercise , which focuses on creating a feeling of warmth in the center of the abdomen, addresses digestive problems. The seventh exercise is the head exercise, which helps you stay awake and is effective against headaches and concentration problems.
4. movement
One of the best ways to switch off and reduce stress is exercise. Exercise helps to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and at the same time helps to improve your mood and leads to more energy and motivation. It doesn't matter whether it's just a simple walk in the fresh air or a workout.
However, exercise should not only be planned for after work or at the weekend. You should also make sure that you stand up regularly during work and do not spend 8 hours a day in a sitting position. The best way to support exercise at your desk is with a height-adjustable desk . Such a desk allows you to switch between sitting and standing at any time, which reduces pain and promotes your well-being.
Correct posture while sitting is just as important as movement. An incorrect sitting position puts strain on your body, which can cause stress and lead to tension. An ergonomic office chair that can adapt to your physical needs is therefore a must in your office or home office. Here you can find out how to adjust your office chair correctly.
5. take time out
There is always a lot to do - whether at work or at home. However, if we don't slow down and let go from time to time, this leads to constant stress and strain. For this reason, it is important to regularly take time out from all obligations and focus entirely on your own well-being. Try to keep the evenings and weekends free for yourself and do something that is good for you.
Just do what you personally like, what you enjoy and what helps you relax: Read, paint, spend time with your family, garden or learn a new language. The possibilities are endless. Set aside some "me time" regularly, which you can use to take your mind off things and get away from work or stressful situations in general. The following also applies: make the most of your vacation! Don't accumulate your vacation days in your time account, but treat yourself to your time off - you deserve it.
