Stress management is an important way to proactively maintain your mental health. Stress has a cumulative effect — when you’re not managing it, it only builds up with time. Symptoms like tension headaches and fatigue are the first signs of chronic stress. Your stressors and the things that help you relax are unique to you. You’ll need several techniques in your stress management toolkit to help you handle different situations. You may need to try a few different things before you figure out what works best. 

When your basic needs like food and housing are unmet, these can be significant sources of stress. On the other hand, having a demanding job, a busy schedule and a family to take care of are all positives that can be stressful in their own ways. Managing stress is often a balance of solving problems whenever possible and regulating your emotions. 

In this article, we’ll share instructions for nine therapist-recommended stress management techniques.

9 therapist-recommended stress management techniques 

Stress management is both a short-term and long-term strategy for better overall health. Chronic stress is linked with mental and physical health conditions like high blood pressure, metabolic disorders and autoimmune conditions. When you can achieve a state of calm in your mind and your body, you can do your best to navigate life’s challenges. 

Scientific studies have proven that mindfulness techniques make a difference. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was developed by a doctor in a hospital setting. It has helped people with other chronic health conditions relieve their anxiety, panic and suffering.

Try out these stress management techniques recommended by our therapists and see which ones work best for you:

• Mindful breathing exercises — Breathing exercises are one of the quickest ways to calm your nervous system and create a sense of safety in your body. Box breathing is one easy-to-remember technique. Just count to four as you breathe in, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for four and then count to four before you start again.
• Progressive muscle relaxation — This exercise helps with both physical tension and mental or emotional stress. To do progressive muscle relaxation, you’ll actually tense up each part of your body one by one. Squeezing the muscle helps you feel a greater sense of release and relaxation. Start with your toes and give them a squeeze; then relax. You can hold the squeeze for a few seconds or pulse a couple of times if that feels better to you. Move up to your feet, your calf muscles, and your thighs. Repeat through your abdomen, arms, upper body and head. When you’re done, you can do a full-body tense and release to finish the exercise.
• Cognitive reframing — Your immediate response to a stressor has a big impact on how you feel. If you think, “Nothing is going my way today,” this could bring your mood down even lower. Like any emotion, stress is a temporary state. It takes about 90 seconds for the initial wave to pass through your system as a physiological or emotional response to stress. You could tell yourself, “This is just one moment. This feeling won’t last forever.” 
• Boundary-setting practices for relational stress — Are there people in your life who add to your stress? Think about some boundaries you could set in these relationships to give yourself some space. Maybe you need 15 minutes to decompress when you get home after work. Or maybe your loved ones need to check in with you before talking about a certain topic. These boundaries can protect your relationships by protecting your peace.
• Nature-based activities — Getting outside in nature has a profound effect on our nervous system. Walking in the grass, sitting on solid ground, being near a body of water and getting some sunlight are all great ways to de-stress. Make time in your weekly schedule to go to one of your favorite spots. 
• Movement practices — The feeling of pent-up energy is a result of tension and stress that need to be released. Movement practices like yoga and other types of exercise are great stress relievers. Pairing breathing exercises with movement can also be very calming. Try raising your arms up when you inhale and relaxing them down when you exhale.
• Sensory grounding techniques — In moments when your stress has you reeling, grounding techniques can help you feel secure and supported. Try sitting down and focusing on the feeling of your chair or the ground underneath you. Or use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique: Notice five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
• Looking for your glimmers — Glimmers are the opposite of triggers, and they’re just as important for stress management. Glimmers are the little things that bring you pleasure and joy. It could be your morning coffee, an aromatherapy lotion or playing with your cat. Notice your glimmers so you can incorporate them into your routine.
• Journaling exercises for processing stressful experiences — Writing things down is another way to get your stress out of your body and calm racing thoughts. Try setting a timer and writing down whatever comes to mind for five minutes. Then see how you feel. Keep going until you run out of things to say. Then read what you wrote and see if it gives you a new perspective. 

Start building your stress management toolkit at Lightfully

Stress can be an important cue that something in your life needs to change. Effective stress management isn’t about eliminating stress completely. It’s about building the resilience and flexibility to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease. It’s an art form that takes time and experience to perfect. As you practice these techniques, you can develop a greater sense of peace, knowing that you can handle what life throws at you.

At Lightfully, we help our clients take a proactive approach to managing their stress. Our Precision Care Model (PCM) ensures that each person gets a treatment plan that addresses their unique symptoms and needs for stress management. In addition to your treatment, we’ll help you develop your own strategies for managing your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and relationships.

Do you have questions about day-to-day stress management or mental health treatment? Contact us today. Let’s talk through it together.