12 Ways to Relax Instantly When Stressed

I am not a doctor or a therapist, but I can give you some practical tips to relax instantly when stressed.

I had hyper anxiety in my childhood, and it was very difficult for me to express my feelings. Even though I was good at my studies, on exam days I used to shiver with fear. My hands and legs would constantly tremble, I had the urge to puke (but it never happened), I used to cough, my heart pounded, and nothing could make me relax.

Unfortunately, no one could understand my anxiety and what I was going through. Elders would often laugh it off, since I was almost “perfect” in everything I did, and they never had to worry about anything. Or maybe, which they didn’t understand, was that I had developed this perfectionism because of my anxiety.

As life went on, I started to keep my feelings to myself and rarely shared them with anyone.

Today, I don’t experience hyper anxiety often, but during extreme moments, like if a loved one is in the hospital or something very serious, I still feel anxious. But now I know a few things that help me relax instantly when stressed.

Sharing a few personal tips that usually help me relax instantly when stressed.

Also Read: 5 Glow-Up Secrets to Master a Natural Everyday Glow

12 Tips To Relax Instantly When Stressed

Spend Time With Your Pet (My Personal Favourite!)

The best thing I discovered was just to spend time with your pet. I didn’t grow up with a pet; my fur-baby arrived in my life when I was in university. After she entered my life, words will fall short to describe the feeling.

The ultimate peace that my heart had yearned for years found its safest place in cuddling and spending time with her. Science says that when you cuddle with your pet, you release good “love hormones” known as oxytocin, and that definitely helps relax instantly when stressed. Your mind is deviated, and you are relaxed!

Don’t have a pet? Don’t worry! There are several coffee shops and pet-friendly places where they offer to spend time with furry friends. Also, don’t forget the strays, they deserve your love too! I had been taking care of the 10 stray fur-babies for the past 14 years, and there’s no turning back. The amount of love I get from them is surreal, and it’s the best way to relax instantly when stressed.

Deep Breathing

Yeah, I know you have heard this a billion times, and I’ll repeat this for you for one more time. Deep breathing really helps – I didn’t really pay attention to this until one day my mom sat down and made me do it when I was having an anxiety attack.

Take a deep breath for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this exercise 4 to 6 times, and you will definitely relax instantly when stressed. The way I do it is like I imagine all my stress and anxiety going out with every breath I exhale.

Sensory Shifting

One thing that I always do when I’m stressed out is try to shift my senses by either smelling something nice, or using stress balls, or splashing cold water on my face, and sometimes listening to music.

I do have past traumas, and whenever I have anxiety, I light my room with scented candles, wash my face with cold water and try to take care of my skin by applying face masks. Taking care of myself not only boosts me, but the atmosphere that I create helps me relax instantly when stressed.

Minimise Screentime

Whenever anxiety or stress hits you, stop scrolling. Stop your work, whether in the office, at home, or anywhere, give yourself at least 5 minutes, and just try to relax. Take a small break and go outside, spend some time with nature, and rejuvenate yourself.

Sometimes the workload does stress us out, and the best possible way to relax instantly when stressed is to breathe in the fresh air and spend some time in nature.

The Trick Of Imagination

When I’m out in the office, and I’m stressed, and I don’t have the capacity to go out for some fresh air, I stop working (screentime). Without leaving my chair, I just rub my palms and put them in my eyes; the warmth comforts me. Keeping in that position, I try to imagine myself in my safest place.

You can try to imagine yourself cuddling with your person, or maybe a seaside, or a mountain top, or anything that you love. This imagination diverts your brain from a hyperactive mode to a calm state, and you can relax instantly when stressed.

Self-Care And Self-Love

The most important thing before anything else is taking care of oneself! Whenever I felt down or worthless, I used to let the feeling creep inside me. Then once I heard Rihanna say, “You just have to pretend. Fake it ’til you make it. I mean, why not? It’s either that or cry myself to sleep. Who wants to do that? You wake up with puffy eyes the next day, that’s a waste of tears”, and girl, that changed my whole perspective!

Now whenever I’m down, I start doing skincare. Yes, that’s only possible if you’re in your house and not outside. Wear those red nails! Those pair of heels you thought were too blingy, wear them! The world is just a game, where everyone is busy completing their own levels. Never say “I’m 28 years old”—say you’re on level 28! Words matter; they can flip your whole world. So be gentle with yourself.

And if you’re outside, plan your dinner—cook something nice or treat yourself at a cute restaurant. Don’t start with “I don’t have anyone to go with,” bla bla bla… just GO ON A SOLO DATE! Dress up the way you love and step out.

When I first started earning, I spent everything on my family and never on myself. I couldn’t save a penny, let alone treat myself. Now I make sure to pamper myself whenever needed—and honestly, it’s one of the best ways to relax instantly when stressed.

Penning Down Every Emotion

Journaling particularly helps me relax instantly when stressed. If you read my blogs by now, you might know that my first journal was gifted by my mom. Yes, that was the start of my journaling journey, and ever since then, there’s no turning back. I used to write down every emotion of mine – and that did help me a lot in reducing the stress levels.

Now I do have a few journals, yes, I divided each according to categories – in one I write down my emotions (sad or happy, anything), the other one contains gratitude journaling, things that made me happy that day. I try to maintain my gratitude journaling every day, even in my most difficult days. In that way, I find happiness in the smallest of things in life.

This is how I also landed up in creating this blog site!

Good Food Good Life!

We often find ourselves indulging in chocolate when we are sad – I do this the most, especially that time of the month when I have internal waterfalls and volcanic eruptions (IYKYK). Keeping this situation aside, when I’m stressed out, I try to have healthy food like avocado, smoked salmon, blueberries, yoghurt, etc.

Basically, when you eat well, you feel well in and out. BTW, dark chocolate has always helped me, or maybe just because I love it a bit too much, whenever I’m stressed, I have it (in moderation).

(Disclaimer) If you’re diabetic, please check everything and then go for it. Don’t just eat and then fall sick and sue me later!

Anyway, the main point is, whenever you are going through heavy stuff in your life, just eat healthy greens, fruits, protein, anything that’s both delicious and helps you relax instantly when stressed.

Spend Some Time With Mother Nature

Sometimes in our busy schedule, we often forget to take a pause and enjoy the surroundings. I always say to people, whenever you get a chance, grab a coffee and just look into the environment.

Nature is a natural remedy to relax instantly when stressed. Let that gentle wind touch your soul, breathe that fresh green air, look up – high up in the sky, let your eyes wander into the deep, lush green trees.

Most of us who have corporate desk jobs often find it difficult to find greenery around us.  I know I have faced this problem, so I used to do these:

• Keep a desk plant, usually a money plant, succulents
• Do a “reset walk” – that is, no phone, just slow breathing, relaxed shoulders, and walk in the corridors for 10 mins.
• Step out for a micro green walk. No matter how densely the corporate buildings are situated, almost all of them do have a small green lobby garden. Just spend some time there.
• Lastly, if it’s raining and you don’t wanna go out – just look through the window and enjoy the raindrops and their sound!

These were a few things that I follow while at work, which help me relax instantly when stressed.

(Personal Tip: During peak season at work, I get stressed easily—especially when new projects pile up and half the team is on leave. Even if everything feels “urgent” to your manager, prioritize your tasks. List them from most important to least important, and you’ll handle things much more calmly. And if the workload feels too much, talk to your lead. A simple “Work in Progress” update usually helps—they see what you’ve completed, and you can finish the rest the next day!)

Create Boundaries And Learn To Say No

If I were asked to follow this 5 years back, I would have died, but not have said ‘no’ to anyone or anything. This was very difficult for me to say. I have no shame to say that I were a people pleaser.

I was afraid of the unknown, I thought people would dislike me, my manager would fire me (LOL) and whatnot. But a simple no can change a lot of things. ‘No’ itself is a full sentence; you do not need to explain. You can simply reply like this without being rude –

• “I really appreciate it, but I’ll have to say no this time.”
• “Thank you for thinking of me, but I’ll have to pass.”
• “I wish I could, but I’ll need to say no for now.”
• “It sounds lovely, but I won’t be able to.”
• “I’m grateful you asked, but I’ll have to decline.”

One of the best ways to relax instantly when stressed is a simple ‘no’.

Avoid Procrastination

I used to procrastinate a lot when faced with a bunch of work. This not only made me feel more guilty, but also I were unable to sleep properly. To avoid this, I started rewarding myself.

I love chocolate, so till date whenever I’m stressed with a lot of tasks, I write down the work I need to complete on a sticky note, paste it in front of my desk, and start doing the work. After finishing that particular task, I indulge in chocolate.

Sometimes when you wake up in the morning with a billion emails, just start reading them all, jot down what’s important and what’s not and write in short bullet on a sticky note and paste it on your desk. In this way, you won’t feel overwhelmed with a lot of stuff going on and will also relax instantly when stressed and avoid procrastination.

Lastly, But Most Importantly, Seek Help

Asking for help does not make you weak! We are all humans, we have roller coaster emotions, which is what makes us different from robots and machines. Sometimes, even though my mom does not understand a single line of what kind of work I do, I still share it with her. It’s because I found a safe place where I can share anything without any hesitation. She’s a good listener, more than that, she understands my feelings, and most of the easy remedies to relax instantly when stressed were suggested by my mom. That is how I can say that these are the methods I used to encounter stress and anxiety.

It’s easier for me to share with my mom. You should find someone in your life with whom you can openly share anything and get help without any payback. Be it your spouse, your children, parents, friends, or anyone – speaking up is the first step towards encountering your fear, your stress. If you don’t have any, you can always go see a therapist! They are the best listeners, and they can always help you better than I, and give a professional scientific approach to deal with it.

Final Thoughts

These were my 12 personal ways to relax instantly when stressed. If you have gotten any more tips, do share them in the comments below. Even if you don’t have any, the comment box below is as blank as a dessert, so pour your feelings down. It’s a safe place where we don’t judge!

Life has been a roller coaster for me. I’ve had a traumatic childhood and a complicated past, and even now things aren’t perfect—I still have a long way to go. Sometimes life feels heavier when you compare yourself to your friends, but remember your worth. We’re all on different paths: some take the bus, while you might be walking through the forest. They may be at the beach today, but you might find treasures they’ll never see.

I know how anxiety and stress feel, and how lonely it is when no one understands you. But in those moments, don’t let the feelings consume you. You are strong. You are brave. You can get through this. And if life ever feels so overwhelming that you feel like quitting, please remember this: YOU ARE LOVED. No situation is more important than your beautiful self. Be kinder to yourself.

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