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Whether you work from home, are recovering from an illness or surgery, or any other reason, if you are stuck at home you may find yourself feeling stressed and depressed.
If you’re struggling with these feelings, you’ll be pleased to discover that there are many things you can do to help reduce your stress, uplift your mood, and increase your productivity on important tasks.
Use this checklist whenever you feel like stressful feelings are getting the best of you. Just run down this list and try the activities one by one until you’re feeling better.
Try these techniques to reduce stress while stuck at home:
Get some exercise. Those who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don’t. Exercise releases feel-good endorphins, enhances your sleep quality, and can help increase your confidence.
Practice gratitude. While it seems counterintuitive to be "grateful" when you are stressed, remembering all the GOOD things in your life can go far in making a bad day or stressful time seem "not so bad." I have a FREE journal that you can download and print out right HERE. Try it this month and see if it helps.
Light a scented candle. Certain scents can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Lavender, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and geranium have all been shown to offer these benefits.
Cut your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, and energy drinks. It can also cause anxiety in high doses. If you experience symptoms such as jitteriness or anxiety, consider cutting back on your intake.
Chew some gum. When you chew gum, you will experience greater blood flow to your brain. Doing this can cause brain waves to occur that are similar to those experienced by relaxed people.
Spend more time with family and friends. Your family and friends can offer you support in times of need, so it’s important that you keep them close to you. Research has found that spending time with friends can help release oxytocin, which helps to relieve stress. Call them on the phone or video chat regularly.
Laugh. Spending some time out of your day to laugh can go a long way to relieving stress. It helps to relieve tension by relaxing your muscles and can also strengthen your immune system and uplift your mood.
Learn when you should say no. Often you will find yourself stressed because you've taken on too many responsibilities. Sometimes it’s better to be more selective about what you agree to do.
Avoid procrastination. If you put off doing important tasks, you could find yourself getting stressed and having to scramble to complete those tasks before the deadline. Instead of trying to multitask, make a list of your tasks and do them in order of importance. You’ll reduce stress and enjoy greater productivity.
Practice mindfulness. Whether you take a yoga class or try some self-meditation, if you practice mindfulness and focus on the present rather than the past or future, you’ll see a reduction in anxiety.
Listen to relaxing music. Certain types of music can lower your blood pressure and heart rate and may help to reduce stress hormones too. Slow-paced instrumental music works well, but classical, Celtic, Native American, and Indian music can also be soothing.
Practice deep breathing. The aim of deep breathing is to slow your breathing and make it deeper. This process will bring more oxygen to your body’s cells, relax your muscles, slow your heart rate, and leave you feeling more peaceful and relaxed.
Spend time with your pet. When you interact with a pet, your body releases oxytocin, a chemical that uplifts your mood. Plus, having a pet will give you purpose, help to keep you active and provide you with companionship-which can reduce stress.
While stress can easily occur at home, there are plenty of methods you can use to address it. Make a habit of practicing these strategies whenever you feel stressed, and soon you’ll find that you can subdue it just as easily as it arises.
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