Whether it comes in the form of a late bus, a rude client, or a deadline traveling at the speed of light, stress is increasingly becoming an everyday occurrence for many of us. In fact, as many as 33% of people now report feeling extreme stress regularly. That’s a problem and is only worsening as remote work arrangements and smartphones make it impossible to switch off.
Given that 77% of people also experience detrimental physical effects as a result of this stress, including panic attacks, high blood pressure, and even heart failure, it’s certainly fair to say that we could all benefit from learning how to handle stress a little better. On the go stress busters provide precisely that benefit, but what exactly are they, and how can they help you to feel calmer wherever you are, and whatever you’re dealing with?
Stress buster 1: Guided imagery
Guided imagery is a fantastic tool that typically centers around imaging yourself in a happy place, be that on vacation or in your favorite room at home. By calming the mind in the moment, this technique can have a significant transformative effect on rising stress levels, preventing adrenaline from flooding your body and instead instantly halting that flow with the feel-good hormones that you associate with those happier locations. Focusing on sensory experiences including the smells, textures, and sounds within that area (which can be enhanced using recordings if that helps) can especially provide a mental break that stops the noise, and makes it far easier to approach even the most stressful issue with a calmer headspace, and a generally less-stressed demeanor when you come back into the room.
Stress buster 2: Meditation
While you might more often associate meditation with hours of sitting in one peaceful spot, there are a great many ways to make this method work for you on the go. Focused breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are just two great examples of in-the-moment meditation in action, and each can help to significantly calm the mind, and even the body, before high-level flight responses are given room to grow. Even better, this option offers short-term and long-term stress relief benefits, particularly if you develop a meditation mantra that you can easily tap into at any time.
Stress buster 3: Time in nature
Time in nature has always been famed for its mental health benefits, but from a stress perspective, in particular, this can prove to be a beneficial, and easy-to-access, option. Whether you head out for a quick walk around the office block after a meeting or take your breaks in a nearby section of greenery, taking time in nature at regular intervals can not only help to negate existing stressors, but may also offer the benefit of keeping you level headed, and better able to deal with any other stress that comes your way throughout the day!
High stress levels can do significant damage to both physical and mental health. Keep these stress-busting techniques up your sleeve to ensure that, wherever you are, stress is never strong enough to overwhelm you.
