31 Gentle Ways to Let Go of Stress

Everyone gets stressed as some point. No matter who calm and small our world is, stress kicks in.

Don't let the rough seas of this moment make you feel like this is forever.
Take some time to calm yourself, and you'll be able to calm the emotional "seas" around you. 

In fact, stress levels can be very relative. If you have a calm, quiet life, even a little stress can make you anxious. 

This means, though, that even a little stress in a quiet life is as legitimate as the stress someone else experiences in a much louder life. 

Here are 31 ideas you can try to reduce your stress levels:

1. Take some deep breaths – Slow, intentional breaths can tell your body it’s safe to relax. When you're breathing slowly, it signals your somatic system that everything is okay. Make sure that you "belly breathe" - inhale to make your belly expand; chest breathing is a signal that you're ready for stress.

2. Take a quick walk – Even a few minutes outside can shift your perspective. Walking, like slow breathing, signals that all is well. After all, if it's not, you would be running.

3. Listen to some music – Choose a song that makes you feel lighter. Some of us have favorite bands, favorite music styles, or other musical treats that help us calm down.

4. Take a time out – Step away from the situation and give yourself space. Very often, all you need to experience less stress is to walk away from the sources of the stress. This doesn't have to for a long time; sometimes, just five minutes of quiet will help you reset.

5. Use positive self-talk – Speak to yourself the way you would a dear friend. How you speak to yourself is often more important than how anyone else speaks to you. You are your biggest advocate or your biggest anchor.

6. Talk to someone whose advice you admire – Lean on the wisdom of those you trust. Many of us have friends, family, or mentors that we trust to help us. Speak with them about how you're feeling; they might have ways to help you reduce your stress.

7. Visualize your happy place – Picture the sights, sounds, and scents that bring you peace. Visualization seems like a froo-froo idea for many people, but some of the greatest minds in history have used visualization to help them accomplish great things. 

8. Interact with your pet – A few minutes with a furry friend can work wonders. The time you spend loving your pet can be transformative. The unconditional love and joy that animals give is soul-changing, and it only takes a few minutes. 

9. Sleep on it – Rest has a way of untangling thoughts. Dreams are one of the most powerful ways to solve problems. James Watson dreamed about the double helix structure of DNA; his subconscious worked it out and showed it to him. Besides, you can't battle stress while you're exhausted.

10. Read a fiction book – Let a good story carry you away for a while. Stories are designed to take you away from your life to someplace else. Take the time to read your way to a genre or writer who can carry you away every time.

11. Figure out how to fix the problem – Break it into S.M.A.R.T. goals so it feels manageable. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound - the SMART structure is an outstanding way to break a huge, overwhelming problem into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

12. Draw out your anger – Put it on paper instead of keeping it bottled up. Even if it's a red crayon scribbled all over a page, it's a great way to get the emotions out where they are visible.

13. Be artsy or crafty – Let your hands and creativity take the lead. Losing yourself into a craft can give your subconscious time to process what you need to do to reduce your stress levels. 

14. Clean – A tidy space can help clear a cluttered mind. It's hard to see clearly when you're surrounded by clutter and messes. Even picking up a single room can help your brain to relax enough to find a solution to your stress.

15. Meditate – Even five minutes can bring a sense of calm. You don't need anything fancy; count your breaths to ten and back to one. Do this for five minutes. You'll be surprised how fast and powerful it is. 

16. Dance or shake it out – Move your body to release pent-up energy. Don't care if anyone sees you. Dance, jump, jog in place, anything that gets your body moving. As your body takes over the energy, it can move all that negativity out of your brain.

17. Write a letter you never send – Sometimes the act of writing is enough. Most of us don't write letters any more, but they are a great way to say things that you keep inside. Then burn the letter as you symbolically burn the worries and stress.

18. List your accomplishments – Remind yourself of how far you’ve come. Write out your accomplishments. Look at them on the page. Most of us can't hold in our minds all the successes and accomplishments we have. We're usually dwelling on the most recent failure. List them and read them. 

19. Make a gratitude list – Noticing what’s good changes the way we feel. Sometimes, when we're stressed, we forget that we're really grateful for things. Making a gratitude list can make our life's good stuff much more apparent.

20. Get a hug from someone you love – Heck, get a hug from a stranger. Physical comfort is powerful. Sometimes your entire day can change from just a little human touch.

21. Punch a pillow – A safe outlet for frustration can help you let it go. A punch pillow is the perfect place to take out your frustrations and anger where no one gets hurt. This can include doing things like going to a driving range and hitting golf balls or a batting cage and hitting baseballs. The power of hitting something can take the energy out of your anger. 

22. Write down what’s upsetting you, then destroy it – A symbolic release. You can write a letter, jot down a list, or cover a bunch of slips of paper with the things that are driving you crazy. You can then simply discard them, burn them, or flush them down the toilet. This can let you see those worries disappear.

23. Watch something that makes you feel good – Light, happy entertainment counts as self-care. Changing your attitude with something funny, happy, or light-hearted can help you reset enough to find a new mental space.

24. Work in your garden – Nurturing plants can be grounding. Touching the soil is a great way to feel more solid in life. Many of our frustrations come from a feeling of being adrift in a sea of stress and pain. Gardening is an awesome way to look to the future. 

25. Take a walk in nature – Fresh air and green spaces calm the senses. If you can, take off your shoes for part of the time. Ground yourself against, well, the ground. This helps you feel more anchored. There's even a theory that the exchange of electrons between you and the soil can help balance your body electrically. 

26. Pamper yourself – A bath, skincare routine, or cosy blanket can soothe your spirit. It doesn't take much, but a little self-care and self-love will help you feel more at ease. The calmer you are, the easier it is to deal with stressors. 

27. Write your situation as fiction – Seeing it as a story can create emotional distance. When the characters in your world become fiction characters, you can see them, their motivations, and their needs as you do on a TV show or in a novel. This way you can handle them with more finesse.

28. Enjoy a comedy show – Laughter really does lift moods. Laughter releases hormones in the body that helps to balance many of the stress hormones that you've been creating. Laugh deeply and less the stress fall away.

29. List things you’re looking forward to – Give yourself hope to hold on to. In moments of stress, we can become too focused on this moment, forgetting there are many things that we have to look forward to in life. Looking forward can remind you that the problems of today are momentary. 

30. Read a biography of someone you admire – Inspiration can be contagious. There are millions of inspiring life stories. Reading how someone else overcame troubles, often troubles much worse than your own, can help you to keep perspective and feel better able to handle your stresses. 

31. Bake – Creating something delicious can be both rewarding and comforting. The smell of bread or a cake baking can itself be soothing, a reminder of the happiness to come. When you bake something edible, even if it's not perfect, you've accomplished something. 

Calm and low stress can be yours.
Simply take a few moments to move the negativity aside so you can better handle life's stresses. 

Try one or two of these when life feels heavy.
There’s no right or wrong way to use them—just choose what feels possible in the moment. Small, kind actions for yourself can make all the difference.

Remember: You are more resilient than even you think you are. You've got this. Just drop some of the stress and take care of yourself.