Learning new ways to de-stress fast is a form of self-care and is a necessary ingredient in personal development. When we’re constantly in fight-or-flight mode and never take time to reset, following through on goals becomes nearly impossible and we’re sure to burn out.
And yet, this state of overwhelm and exhaustion is exactly where most of us attempt self-improvement from. Anxiety is just a word that describes being in fight-or-flight mode more often than not. In this state of mind, we don’t think as clearly, we’re not as effective at anything we do, and we don’t have as much energy to give because not only does stress disturb our sleep, but it causes us to leak energy unnecessarily throughout the day.
In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into all the ways I’ve discovered to self-soothe and relax on my own self-development journey and those that I’ve seen work for my clients. My favorite ways to de-stress fast include mental, physical, and spiritual/emotional hacks that range from moving your body to improving your bedtime routine. Hopefully, by using some or all of these techniques, you can learn how to relieve stress and become even more effective and productive on your own journey!
(Related: How To Set And Accomplish Big, Powerful Goals)
15 Ways to De-sTress Fast
1. Meditate (practice present moment awareness)
I’m sure it’s no surprise that meditation made the top of the list for how to relax fast. Meditation, or practicing present moment awareness is the oldest trick in the book when it comes to relaxing your mind and alleviating stress.
Our brains are “on” and working for us all the time—sometimes to our own detriment. There are infinite things we can stress over in any given day and we tend to focus on past and future events. But by learning to take your attention off the external chaos of the world and center it on only the present moment, you’re allowing your brain to take a break from problem-solving and worrying. Next time you feel overwhelmed by your external reality, try to practice present-moment awareness even if for just a few minutes.
Even the Mayo Clinic agrees that learning how to relax your mind through meditation effectively relieves stress and improves mental and overall health.
(Related: How Living In The Moment Affects Your Mental Health And How To Be More Present)
2. Practice breathing exercises
There are tons of helpful breathing exercises for relieving stress quickly. In my opinion, this is one of the most slept-on tools we have as humans for controlling the way that we feel. Some breathing exercises might make you feel a bit silly while you’re doing them, like the Lion’s Breath for example, which requires you to stick out your tongue and make an audible noise as you exhale. But if you can get past feeling awkward long enough to let breathing techniques do their magic, you’ll be amazed at what an incredibly effective self-soothing tool they can be.
If you’re not quite ready to make funny faces or noises in the name of relaxation, I recommend starting with the Box Breathing technique. This is a go-to tool for me to de-stress because it’s easy, fast, and discreet. If you need a tool to employ anytime, anywhere for the ups and downs of your personal development journey, this is it.
How To Use The Box Breathing Technique:
To use the Box Breathing technique, just breathe in through your nose to the count of four, hold for four beats, release through your nose for four beats, and pause again at the bottom for four beats. Then repeat a few times until you feel more at ease.
3. Practice visualization
Visualization is basically just the adult word for daydreaming and it’s often touted as an important personal development tool. No, it’s not healthy for us to walk around with our heads in the clouds all the time. But a few minutes of visualization every day is proven to help us successfully achieve goals and is a common element in guided meditations.
Your brain is a powerful place. We often use that power to our own detriment by ruminating on things that are stressful and overwhelming. Visualization provides an opportunity to intentionally put yourself in a calm, positive mental space so that you can feel instantly more relaxed.
4. Exercise
I know we don’t generally think of exercise as “relaxing.” But hear me out… When you move your body and get your heart rate up, your entire perspective changes. You become more aware of and totally focused on your body, your breathing, and the task at hand.
In this way, exercise is basically another form of meditation!
By taking your focus off your external environment and bringing it back to your own being in the present moment, you’re giving your brain a chance to reset and relax. The other major benefit of exercise in helping you unwind is that exercise produces endorphins and endorphins, by nature, release stress and create a feeling of well-being.
5. Practice gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most purely positive emotions that we can feel as humans. Many other positive emotions, like excitement or love, can be double-edged swords. Part of the reason they feel so good is because we know how painful their opposites are. Gratitude, though, is a clean and high vibration. By intentionally taking a step back from whatever’s going on in your life and finding things to be grateful for, you’ll find that quickly become less stressed. It’s impossible to feel stressed while basking in the high-flying emotion of gratitude.
(Related: How To Use Gratitude To Make You Happier And Healthier (in 15 seconds or less))
6. Do a sound bath
Sound baths are not just for the most extreme spiritualists (at least, they shouldn’t be.) Sound waves have the power to slow down your heart rate and effectively take your body out of fight-or-flight mode. I’m sure you’ve noticed the power music can have on your mood. Whether it’s a love song that bums you out because it reminds you of your ex or a high-energy song that makes you want to get up and dance. Sound baths have the same powerful effect and can help you go from stressed to relaxed in just a matter of minutes.
If you’re not already using music and/or sound baths as part of your self-development strategy, it’s time to start.
7. Soak up the sunshine
It might surprise you to know that about 42% of Americans have a vitamin D deficiency, the symptoms of which include fatigue and depression. It’s very hard to relax when we’re feeling exhausted and stretched to the limit by our lives.
One of the quickest, easiest ways you can de-stress is by getting out in nature and soaking up the sunshine which will encourage your brain to release serotonin and instantly improve your mental state.
8. Hang out with your pet
Did you know it’s been proven that dogs have hijacked the pathways in our brains that are evolutionarily designed to encourage bonding with cute babies? It’s true! Just by making eye contact with your dog, your parental instincts are activated, and your brain secretes oxytocin which makes us feel warm, fuzzy feelings. These warm, fuzzy feelings are an amazing antidote to stress, and capitalizing on that bond with your dog is an easy, accessible way to self-soothe and combat burn out.
Who knew your dog was so important to your self-development?!
9. Go for a walk
If you need to de-stress fast, going for a walk may be one of the best tips to keep in mind because it kills a few birds with one stone and can significantly decrease the stress hormone, cortisol. A short walk get your blood pumping (like exercise), gets you out in nature and into the sunshine (hello, Vitamin D), and gives you and opportunity to practice the next tip: during your walk, try to notice each of your five senses.
10. Notice each of your five senses
Once again, this is kind of just another sneaky way of saying, “Meditate.” Taking a moment to intentionally place your attention on each of your five senses is often called “mindfulness” or “mindfulness meditation”. If you need to de-stress now, this is a great tool to have in your back pocket.
How To Use Mindfulness Meditation:
To use this simple meditation tactic, just sit still and quietly and place your attention on what you’re experiencing through one of your senses. After a few moments, move on to another one. Be patient and thorough. It’s not a race to make a list of things you notice, it’s a practice in taking a time-out from the rest of the world to focus on you.
Taking a moment to practice mindfulness and notice each of your five senses is an incredibly simple way to self-soothe and is a great gateway into other types of meditation.
11. Get better sleep
I realize that technically this isn’t a tip that will help you de-stress fast. But it will definitely help you de-stress effectively if you can hack it.
Low-quality sleep is one of the biggest causes of stress and anxiety and it quickly becomes a negative feedback loop that is hard to break out of because stress and anxiety lower your quality of sleep.
It’s hard to remember what it feels like to operate on enough high-quality sleep when you haven’t done it in a while, but trust me, your mental health is the first to take the hit when you don’t. To start getting better sleep in the name of a less stressful life, try creating a bedtime routine, ditching caffeine and alcohol, and leaving technology out of the bedroom.
If you’re interested in self-improvement, improving your sleep is a high-value place to start.
12. Do something for someone else
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” – Maya Angelou
One of the most sure-fire ways to feel all-around better instantly is by doing something good for others. Volunteer in your community, pick up litter around the neighborhood, help someone with a chore they’ve been putting off. I know it may seem like this is more effort than it’s worth considering these are supposed to be tips to de-stress, but the end result is totally worth it, When we do something for others, the rewards center in our brain gets lit up which makes us feel good. In reality, giving back to others is a pretty selfish tool that we should all be taking advantage of!
13. Take a shower or bath
Have you ever heard of “grounding”? Grounding is a therapeutic technique that allows us to connect with the electrical currents of the earth. Sure, it might sound a little woo-woo. But studies have shown that grounding yourself either by laying on the earth or submerging yourself in water can significantly decrease inflammation, anxiety, and depression symptoms. In other words, if the goal is to de-stress and improve your mental well-being, there may be some value in taking a shower or a bath.
14. Light a candle
Lighting a candle can help you de-stress fast for two reasons: 1. Fire is entrancing for us humans, this is just a fact. And 2. Candles can be scented with essential oil, herbs, flowers, etc. that have a calming effect on the mind. Candles are an excellent prop to keep on hand to help you self-soothe when the need arises. Give it a try next time you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Light a candle, watch the flame dance, and appreciate the nice smell for a few minutes before returning your attention back to the rest of the world.
15. Pick up the clutter in your spaces
Even if you’re not quite ready to Marie Kondo your space and toss out everything that doesn’t spark joy, it may be worth considering a little de-cluttering for the sake of de-stressing. It’s tough to unwind when you’re surrounded by things. It’s been shown that disorganization drains our cognitive resources.
Relaxation is all about letting go of distracting, invasive, and stressful thoughts. Eliminating physical clutter is a good first step to eliminate mental clutter.
I hope you take advantage of these ways to de-stress fast. Every day you push yourself to grow and improve, which is no easy feat. If you want to take your self-improvement to the next level and see yourself succeed in every area of life, learning to self-soothe is an absolute must.
What’s your favorite way to relax and unwind? Did it make the list?
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Mary Christina
Hey, I'm Mary! My background is in Psychology and I'm a certified Health Coach and Meditation Teacher. I'm also a mental health advocate and believer in personal development as medicine. I write because I'm hopeful that my experiences and learnings as a human are helpful to you--wherever you are.
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