Make sure your hands are clean so you don’t get germs in your mouth. Apply lip balm first to help your fingers slide over your lips more easily, if you prefer. While you’ll likely feel a bit more relaxed, this won’t cure your anxiety or get rid of your stress.

Take 5 slow deep breaths to activate your calming response. You should feel a lot more relaxed after you do deep breathing. However, you might need to do it several times a day to help you deal with chronic stress. Try simple “box breathing. " Inhale for four counts, hold your breath at the “top” for four counts, exhale for four counts, hold your breath at the “bottom” for four counts. [4] X Expert Source Tracy Carver, PhDLicensed Psychologist Expert Interview. 12 January 2021.

For instance, you might imagine yourself on a beach watching the blue water come ashore in calm waves. Remember the sounds of ocean waves and seabirds, as well as the scent of the ocean. Additionally, imagine a gentle sea breeze caressing your skin and the taste of salty air on your tongue. Visualization can be really effective, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you have trouble picturing yourself somewhere else, this technique might not work well for you.

After you tense and release all of your muscles, your body should feel calm. You can do this when you’re feeling really stressed or as a relaxation technique before bed. Pay attention to the minute areas of tension in your body (your jaw, your forehead). [7] X Expert Source Tracy Carver, PhDLicensed Psychologist Expert Interview. 12 January 2021.

Look for a massage therapist in your area by searching online. A massage can help you calm down quickly after a stressful event. However, you might prefer to get them regularly to help yourself stay calm.

Even a short amount of time in nature can help you feel more calm, but try to spend 15-30 minutes outdoors every day or when you feel stressed. Generally, being in nature is calming. However, it might not work for you if you don’t like going outside.

For instance, don’t do anything during mealtimes except eat and don’t do 2 job tasks at once. Just focus on 1 thing at a time. To activate your 5 senses, focus on the things you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste in your environment. You might tell yourself, “I see colorful flowers on the hillside, I smell the scent of honeysuckle, I hear the wind whistling through trees, I feel the warmth of the sun, and I taste my cherry lip balm. ”

Do a quick 5-minute meditation in a crisis moment when you’re feeling really stressed or anxious.

For instance, you might say The Lord’s Prayer 10 times or say a Buddhist prayer for peace.

For instance, you might call your friend or meet your sister for coffee when you’re dealing with a lot of stress. Choose people who make you feel relaxed and calm rather than people who are rowdy or negative. Schedule at least 1 activity with your loved ones each week. You might host a game night, enjoy a family dinner, or go bowling with your friends.

Try to pick a hobby that you can do during times of stress. For instance, you could come home from work and draw in your sketchbook or build birdhouses.

For instance, go for brisk walks, swim, run, play a team sport, take dance classes, or go to the gym.

A yoga teacher can help you make sure you’re doing the poses correctly, but you can learn a lot from video workouts and online resources. Try watching YouTube videos that show you how to do the poses right. When you’re first getting started, pick 3-5 poses that are easy for you and do them for 5-10 minutes a day. Then, expand your practice as you get better.

Look for tai chi classes in your area by searching online.