5 Ways to Destress in 30 Seconds or Less

For many, life can move at a very fast pace. It’s easy to get caught up in everything that’s constantly going on. Before you become overwhelmed, try one of these easy strategies to destress.

1. Do a breathing exercise

Breathing exercises are convenient because you can do them pretty much anywhere. When you feel that tension is rising, try this simple 4-7-8 exercise.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 counts. Then, hold that breath for 7 counts. Finally, exhale fully over 8 counts. You can repeat this exercise throughout the day as needed.

2. Fake smile

Fake smiling when you’re stressed or in a bad mood can turn your day around. Simply holding that fake smile for 30 seconds can change your mood. Your brain notices that your muscles are positioned to smile, and catches up to it chemically.

3. Fake laugh

Let’s be honest. You can’t fake laugh without eventually laughing at yourself. Give a try. I dare you! Once that fake laugh turns into real laughter, you’re set to destress. Laughing increases oxygen intake and produces endorphins, those feel-good chemicals.

4. Take a silly selfie

Along the same lines as fake laughing, you’ll be able to destress by pulling out your phone, making a funny face, and snapping a picture of it. Remember when you were a child and you would make funny faces? You probably couldn’t stop yourself from giggling (until your parents told you your face would get stuck that way).

As a bonus, you can upload it on social media so that you and your friends can continue to share a laugh over it throughout the day.

5. Gratitude

When you’re stressed, it can be hard to remember the good things and see past the stressful events. Get in the habit of naming 3 things you’re grateful for when that happens. It will help temporarily distract you from what’s stressing you out. It will also help you keep an overall positive outlook to help you better deal with stressful situations.

Which methods do you use to destress? Tell us about it in the comments.