5 Simple Things you can do to Relieve Stress

After a stressful day, it’s important to do something to unwind. And I don’t just mean taking a bath with some candles and maybe watching Netflix. You need to physically relieve stress with exercises that will clear your mind and help you relax. These five simple exercises are perfect for doing just that!

Yoga

Yoga is one of the best ways to relieve stress, improve your health and sleep better. If you’re new to yoga, don’t worry–you don’t need to be flexible or in great shape!

The poses in this beginner-friendly routine will help calm down after a hectic day.

Deep Breathing to relieve stress

Deep breathing is a great way to relax and relieve stress. The key to deep breathing is to breathe in through your nose, hold your breath for a few seconds, and then breathe out through your mouth. Repeat this cycle four times before moving on to another exercise.

Foam Rolling

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release (SMR) that uses a foam roller or similar tool to massage the muscles. It can help reduce soreness, improve flexibility and range of motion, increase blood flow, reduce muscle tightness and pain, improve performance–and more!

Foaming is not only good for post-workout recovery but also in general when you’re feeling stressed out or tense. It helps relieve tension in your back, hips and legs by breaking up knots in your muscles from sitting at your desk all day long.

Stretching

Stretching is an excellent way to relieve stress, relax and improve your sleep quality. Stretching can also help you prevent injuries and sore muscles.

The following stretches are great for relieving tension in the back, neck and shoulders:

• Stand with feet apart, arms at sides; chin slightly tucked in. Bend forward from hips until chest comes close to thighs; hold 5 seconds each side (a).
• Raise right arm straight out in front of body; rotate torso toward left while reaching over head with left hand as far as possible on opposite side (b). Repeat on opposite side (c).

Aromatherapy to relieve stress

Aromatherapy is a great way to relax after a long day. Using a diffuser, you can release scents into the air that will help you feel more relaxed and calm. There are many different scents that can be used for aromatherapy, but the most popular ones are lavender oil and bergamot oil because they have been shown to reduce stress levels by up to 65%. If you’re looking for something specific like this, try looking at our article on 5 Essential Oils for Stress Relief!

Another great thing about using an essential oil diffuser is that it helps improve sleep quality by reducing insomnia symptoms such as trouble falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night (source). If those symptoms sound familiar then we recommend reading our article: How To Fall Asleep Fast And Stay Asleep All Night Long!

These exercises can help you relax after a hectic day.

• Before you start your day, take a few minutes to do some simple stretches and breathing exercises. This will help to get your body warmed up and ready for action (and it will also give you something else to think about besides whatever stressful tasks await).
• During the workday: If possible, try taking short breaks throughout the day–even if just for a few minutes at a time–to stretch again or simply stand up from your desk and walk around for a bit.
• At night: After dinner but before bedtime is an ideal time for relaxing exercises like yoga or tai chi because these activities tend not only to calm us down but also encourage us toward more restful sleep patterns overall.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list of exercises to relieve stress. If you have any other ideas, please let us know in the comments below!