How To Get Rid Of Stress – 3 Quick Stress-Relieving Tips That Soothe and Calm in Minutes
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Searching for help on how to get rid of stress?
Picture this…You arrive home from a tough day at work, running your business or dealing with your kids and their needs, schedules and appointments, or any other of your innumerable obligations.
You’re bone tired and even though it’s late in the day, you haven’t completed your never-ending list of “to-do’s”.
You’re not only tired, you’re more than a little stressed.
Really stressed.
When suddenly, you step through the door to your home and find a wonderfully pleasant and sweet-smelling atmosphere that immediate begins to calm and soothe you.
As you take in a few deep breaths, you already begin to feel your muscles relaxing, and the tension releasing it’s steely grip of your body.
Someone is waiting to welcome you home, greets you graciously and waits to be at your beck and call, to see to your every need and comfort, and to transform your surroundings to a place of tranquility, for you to rest and rejuvenate your energy for the remainder of the evening.
Sure. That’s what happens everyday, right?
Not!
But it certainly sounds nice doesn’t it?
Well, I can’t make miracles happen for you, but if you’re looking for help to get rid of stress, I’ve got a few tips that just may make your days a little bit better. Read on…
Some experts say that stress in our work and home lives are at their highest levels ever.
And women, more than men are experiencing stress these days.
We talk a lot about stress on this blog because change and transformation can often be stressful experiences for us.
In a recent survey work, money and family responsibilities were found to be the three highest stressors.
Changes in personal or family-related situations are often a source of stress.
Marriage, expanding family, elderly parents moving into your home, or conversely divorce, kids growing up and transitioning out of your home, and downsizing your home are all examples of potentially stressful situations in your personal life.
And changes on the job are just as stressful.
Whether it’s a promotion and taking on new responsibilities, or what seems more common these days, employer downsizing where your company now has fewer employees and your bosses expect you to do not only your work, but cover the workload that used to belong to two or three other people.
These are also examples of situations that are very likely sources of increased stress.
Our everyday lives have become much more complicated and are much more frequent sources of increased stress.
So what do you do?
First and foremost, you work on reducing, as much as is in your power to, the sources of stress in your life.
That being said, here are three quick, simple and easy (and we LOVE easy) ways to either reduce or eliminate feeling stressed (the effects of stress on us) daily.
How to get rid of stress Method #1 – Make your home smell like a spa.
I’ll be honest, this is one of my favorites.
It is a scientific fact that fragrance can affect your mood and emotions.
I have always been sensitive to smells and how they make me feel whether it’s a personal fragrance, the scent of flowers or aromatherapy.
One of my favorite ways to treat myself is to scent my house, and specifically the room I relax in.
Even if you’ve never been to a spa, I bet you can describe what one smells like.
Light, airy scents that seem good enough to eat – that completely envelope you, that you want to immerse your entire being within.
That’s what the spa smells like.
And the effect it has is soothing and relaxing.
This past year, my sister turned me on to essential oils in the home.
One source that I have only recently discovered but I absolutely love is the Archipelago Havana diffuser.
It’s a blend of scents that’s warm and exquisite, and I love the smell of it because it’s so natural and soothing.
It is heavenly. It is truly a luxury scent, like that of a spa, not like a home fragrance spray that you might buy at your local grocery store.
In addition to the fantastic scent, the Archipelago Havana diffuser is easy to use, and although you might think it’s a little on the pricey side, it does provide several months of wonderful fragrance, and blends in with most any decor.
The scent is absolutely wonderful.
You will love, love it!
And in addition to the Havana diffuser, Archipelago offers other scents.
How to get rid of stress Method #2 – Soak your feet
Not everyone has the time, opportunity or (and let’s be perfectly honest) the budget for regular pedicures or foot spas.
But please know that in addition to your back, your feet are also repositories for the symptoms of stress and tiredness that physically manifest in your body.
You can easily take a quick (or not so quick if you have more time) 20 minutes and soak your feet.
The great thing about a foot soak is that if you must, you can do something else while sitting and soaking your feet.
But the optimal situation is to be able to relax for even just a few moments while taking a foot soak.
You will be surprised at how that one simple thing can soothe you, rejuvenate you and make you feel so much better.
If you take just a few minutes to soak your feet when you come home at the end of your workday or a day filled with errands and activities, or if not then, before going to bed at night, it can help you feel like a new woman.
Tried it.
Done it.
Will absolutely do it again.
A really great find is the Ivation Foot Spa Massager.
It provides you the convenience of a foot bath at whatever time is best for you, and your choice of a cool or heated foot spa experience that includes vibration, very gentle bubbles, and automated foot massage to rub your oh-so-tired feet.
I had one of these for several years, and next to actually going to the spa or getting a professional pedicure, this foot massager was the bomb!
Add some Epsom salts or a little eucalyptus oil and you’ll be in seventh heaven!
After soaking, remember to dry your feet with a clean, soft cloth or towel, gently patting your foot dry rather than rubbing. Afterwards, gently massage L’Occitane 15% Shea Butter Foot Cream onto your feet. Again, this is not a product of the quality that you’d find at the corner pharmacy.
It’s a spa-type cream, and for good reason.
In addition to shea butter, the cream contains a blend of antiseptic lavender essential oil, an anti-inflammatory to soothe irritation and reduce redness, and a little mint for a wonderful cool, refreshing feel.
A little of this cream goes a long way, so it will last a while.
After this treatment, which doesn’t take much time at all, you’ll feel like new money.
Your feet will feel better, and they’ll look better.
You’ll be ready for sandals in summer, and have feet that are moisturized and protected from dryness or cracking in winter.
But most importantly, you’ll feel calmer, pampered and less stressed.
Finally…
How to get rid of stress Method #3 – Use a neck pillow to relieve neck and shoulder stress
In a perfect world, there would be no stress, and routine spa visits would be required for everyone.
But stress in our lives is real, as is the need to get rid of stress.
Tight, bunched up muscles hurt.
I know.
Much of the stress I have suffered for many years, I carry in my back and shoulders.
My guess is you probably do too.
It is not fun.
However, as I said earlier, not everyone has the time or the resources to book time at the spa.
And if there’s no one in your home who is willing, able or available to give you a much-needed therapeutic massage (and let’s face it, how many of us have that, really?), you can use a neck pillow to get rid of stress in your neck and shoulders.
I have found that a neck pillow like this Sonoma Lavender Heated Luxury Spa Neck Pillow, really helps to bring some relief.
Just pop the pillow into the microwave to heat up, then enjoy several relaxing minutes of deep soothing, blissful heat with a little scent of lavender while the pillow surrounds and supports your neck.
You can use it while relaxing, reading or just before you go to sleep to melt away stiffness and tension that’s built up in your body during the course of your day.
So there you have them. You now know how to get rid of stress using three very simple methods.
Three quick ways to get rid of the stress you’re experiencing:
1. Make your home smell good.
2. Be kind to your feet.
3. Get soothing relief for your neck and shoulders.
Nothing new or earthshaking in any of these suggestions, but they actually work and they’re tips you may not have thought to try before now.
And while I can’t cross my arms, twinkle my nose and make your life suddenly stress-free or magically turn your home into a spa with a personal servant ready to do your bidding, the things I’ve mentioned here are all things that have helped me with stress. And, they have benefited me by helping to reduce the amount of stress that I feel on a daily basis.
I hope that you can find at least one of these that will prove helpful to you.
Do you have anything you do to get rid of stress quickly? Let me know in the comments.
Kimberly Clay is the founder and creative force behind What She Say. She’s a business professional, writer and editor who’s been creating and managing digital content for nearly twenty years. Her work is now focused in the areas of self-improvement and personal development, and she is passionate about helping other individuals, especially women, to find a path for living their best life.