I remember when I was a little girl, my only worry in life was whether I would be able to complete my homework in time. Twenty years have passed since, and I have only found myself piling my stress one over the other on a daily basis. Although my reasons for worry and stress have changed, it’s safe to say that the stress part remains.

Somedays, I find myself stressed about the future, while on the others, I find myself stressed over the past! There are days when I find myself stressed over what others have said, and on the others, I find myself stressed over what I may have told. But I know one thing’s for sure! I am not alone! I am not the only one to be stressing about things in life! And neither are you! It’s a common disease plaguing all of us.

Whether it’s an impending examination, a screaming boss, pressuring parents, arguments with a loved one, a heartbreak, that project you have been working on that’s going nowhere, there really isn’t one common reason why we all get stressed! Although I may not be able to give each one of your stress and problems a detailed solution, I can surely lighten your burden by sharing with you today multiple ways you can destress yourself at home. While some are pieces of advice I have gotten from others, most of them are things I have found and resorted to from time to time when I have found myself deeply stressed.

Digital detox

Alright! The first thing I do when I feel stressed and as cliche as it may sound, is turn off my phone. I know this advice is one of the most common pieces of advice in the digital era, but there is a solid reason why that’s the case. We live in a world where it’s practically impossible to keep from social media. Even if we aren’t scrolling, we are often surrounded by people that drag us into it. And somehow, everyone’s life on social media looks way better and more glamorous than ours, which only adds to the stress and the fear of missing out.

So when it comes to my me time, I prefer not to be swayed by unwanted emotions of not doing enough to live my life fully, based on what I see online, which only adds to the stress. So instead of mindlessly scrolling on the phone, please turn it off!

Step outside for a walk

And while you have turned that damned thing off, step outside. Go for a walk, look at the green trees and the blue sky, listen to the noisy birds, feel the cool breeze touching your skin and spend some quality time in nature! Spending time in nature lowers your blood pressure, reduces stress and helps improve your health in general. So, rather than sitting at home and scrolling through social media feed endlessly, take a break and go for a walk outside.

Tend to plants to destress

So you live in a city with tall buildings and hardly any nature around? That’s ok too! I mean, why worry when you can bring nature indoors, right? Studies have shown that interaction with indoor plants and activities like plant tending and gardening have a positive influence on mental health and carry many physiological benefits, meaning they help reduce stress and, to an extent, comfort and soothe you as well! So, if you cannot go outside, then bring them in!

Brew a hot cup of tea

And while you are strolling at your house looking at plants, why not make yourself a cup of aromatic hot beverage? There is nothing a phone call to a loved one over a hot cup of tea cannot solve. But if you are someone who doesn’t want to talk to anyone and just wants to spend some quality time alone, then it’s still not a good enough reason to pass on a hot and warm cup of tea! The aroma, the warmth and the taste of tea can sure melt your stress in minutes. Try spending some quiet time in the kitchen looking at the water boiling and the colours of the tea leaves blending in with the water, and then tell me if that doesn’t help bring the focus to the present moment. As we tend to focus on being present, our worries, stress and anxiety about the past, the future and everything in between tend to fade away!

Aromatherapy as a way to destress

And when you have made yourself a warm cup of tea, you might as well light a scented candle. The aroma of the essential oils from the candles helps relieve stress. If you aren’t very fond of lighting candles (which I highly doubt is the case!), you may try dubbing some essential oils directly on your skin! The aroma of essential oils are fragrances extracted from flowers, herbs and trees and are known to relieve stress and ease anxiety.

Listen to music

Alright! let’s put on some music next. No! Not the loud and the kind that terrorises the street dogs and increases your anxiety but the calm and ambient ones that elevate a feeling of serenity. You know, the ones that bring you back to your tranquil self! One that makes you feel like you are standing right next to a brook, listening to ripples of the water, watching the birds fly by, wondering where that sound of cricket is coming from. Because you see, just like nature, music has healing powers too!

Journal to destress

Well! Now that you have set the mood with a hot and warm cup of tea, an aromatic candle and ambient music, grab your journal and start writing. Often we feel stressed over all the confusing thoughts, overwhelming feelings and problems that we think can’t be resolved. But really, that’s not the case! Isn’t it? If there is a problem, there is a solution too! But finding a solution when our mind is cluttered is an impossible thing to do. And in times like that, it’s better to write it out! Write all those confusing thoughts, overwhelming feelings and problems that are causing you stress. There are two benefits to this, one, it will help you get rid of all those negative thoughts that are clouding your mind and two, just as you are writing, you may see the solution to your problems right in front of you.

Hop into a hot shower

Now, I know that these things take time, and of course, when you are stressed, you need a quick fix! And in that case, what better way is there than jumping into a hot shower? I don’t know about you, but whenever I feel stressed, I just quickly find the bathroom door. Something about taking a hot shower is very relaxing! And that ‘something’ (if you are wondering) is the hormone oxytocin, released when we take a hot shower and has anti-stress effects on the body. So the next time you find yourself overwhelmed with feelings, simply hop into a hot shower. Before you know it, the hot water will melt away your stress.

Declutter to destress

Now tell me! Have you ever come back from work to see a home that’s cluttered mess? Have you ever felt good looking at clutter? Possibly not! Clutter simply adds to stress. That’s why it’s crucial to have a clutter-free and organised space. I might sound a bit like Monica Geller here, but when I feel stressed, I sometimes simply start organising my closet, bookshelf or my drawer! And just the thought of what needs to be decluttered and what method of organization I should use, kind of shifts my focus from what has been stressing me and helps de-stress! So start decluttering now.

Reading as a way to destress

For those of you who don’t like organizing, try reading! There is no better way to relax your mind than to read. Studies have found that reading when stressed is a far better way to de-stress than drinking tea and listening to music. I have resorted time and time again to self-help books when I have found myself stressed. And I can tell you by experience that it does help relax. I especially rely on this method of relaxation during my monthly cycles, which is often the time I find myself stressed and sometimes even anxious. When that happens, I just find myself gravitating to my bookshelf! I find something new to read or even reread a section from my favourite old book. Not only do you relax by reading, but you also learn a ton of new things! Now tell me, isn’t that a win-win?

Learn something new

Talking of win-win! Something you can do to destress yourself while on the path of self-growth is by learning something new! By learning something new, you will be adding to your skill set, which will help you be more confident with yourself. And that newfound confidence and self-competency will help you deal with stress. And who knows, by learning something new, you could be opening doors to new opportunities which might bring a solution to the problems that are causing you stress!

Redevelop a hobby

Remember the time when life was a lot simpler? When the only stress in life was going to school? When all you wanted to do was sit down, doodle and colour like there’s no tomorrow? Well! Your worries may have changed, but the answers to those worries remain the same. And it doesn’t have to be only doodling and colouring, it could be any hobby you enjoy! It could be playing football, singing or playing video games or even camping! Anything that you remember being excited about as a kid? So walk back on the memories lanes to find out what your younger self enjoyed doing and start all over! You might be surprised to find out how easy it is to destress!

Meditation as a way to destress

And if you can’t seem to de-stress yourself regardless of what you do from what I have mentioned so far, then tell me, isn’t it better to sit down and silence your mind for a while? When the world around you feels like chaos, take a moment to sit down and appreciate silence! Meditation is a great way to de-stress!

The simple act of focusing on your breath will melt away your stress and anxiety completely. Now, this may not happen the first day you meditate, the second day you meditate or even on the third day. But it will happen gradually over time. The more you meditate, the more you’ll find yourself in peace. And the religious practice of meditation every day will not only help you de-stress but will also help you stay calm in a stressful situation! As much as it is important de-stress, it’s even more important to stay calm during stressful situations. Because, after all, as one says, “Serenity is not freedom from the Strom, but peace amid Strom.”

Play jigsaw puzzle

Ok, tell me! If you were to describe life in three words, what would that be? I am not sure how you would explain it, but if you were to ask me, my immediate answer would be a jigsaw puzzle, which brings me to this next way to destress, which is playing, a jigsaw puzzle. Now I know that it might sound a little juvenile, ridiculous even that a game like a jigsaw puzzle could help destress. But trust me, this is an effective one!

Buy one here

Trying to find the pieces of the puzzle forces us to be present at the moment and makes it impossible to focus on anything else, which helps calm the mind and be present! Metaphorically enough, there lies the answer to many questions of life in that very jigsaw puzzle. Although life at times may seem chaotic and confusing, it helps if we remember that we are just finding the pieces of this bigger puzzle called life. And when we cannot find some of the pieces to fit in quick, we tend to stress and panic. But if we were to only let go of that one piece that’s causing us stress for a moment or two and try to find other pieces of the puzzle instead. We’ll probably be able to see then that the missing piece would eventually fall into place.

So rather than stressing about that one piece of the puzzle, isn’t it better to understand that although at times in life, when it might seem like everything is falling apart, it may, in fact, actually be falling into place?

“Life isn’t about waiting for the Strom to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”