6 Interesting Methods of Reducing Stress Levels You Should Explore

Stress doesn’t have to control your life. These powerful stress reduction methods go beyond the basics to help you unwind and restore balance.

Stress – we all have it, but we can’t let it control and disrupt our lives. It isn’t inherently bad, as you need stress every once in a while to strengthen your emotions and behaviors. This means that stress within manageable levels isn’t harmful, as it dissipates over time as the situation improves or as you learn to cope with the stressor.

Alternative Stress Relief Techniques You Should Try Today

When stress stays with you for weeks or months, it’s a cause for alarm, and you need to take steps to reduce it. Fortunately, there are interesting methods of reducing stress levels, and we’ll explore six of them here.

Try Stress-Reducing Adaptogen

Adaptogens are not magical potions but natural substances from plants and mushrooms that help the body resist physical, chemical, or biological stress. These powerful ingredients can be consumed as stress-reducing adaptogen drinks, capsules, tinctures, or tea blends.

Since these plant-based supplements are designed to help your body maintain balance and calm without sedatives or stimulants, there are few to non-existent side effects associated with taking them.

Popular ingredients in adaptogen supplements, including drinks, are ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, and reishi mushrooms. They not only soothe the nerves, but they also offer added health benefits like heightened focus, immune support, and improved sleep quality. 

Harness the Power of Nature

Nature can recharge your emotional and mental batteries. Research reveals that immersing yourself in green spaces or simply looking at the verdant grass can lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress.

Studies that corroborate this indicate that people who engage in regular nature activities report lower stress and higher satisfaction levels. Now you have more reasons to take a walk through a park, a hike in the mountains, or simply tend to your garden, as these are beneficial for the mind and body.

Practice Mindfulness and Meditation 

Blocking out the stresses of work, toxic people, and aggravating situations, and focusing your awareness inward through meditation and mindfulness practices can reduce stress.

Dedicating a few minutes to mindfulness and meditation can help you refocus your mind, gain clarity, and achieve emotional resilience after consistent practice.   

Art Therapy

Art can be an avenue for channeling and dissipating stress, so let your stress-inspired creativity flow. It isn’t always about creating masterpieces – it can also be a visual projection for releasing tension, reducing anxiety, and gaining emotional clarity.

Coloring books, mandala art, doodling, painting, sculpting, and even digital drawing can help you focus your mind on something tactile and fulfilling.

Acupressure Mats

At first glance, these specialized mats may look like spike strips used in law enforcement.

Lying on an acupressure mat for 10-20 minutes a day can release endorphins and lower cortisol levels, relax tense muscles, and trigger the body’s natural healing response. This is a passive yet effective way to rest after a stressful day. 

Sensory Deprivation Tanks (Float Therapy)

A sensory deprivation tank may sound like a torture device, but it’s not  – also known as float therapy, it involves lying in a pod filled with warm, salt-saturated water, in complete silence and darkness.

Sensory deprivation tanks may feel scary to be in, but they are designed to cut off external stimuli, allowing your mind and body to deeply relax. To allay apprehensions, this practice has been linked to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improved sleep and mental clarity.

Surprising Yet Effective Ways to Relieve Stress Naturally

Stress will likely remain a facet of life, but you can take creative steps to manage it. Some of them are fun, some are science-backed, and others might just surprise you—but all are worth a try.

If your current routine no longer works its magic, consider exploring one (or more) of these techniques. You never know–the perfect stress relief method may be in one of these options.

You don’t need to rely on just one approach to manage your stress. Whether it’s trying adaptogen drinks for stress, taking a break in nature, or giving sensory deprivation therapy a go, there’s something here that can work for you.

The key is to stay open-minded and find what resonates with your lifestyle and personality. Stress may be a part of life—but it doesn’t have to run the show.