Try Scientifically Proven Hacks to Reduce Stress Instantly

Are you stressed with work, family, money, the state of the world?

No matter the cause, try the hacks below for immediate relief.

This is definitely one for all our quick-fix lovers out there.

But hold up – let’s be clear – we’re not handing out magic pills here at Wellness Theory.

In fact, we pride our self on helping our clients create lasting change in their lives.

We truly believe it’s possible to be free from unhealthy stress like overwhelm, emotional outbursts, overthinking, constant tiredness, self-sabotage and stress-related pain.

But it doesn’t happen overnight or with any one single hack.

More often than not this requires a full undertaking of self-discovery and resetting on a physical, emotional and psychological level.

True vitality, happiness and high performance for our clients means realigning life to match who they truly are and future proofing their lives through choices made daily.

At best, these hacks will play a part in your journey of living a healthy meaningful life.

At worse, they will give you some short-term relief in moments of stress.

It’s only natural to feel stress.

And small amounts are good for us, but excess stress leads to health-issues and life-issues.

The more able you are to deal with stress when it shows up and the faster you let go, the healthier you’ll be.

This means the turbulent energy stress brings can flow right through you.

You don’t need to carry it or allow it to get blocked in your system. If you feel overwhelmed, exhausted and irritable on a regular basis, read more about stress stacking here.

When we use these hacks in stressful moments, it reduces built up tension in the body, the likely hood of anxiety or an emotional outburst and even help to reduce an overwhelmed mind with busy thoughts.

Your job - whether you’re new to stress-relief or not, is to learn to let go of it as soon as you become aware.

These natural hacks are proven to discharge stressful energy and are scientifically proven to calm your nervous system down in challenging times.

They’ll help you to reduce tension, anxiety, stress-related issues like overthinking, dis-ease and emotional overwhelm.

Adding essential oil like lavender, sandalwood, chamomile, jasmine, clary sage or ylang ylang behind the ear lobes and on the wrists can reduce inflammation and promote a sense of calm. Plus, our sense of smell helps our brain to regulate our emotions.

When we’re stressed, our nervous system can be overstimulated. By shaking the body, we can bring the ourselves back into balance. Animals know this already which is why after any stressful situation they shake it off and move on. Shaking is as simple as wiggling the body, bouncing or even dancing.

Tapping key meridian points on our body like around the eyes, collarbone, chin and head disrupts the stressful experience that’s being triggered inside the body. It’s an alternative form of acupuncture that combines our natural rhythm to bring us into balance.

Breath is the easiest and I’d argue one of the most effective forms of stress-relief. Most of us have access to breath and it can be used subtly in stressful situations as needed. Simple slow breathes like 5seconds in and 5seconds out can promote calm within. Or another simple sequence is the box breathing exercise. To practice; inhale for 5 – hold for 5 – exhale for 5 – hold for 5 – and repeat until you feel calmer.

Massaging the pressure points of the ear can have many positive health benefits depending on where you massage. For stress and anxiety, you can gently pinch the inner ear and massage or the pocket of the ear. This stimulates the nerves responsible for soothing your body, mind and emotions.

Humming, singing and chanting have been soothing stress since the ancient times. It simulates the recovery response in our nervous system to recreate a sense of harmony. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be able to carry a tune, simply the vibration of the sound does the job.

Returning to the present moment moves us to a point of observation and grounding which automatically reduces our stress response. Simply look around and notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. The 54321 method works like a charm.

Connecting with your heart beat and feeling its beat helps to promote a sense of wholeness within. When connecting with the heart, we do so from a non-judgmental, compassionate attitude. This reminds us how powerful we are and brings a sense of reassurance to the body, heart and mind.

Simply sitting still and looking from side to side using the eyes only can start to desensitise from the stress being experienced. This is an easy quick pattern that’s safe to do during stressful moments.

Laughter is one of our favourite stress-relief tools! It give us a boost of oxygen which helps our body to relax and reduce tension. It reduces stress hormones and quickly makes us feel good. Prioritising laughter is powerful.

The vibrations of sound create a cascade of positive effects in our body, mind and heart. Our brain triggers a release of endorphins and brings our nervous system into rhythm. It releases tension, overwhelm and the feeling of being unable to cope.

Stepping out of where we are creates a shift in our state which in turn boosts our mood and helps to reset our thoughts, feelings and perspectives. It builds momentum so we’re ready for the next step.

It’s natural to hold stress behind our eyes when stressed. If you notice tightness in your temples and forehead then adding a cold compress will reduce inflammation and discharge any pent-up energy so you can rest easy and think clearly.

Bare skin touching the earth is the ultimate recharge. The earth is our most powerful source to balance our energy. The earth will absorb any frenetic energy and stabilise you naturally. Try standing barefoot on grass, sand, swim or invest in a grounding mat.

Sunshine triggers a release of serotonin which is a happy hormone that boosts our mood and helps us feel calm. When we are calm, we see our stressful situation through a more resourceful lens.

Simply using a golf ball and applying pressure in a triangular motion under the sole of the foot can relieve stress. Rolling the pressure points in our feet reduces tension, anxiety and even lowers blood pressure!

Lay down and relax the body, then slowly move your awareness around the body, hold and relax the area you’re focusing on. Create the tension and let it go. Start at the toes and work your way up the body. This is fantastic for stress-induced migraines, sleep issues and reducing blood pressure.

Keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed, swinging the arms from side to side, knocking across the belly and lower back. This helps to activate and move any tension held in the body. It allows energy to move through your body so you can navigate stress easily.

Cooling the wrists reduces stress hormones like cortisol, reduces heart rate and releases happy hormones into the body. The wrists are the home of major organs so but only cooling the wrists it spreads to the whole body.

When the mind is busy and adding even more fuel to an already stressed fire, it’s time to tame the fire by releasing the pressure building up. Grab a pen and paper and write down thoughts, feelings, ideas and to do’s. Whatever comes up let it flow. It doesn’t need to make sense, it just needs to be released. Revisit this information when you’re more relaxed or throw it away. Either way, it’ll discharge the stress.

Basic but brilliant – drink good quality water. Your body needs water to metabolise stress. The more hydrated we are the lower our cortisol levels, meaning it becomes easier to deal with daily issues.

Remember your choices today are affecting your tomorrow.

You’re becoming who you’re being.

If you’re being stressed and not prioritising relief, you’ll become even more stressed. It will catch up with you and it will escalate.

This has been proven over and over again, you can discover more about that here. 

Perhaps you’ve tried these hacks and find they aren’t working for you.

Or you keep finding yourself stressed to the max…

If so, then there’s likely more to your stress than meets the eye. Discover what’s going on here and the approach you’d benefit from here.

These scientifically proven hacks to reduce stress instantly, will work like a charm to take the edge off and if you only experience minimal stress - they are likely all you need to be well.

However, if your relationships, your career, your health or your sense of self is suffering it’s imperative you go beyond the hacks.

For long-term stress relief and to live a life of true vitality, happiness and high performance you must solve stress at the root before it gets worse. Read more about that here.

If you already know that deep down, that these hacks won’t cut it for your stress levels and you keep finding yourself in the same stressful cycles -  book a call to discuss how to go beyond the hacks and live the life you deserve.

Alternatively, you're invited to get immediate free access to the Stress Less & Thrive More Masterclass.

In this masterclass we'll be exploring:

• How to optimise our stress response.
• The most overlooked problem that prevents us from thriving
• How to get off the stress rollercoaster and stop experiencing extreme highs and lows
• The different dimensions of stress and wellbeing that are affecting your relationships, finances and health.
• 3 levels of stress and personally assess where you are today so you know exactly what you need to do to thrive.
• A practice that'll leave you feeling calm and centred immediately.
• How to solve stress at the root.
• What it takes to create a lasting change for peak performance
• The impact you can have when you're healthy and well

You can join us here.

Hope to see you there, 

Until next time,

Be Well, Mean Well and Make a Difference that Lasts,

Charlotte & Jonathan