Stress is a normal part of life. It is our body's physiological and psychological response to the ever-increasing demands of life. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert and enabling us to avoid danger. But when a person continues to face challenges without relief or break between challenges, stress becomes negative. Over time, this stress-related tension could have a negative effect on your health, relationships and quality of life.

Practicing stress management techniques can help fend off the effects of stress and help bring positive outcomes, including increased productivity, better health and better quality of life.

Stress relief can come in many shapes and sizes. Here are stress relief strategies that you can do in five minutes or less to help you get grounded and better equip you to deal with the stressful situations that you face.

Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get your stress levels in check. It's easy to learn and it can be performed anywhere.

Deep breathing involves getting as much fresh air as you can to your lungs by breathing deeply from the abdomen. Breathing deeply from the abdomen rather than taking short shallow breaths from the upper chest allows you to breathe in more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense and anxious you feel.

  1. Find a comfortable position and sit with your back straight.

  2. Put one hand over your abdomen and one hand on your chest.

  3. Breathe in through your nose in four counts. When you do this, the hand on your abdomen should rise and the hand over your chest should move very little.

  4. Exhale through your mouth in four counts. Push out air as much as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand over your abdomen should move in as you exhale, while your other hand should move negligibly.

  5. Continue to breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth for five to ten minutes or until you feel your body relax.

If you find it difficult to breathe from your abdomen while sitting, try lying down. Place a book on your abdomen and try to breathe so that the book rises while you inhale and goes down while you exhale.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a process in which you systematically tense and relax different muscle groups in your body. With regular practice, soon you will know how tension and complete relaxation feels like in the different parts of your body. With this awareness, you can quickly spot and counteract the muscular tension that comes with stress. As you relax your body, so does your mind.

  1. Loosen your clothes, take off your shoes, and get yourself comfortable.

  2. Take deep breaths to help you relax.

  3. When you're relaxed and ready to begin, shift your attention to your right foot. Take a moment and focus on how it feels.

  4. Slowly tense all the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as hard as you can. Hold this for 10 seconds.

  5. Slowly release the tension from your right foot. Focus on the feeling of tension ebbing away from your foot as it becomes loose and limp.

  6. Stay in this relaxed state as you breathe in slowly.

  7. Shift your attention to your left foot. Follow the same sequence of tension and release.

  8. Repeat the process for the different muscle groups as you move slowly up your body.

The most popular PRM sequence runs through the right and left foot, right and left calves, right and left thighs, hips and buttocks, stomach, chest, back, right and arm and hand, left arm and hand, neck and shoulders, and lastly, the face.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation essentially involves focusing your mind on the present. To be mindful is to be aware of your feelings and actions in the present without judging yourself. Thinking about the past and overly criticizing yourself for the things that you've done or worrying about the future can be overwhelming and stressful. By focusing on the present and letting go of all judgment on yourself, you can keep yourself grounded and stop those overwhelming feelings on its track.

  1. Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head and back straight.

  2. Try to put all thoughts of the past and future aside; stay in the present.

  3. Be aware of your breathing. Focus on the sensation of air as it enters your nostrils and leaves through your mouth. Feel your belly rise and fall and the air as it moves through your body as you breathe in and out.

  4. Watch every thought that comes through your mind, whether it may be a worry, fear or hope. Don't ignore or suppress them. Remain calm and gently turn your attention back to your breathing.

  5. If you get carried away by your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to without judgment and simply go back to your breathing. Don't be hard on yourself when this happens.

  6. AS your meditation comes to a close, take a minute or two to become of where you are and get up gradually.

Visualization

Visualization, also known as guided imagery, is a slight deviation from traditional meditation in that it requires you to employ all your senses-sight, smell, taste, touch and sound. As its name implies, it involves imagining a scene in which you feel at ease and free of all tension and anxiety.

Choose a scene that is most calming to you, whether it's a beach, a placid lake, a wooden glen or a favorite childhood spot. You can do this in silence, while listening to soothing music or with an audio recording of a therapist guiding you through your meditation.

  1. Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a comfortable position with your head and shoulders straight, but not stiff.

  2. Close your eyes and perform deep breathing to help you relax.

  3. Imagine your restful place. See it as vividly as you can-everything that you can see, hear, smell, and feel. For example, feel the water splash around your feet as you walk on the beach. Feel the sand it slips through your toes. Hear the slow lull of the waves as they rush to the shore. See the sunset as it glitters on the water. Smell the salt in the air.

  4. Enjoy the sense of relaxation as you explore your restful place. When you are ready, gently open your eyes and gradually come up to the present.