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Request Appointment. Healthy Lifestyle Stress management. Sections Basics Stress basics Stress relief Relaxation techniques In-Depth Expert Answers Multimedia Resources News From Mayo Clinic What's New. Products and services. Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to lower stress Relaxation techniques can lower stress symptoms and help you enjoy a better quality of life, especially if you have an illness.

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Products and Services If you receive care at Mayo Clinic, consider registering for this online class: Introduction to tai chi. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What's in a name?

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Accessed Dec. Relaxation techniques for health. Pizzorno JE, et al. Stress management. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. Elsevier; Seaward BL. Essentials of Managing Stress. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being.

Stress management and resiliency adult. Mayo Clinic; See also Alternative cancer treatments: 11 options to consider Stress relief Meditation Mindfulness exercises Guided meditation video. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.

Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Incontinence The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press The Essential Diabetes Book Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book.

ART Healthy Lifestyle Stress management In-Depth Relaxation techniques Try these steps to lower stress. Show the heart some love! Give Today. Help us advance cardiovascular medicine. Find a doctor. Explore careers. Sign up for free e-newsletters. About Mayo Clinic. In this simple, powerful technique, you take long, slow, deep breaths also known as abdominal or belly breathing.

As you breathe, you gently disengage your mind from distracting thoughts and sensations. Breath focus can be especially helpful for people with eating disorders to help them focus on their bodies in a more positive way. However, this technique may not be appropriate for those with health problems that make breathing difficult, such as respiratory ailments or heart failure.

Body scan. This technique blends breath focus with progressive muscle relaxation. After a few minutes of deep breathing, you focus on one part of the body or group of muscles at a time and mentally releasing any physical tension you feel there.

A body scan can help boost your awareness of the mind-body connection. If you have had a recent surgery that affects your body image or other difficulties with body image, this technique may be less helpful for you. Guided imagery. For this technique, you conjure up soothing scenes, places, or experiences in your mind to help you relax and focus.

You can find free apps and online recordings of calming scenes—just make sure to choose imagery you find soothing and that has personal significance. Guided imagery may help you reinforce a positive vision of yourself, but it can be difficult for those who have intrusive thoughts or find it hard to conjure up mental images.

Mindfulness meditation. Communicating the problem will help you find a solution and reduce your stress. This solution will reduce the stress the problem is causing you.

Humans love to problem-solve , so it will also give you a sense of satisfaction. If your outer world is chaotic, it can create disorder in your mind and make you feel more stressed. Having a clean and tidy home helps maintain mental balance and reduce stress by giving us a sense of control over our lives.

If possible, find a space in your home where you can be alone and dedicate time to yourself. And because it can affect your work performance and other areas of your life, reducing stress at work is more important than ever.

You can use these four stress management techniques at work:. Knowing your job expectations is fundamental for fulfilling your role at work. Being unsure of the requirements can cause stress. Ask for clarification from your supervisor whenever you need it.

Multitasking reduces your effectiveness at work. Not only that, but it makes us feel more stressed and more likely to drop the ball on something. Workplace conflict can be a major source of stress.

Minimize potential conflicts by avoiding controversial topics such as politics, religion, or gossip. The discomfort caused by inadequate chairs or desks, annoying noises, and even clothing can make you feel stressed.

Interpersonal relationships are complicated and can be a huge source of stress. High levels of stress in one or both partners can affect their ability to communicate effectively and manage conflict.

If left unaddressed, this often causes stress in the relationship. Try to remove external stressors if possible. If not, look for ways to manage stress individually to avoid impacting the relationship. When there is a problem in one aspect of a relationship, it can spread to other areas and become a source of stress.

It can be hard to find time for yourself in a close relationship, which can cause you to feel suffocated and stressed. Learning to communicate effectively and constructively can reduce conflicts and stress.

Sometimes you need to find a way to reduce your stress levels quickly. Keep these four stress management techniques in your back pocket for the next time you face a stressful situation:. This simple act allows you to clear your head, calm down, and approach the situation from a different perspective.

Taking a few deep breaths can help instantly relieve stress. Make sure you breathe into your belly as shallow breathing signals to the body that the stress response is still required.

You might find it helpful to learn some breathing exercises from an experienced teacher. Keep these exercises on hand and use them whenever you feel stressed. Research suggests that certain scents — such as those found in essential oils — can decrease the levels of stress hormones in our bodies.

Whether you prefer a scented candle, a diffuser, or fresh flowers, try using scent to calm you when you feel stressed. Hugging is a surprisingly effective way to combat stress. It also reduces blood pressure and the stress hormone norepinephrine. This hormone activates the relaxation response, helping to quickly calm you.

Prevention is better than the cure, and stress is no exception. Use these preventive strategies to reduce long-term stress. Physical activity is a powerful short-term stress reliever.

It releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that give us natural stress relief. But in the long-term, exercise also helps combat the physical effects of stress.

Exercise keeps your heart healthy and improves your overall levels of wellness. Eating a poor diet can aggravate your stress response. Stress can cause us to reach for highly addictive, highly processed foods loaded with salt, sugar, and fats. But these foods cause your blood sugar to spike.

This releases more cortisol, the stress hormone, making you feel more anxious and stressed. Eating a balanced diet has a variety of health benefits , including mitigating the effects of stress.

Mindfulness practices such as meditation are proven to be effective stress management techniques.

And how well and how long you sleep can affect your mood, energy level, focus and overall functioning. If you have sleep troubles, make sure that you have a quiet, relaxing bedtime routine.

For example, listen to soothing music, make sure the area you sleep in is cool, dark and quiet, put phones and tablets away, and stick to a regular schedule.

Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up feelings. Don't think about what to write — let it happen. Write anything that comes to mind.

No one else needs to read it. So don't aim for perfect grammar or spelling. Let your thoughts flow on paper, or on the computer screen. Once you're done, you can toss out what you wrote or save it to think about later. Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever.

It can provide a mental distraction, lessen muscle tension and lower stress hormones. Turn up the volume and let your mind be absorbed by the music.

If music isn't one of your interests, turn your attention to another hobby you enjoy. For example, try gardening, sewing, reading or sketching. Or try anything that makes you focus on what you're doing rather than what you think you should be doing. If new stressors are making it hard for you to cope or if self-care measures aren't relieving your stress, you may want to think about therapy or counseling.

Therapy also may be a good idea if you feel overwhelmed or trapped. You also may think about therapy if you worry a great deal, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting duties at work, home or school.

Professional counselors or therapists can help you find the sources of your stress and learn new coping tools. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Appointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.

Request Appointment. Healthy Lifestyle Stress management. Sections Basics Stress basics Stress relief Relaxation techniques In-Depth Expert Answers Multimedia Resources News From Mayo Clinic What's New.

Products and services. Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress Stress getting to you? Try some of these tips for stress relief. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry.

Show references How stress affects your health. American Psychological Association. Accessed Jan. Relaxation techniques: What you need to know. Sip Green Tea Green tea is a source of L-Theanine , a chemical that helps relieve anger. Boil the water, pour it out, and take a soothing sip. A fit of hysterics can increase blood flow and boost immunity.

Check out a hilarious YouTube video maybe a piano-playing pug? for a quick pick-me-up. Drip Cold Water On Your Wrists When stress hits, head for the bathroom and drop some cold water on your wrists and behind your earlobes. There are major arteries right underneath the skin, so cooling these areas can help calm the whole body.

Set up a comfortable chair or light some incense and disappear there for a few minutes until the tension dissipates. Write It Down Putting our emotions on paper can make them seem less intimidating. Try journaling before a big exam to calm your nerves.

Slurp Some Honey Drown that stress in sweetness with a spoonful of honey. Besides being a natural skin moisturizer and antibiotic , honey also provides compounds that reduce inflammation in the brain, meaning it fights depression and anxiety.

In fact, more talkative folks tend to be happier in general. So vent to a coworker, friend, or family member.

Search Enter the terms you wish to search for. This site. Other ways to search: Events Calendar Campus Map. Main menu Home Admissions Academics Careers Research About Library. Secondary Menu Faculty Directory Students Alumni Employers MyLaw Giving. Listen to HelpGuide's body scan meditation.

Visualization, or guided imagery, is a variation on traditional meditation that involves imagining a scene in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension and anxiety. Choose whatever setting is most calming to you, whether it's a tropical beach, a favorite childhood spot, or a quiet wooded glen.

You can practice visualization on your own or with an app or audio download to guide you through the imagery. Close your eyes and imagine your restful place. Picture it as vividly as you can: everything you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Visualization works best if you incorporate as many sensory details as possible.

For example, if you are thinking about a dock on a quiet lake:. Enjoy the feeling of your worries drifting away as you slowly explore your restful place. When you are ready, gently open your eyes and come back to the present. Don't worry if you sometimes zone out or lose track of where you are during a visualization session.

This is normal. You may also experience feelings of heaviness in your limbs, muscle twitches, or yawning. Again, these are normal responses.

Listen to HelpGuide's guided imagery meditation. What you may not be aware of is that you can experience some of the same benefits at home or work by practicing self-massage, trading massages with a loved one, or using an adjustable bed with a built-in massage feature.

Try taking a few minutes to massage yourself at your desk between tasks, on the couch at the end of a hectic day, or in bed to help you unwind before sleep.

To enhance relaxation, you can use aromatic oil, scented lotion, or combine self-message with mindfulness or deep breathing techniques.

A combination of strokes works well to relieve muscle tension. Try gentle chops with the edge of your hands or tapping with fingers or cupped palms. Put fingertip pressure on muscle knots. Knead across muscles, and try long, light, gliding strokes.

You can apply these strokes to any part of the body that falls easily within your reach. For a short session like this, try focusing on your neck and head:. Mindfulness has become extremely popular in recent years, garnering headlines and endorsements from celebrities, business leaders, and psychologists alike.

So, what is mindfulness? Meditations that cultivate mindfulness have long been used to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions. Some of these practices bring you into the present by focusing your attention on a single repetitive action, such as your breathing or a few repeated words.

Other forms of mindfulness meditation encourage you to follow and then release internal thoughts or sensations. Mindfulness can also be applied to activities such as walking, exercising, or eating. Using mindfulness to stay focused on the present might seem straightforward, but it takes practice to reap all the benefits.

But don't get disheartened. Using an app or audio download can also help focus your attention, especially when you're starting out.

Listen to HelpGuide's mindful breathing meditation. The idea of exercising may not sound particularly soothing, but rhythmic exercise that gets you into a flow of repetitive movement can produce the relaxation response. Examples include:. While simply engaging in rhythmic exercise will help you relieve stress , adding a mindfulness component can benefit you even more.

As with meditation, mindful exercise requires being fully engaged in the present moment, paying attention to how your body feels right now, rather than your daily worries or concerns. Instead of zoning out or staring at a TV as you exercise, focus on the sensations in your limbs and how your breathing complements your movement.

And when your mind wanders to other thoughts, gently return your focus to your breathing and movement. Yoga involves a series of both moving and stationary poses, combined with deep breathing.

As well as reducing anxiety and stress, yoga can also improve flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina. Since injuries can happen when yoga is practiced incorrectly, it's best to learn by attending group classes, hiring a private teacher, or at least following video instructions.

Once you've learned the basics, you can practice alone or with others, tailoring your practice as you see fit. Although almost all yoga classes end in a relaxation pose, classes that emphasize slow, steady movement, deep breathing, and gentle stretching are best for stress relief.

Satyananda is a traditional form of yoga. It features gentle poses, deep relaxation, and meditation, making it suitable for beginners as well as anyone aiming primarily for stress reduction. Hatha yoga is also a reasonably gentle way to relieve stress and is suitable for beginners.

Alternately, look for labels like gentle , for stress relief , or for beginners when selecting a yoga class.

Relaxation isn't only about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. It's a process that lessens the stress effects on your mind and body.

Using ways to relax can help you cope with everyday stress. And these options can help with long-term stress or stress related to many health problems, such as heart disease and pain. Whether your stress is out of control or you've already got it tamed, you can benefit from relaxation techniques.

Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy. Relaxation techniques are often free or low cost and pose little risk. And they can be done anywhere. Find simple ways to relax and get started on de-stressing your life and improving your health and overall well-being.

When faced with everyday jobs and tasks or the demands of an illness, relaxation techniques may not be a main concern in your life. But that means you might miss out on how relaxation can benefit your health.

To get the most benefit, use relaxation techniques along with these other positive coping methods:. Complementary and integrative health specialists, mental health professionals and other healthcare professionals can teach many relaxation techniques.

But you also can learn some on your own. Relaxation techniques generally involve focus and awareness. You focus your attention on something that is calming and raise awareness of your body. It doesn't matter which technique you use.

What matters is that you find ways to relax to gain the benefits. Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this relaxation activity, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to lower stress.

You repeat words or suggestions in your mind that may help you relax and lessen muscle tension. For example, you may imagine a peaceful setting.

Then you can focus on relaxing your breathing or slowing your heart rate. Or you may feel different physical senses, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one. Progressive muscle relaxation. In progressive muscle relaxation, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group.

This can help you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You can become more aware of physical sensations. In one type of progressive muscle relaxation, you start to tense and relax the muscles in your toes.

You gradually work your way up to your neck and head. This is best done in a quiet area without interruptions. You also can start with your head and neck and work down to your toes. Tense your muscles for about five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

In visualization, you may form mental pictures to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. To relax using visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, such as smell, sight, sound and touch.

If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, think about the salt water's smell, the sound of crashing waves and the feel of the warm sun on your body.

You may want to close your eyes and sit in a quiet spot. Loosen any tight clothing and focus on your breathing. Aim to focus on the present and think positive thoughts. As you learn relaxation techniques, you can become more aware of muscle tension and other physical ways your body reacts to stress.

Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can try to do a relaxation technique as soon as you start to feel stress symptoms. This can prevent stress from getting out of control and lowering your quality of life.

Check out Taking Care of Your Emotional Health for more information and resources. Taking care of yourself can better equip you to take care of others. Helping others cope with stress through phone calls or video chats can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely or isolated.

Children and youth often struggle with how to cope with stress. Youth can be particularly overwhelmed when their stress is connected to a traumatic event—like a natural disaster, family loss, school shootings, or community violence.

Parents, caregivers, and educators can take steps to provide stability and support that help young people feel better. Tips for Parents and Caregivers It is natural for children to worry when scary or stressful events happen in their lives. Talking to your children about these events can help put frightening information into a more balanced setting.

Monitor what children see and hear about stressful events happening in their lives. Here are some suggestions to help children cope:. Tips for Kids and Teens After a traumatic event, it is normal to feel anxious about your safety and security. Even if you were not directly involved, you may worry about whether this type of event may someday affect you.

Check out the tips below for some ideas to help deal with these fears. Tips for School Personnel School personnel can help their students restore their sense of safety by talking with the children about their fears. Other tips for school personnel include:.

Humans love to problem-solve , so it will also give you a sense of satisfaction. If your outer world is chaotic, it can create disorder in your mind and make you feel more stressed.

Having a clean and tidy home helps maintain mental balance and reduce stress by giving us a sense of control over our lives.

If possible, find a space in your home where you can be alone and dedicate time to yourself. And because it can affect your work performance and other areas of your life, reducing stress at work is more important than ever. You can use these four stress management techniques at work:. Knowing your job expectations is fundamental for fulfilling your role at work.

Being unsure of the requirements can cause stress. Ask for clarification from your supervisor whenever you need it. Multitasking reduces your effectiveness at work. Not only that, but it makes us feel more stressed and more likely to drop the ball on something. Workplace conflict can be a major source of stress.

Minimize potential conflicts by avoiding controversial topics such as politics, religion, or gossip. The discomfort caused by inadequate chairs or desks, annoying noises, and even clothing can make you feel stressed. Interpersonal relationships are complicated and can be a huge source of stress.

High levels of stress in one or both partners can affect their ability to communicate effectively and manage conflict. If left unaddressed, this often causes stress in the relationship. Try to remove external stressors if possible.

If not, look for ways to manage stress individually to avoid impacting the relationship. When there is a problem in one aspect of a relationship, it can spread to other areas and become a source of stress.

It can be hard to find time for yourself in a close relationship, which can cause you to feel suffocated and stressed. Learning to communicate effectively and constructively can reduce conflicts and stress.

Sometimes you need to find a way to reduce your stress levels quickly. Keep these four stress management techniques in your back pocket for the next time you face a stressful situation:. This simple act allows you to clear your head, calm down, and approach the situation from a different perspective.

Taking a few deep breaths can help instantly relieve stress. Make sure you breathe into your belly as shallow breathing signals to the body that the stress response is still required. You might find it helpful to learn some breathing exercises from an experienced teacher.

Keep these exercises on hand and use them whenever you feel stressed. Research suggests that certain scents — such as those found in essential oils — can decrease the levels of stress hormones in our bodies.

Whether you prefer a scented candle, a diffuser, or fresh flowers, try using scent to calm you when you feel stressed.

Hugging is a surprisingly effective way to combat stress. It also reduces blood pressure and the stress hormone norepinephrine.

This hormone activates the relaxation response, helping to quickly calm you. Prevention is better than the cure, and stress is no exception. Use these preventive strategies to reduce long-term stress. Physical activity is a powerful short-term stress reliever.

It releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that give us natural stress relief. But in the long-term, exercise also helps combat the physical effects of stress. Exercise keeps your heart healthy and improves your overall levels of wellness. Eating a poor diet can aggravate your stress response.

Stress can cause us to reach for highly addictive, highly processed foods loaded with salt, sugar, and fats. But these foods cause your blood sugar to spike. This releases more cortisol, the stress hormone, making you feel more anxious and stressed. Eating a balanced diet has a variety of health benefits , including mitigating the effects of stress.

Mindfulness practices such as meditation are proven to be effective stress management techniques. Practicing gratitude is another effective technique for managing stress long-term. It helps you transform negative thoughts into positive ones.