How To De-stress in 5 Fun Ways

With stress roaming the lands, learning how to deal with it will save your life. Okay, maybe not save it, but it will definitely make it more enjoyable, and you happier. People are feeling the pressure of work, their private life, and of course struggling to balance the two. Living in an age in which we all strive to have it all, to achieve success across different areas of life, we need to learn how to deal with stress. Otherwise, we won’t achieve much of anything. If you’re one of the vast majority of us feeling the pressure, take a look at five fun ways you can unwind and do something good for yourself today.

Meditation

Meditation is a great way to destress. It will make you feel relaxed and more present. Letting your problems go for a while, will recharge your batteries and make you ready to face new challenges. When we meditate we are actually training our brains to stop ruminating and focus on the moment. It might take a few tries, but don’t give up. The benefits are just too good. People who regularly meditate report better mental health, sharper focus, and better quality of sleep. Commit yourself to a short ten-minute meditation a day for start and see where it takes you. With countless resources online you will find the right guide quickly and be on your way.

Yoga

Well, we can’t talk about meditation without mentioning yoga. This ancient practice has been gaining popularity in the Western world for decades now, and has been helping people relieve stress across the globe. Yoga is as much a spiritual practice as it is physical. Engaging your body with this form of exercise will have benefits on your levels of stress as well. Yoga might seem like a light form of exercise, but it actually requires a lot of focus, attention, and strength. When you are focused on yoga, you will be unable to think about your daily woes and thus you will be getting rid of your stress. Start doing yoga and improve your overall health!

Massage

If you are looking for a less active way to relax, put your body in the hands of professionals and go get a massage. Stress can have painful effects on our bodies. Tension in our shoulders, stiff necks, backaches… Who needs ‘em? I don’t and I bet you don’t either. Massage is a wonderful and relaxing way of relieving our bodies of painful effects of stress. It will restore our strength and make us feel renewed. Getting a massage is always a great experience, but it can be even better if you go for a couples massage with your beloved. Go destress and have a romantic experience, it’s better than any other date night activity you can think of! Well, not any other…

Hiking

Engaging in physical activity makes our bodies release endorphins. Endorphin is a neurotransmitter that makes us happy, really happy. Everyone has heard of the amazing feeling people get after exercising, but the truth is we don’t have to exert ourselves to get the sweet benefits of “the happy hormone”. Moderate physical activity will lead to the release of endorphins as well, and being in nature is a great way to zone out and relax. Taking a hike through the forest or even taking a short walk through a park will have a big effect on our state of mind.

Treat yourself

Do it, you deserve it! Working hard, balancing your private and business obligations, remembering everyone’s birthdays… it’s a lot! You deserve a treat, so do something nice for yourself. It doesn’t have to be something big. Go to that nice restaurant you love. Have the dessert. Don’t reply to that message or email as soon as you receive it. Do something that will make you happy, however big or small, and enjoy the moment! It will make you feel better and help you destress.

Peter is a men's lifestyle writer at Gentleman Zone & High Street Gent magazine from UK. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.