#1 Have a Purpose Everyday:
Find a purpose every day that makes you feel good. Make it big! Make it small! What would be an example of something big?
#2 Spend Focused Time Doing Something That Absorbs You:
If you like to read, cook, or exercise, do whatever fills you with joy and keeps you out of your own head. Do it, even just a little bit, every day. It can be hard with academics and personal life and family life all rolled into one place and all around the same time. Find something that you can pour your heart and soul into, and just focus on that for a while.
#3 Adult Coloring Books:
Research tells that a way to reduce stress is to color complex geometric shapes. Go to SPRUCE, download free coloring pages. Focusing on the different colors and different shapes helps switch the mind-mood from stress (think worry, etc) to relaxing. Apps for adult coloring: Paint by Number and Recolor.
#4 Quick Relief:
Check in on your breathing. Just notice your breath. You don’t even have to change your breath. Just notice the physiological processing of your breathing. Or get a hug from a loved one or give a hug to your pet. Take in a few deep inhalations of an aromatherapy scent.
#5 Take a Short Brisk Walk:
A change of scenery can put you into a different frame of mind and reduce stress.
#6 Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
This reduces muscle tension and stress by relaxing muscles in your body group by group, first by tensing the muscle group, then relaxing the muscle group, noticing the tightness and the relaxation. Practice helps you be able to relax easier.
#7 Guided Imagery:
It’s like a mini-vacation in your mind. Sometimes called visualization, it uses the power of the mind to evoke positive emotions. It works simply by imagining a relaxing scene in great detail. Maybe it sounds silly, or too simple, but helps.