Stress Reduction Beyond Typical Self-Care

Making time for self-care might sound like a luxury, but it’s essential for your well-being. It involves steps that nurture you and help you better cope with what you’re going through. Some may be more appealing to you or feel easier to do than others, and that’s OK. Start with the ones you’re most excited by to find what feels right and best reduces stress for you.

Self-care can be as simple as spending needed time on personal hygiene. Even when you lack the energy to do other things, getting up, showered, and dressed can make you feel more upbeat. Taking small steps is fine. In fact, celebrate each one as a positive achievement.

Being outside in a park or other green space is a known mood booster, even if you’re there for just five minutes. An outdoor activity like gardening can be especially fulfilling. You can also bring nature indoors: You’ll get stress-soothing benefits from growing a small window box of herbs or simply gazing at a vase of fresh flowers.

Load up a basket with meaningful items that will bring you comfort. You might include a scented sachet, a pair of socks or slippers, a book with special meaning, cards from loved ones, photos of happy times, even your favorite herbal teas. Whenever you need soothing, reach for the basket and explore each item.

Healthy foods can boost your mood. Junk food can increase depression risk and play havoc with blood sugar, leading to mood swings. To build a better food plan, focus on lean proteins, whole grains, fresh produce, and olive oil. Specific foods that may improve mood include flaxseeds, walnuts, the spices saffron and turmeric, and those with probiotics like yogurt.

These healthy fatty acids are known for boosting heart health and fighting inflammation, but they can also improve depression. Consider a daily supplement with 1 or 2 grams. If you’re on antidepressants, taking omega-3s may also help them work better.

It can be hard to muster the energy, but exercise can have a profound effect on your well-being because it releases endorphins, your body’s own feel-good chemicals. It’s fine to start slow, even just a few minutes a day. Also, exercise doesn’t have to be a grueling workout. Gentle movements like yoga and swimming can be huge mood boosters. Choose the exercise that feels good to you so that you’ll stick with it.

Studies have shown that creating art is a great way to lessen depression and ease stress. You don’t have to be a great artist to get the benefits, and any artsy activity qualifies, from drawing, knitting, sculpting, and crafting to writing and even cooking. A set of pencils and a pad can be a great addition to your self-care basket. Tip: Listening to or making music and dancing also are uplifting.

People do better when they can share their feelings with someone they trust. You might feel that you don’t have the energy for making conversation, but having someone to talk to who is a source of support is a type of self-care. It helps ease feelings of isolation and boosts mental well-being.

Practices like meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing can create a sense of calm and feelings of well-being. And it only takes a few minutes a day. One approach called guided imagery can be a good place to start. You use your imagination to picture in vivid detail a place, a feeling, or a person that makes you happy. As you see this in your mind’s eye, use your breath to reinforce it: Inhale as you think about the image, then think about releasing negative energy when you exhale.

If you put too much pressure on yourself to complete a multitude of tasks or if you feel overwhelmed by commitments you’ve made, it’s helpful to set boundaries. Instead of a to-do list, write out a not-to-do list of things that cause you stress and that you can do without. This could include unproductive habits like scrolling through social media before bed and accepting invitations to events you really aren’t into. Replace them with activities that have meaning for you.

When you feel stuck or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you, these tricks can help you reset. Because they’re subtle movements, you can do them anywhere.

• Massage the cymba concha, the little depression in the upper part of your outer ear, with the tip of your index or pinkie finger. Make tiny circles first clockwise, then counterclockwise.
• Stroke the sides of your neck from the base of each earlobe to your outer collarbone with the index and middle fingers of each hand.
•  Ground yourself by holding and focusing your attention on a small but weighty object that fits in the palm of your hand. It could be a smooth shell or stone or even a coin.
• Exhale tension with a forceful sigh. Breathe in deeply and sigh as you expel all the air. Repeat as needed until you feel a sense of calm.