15 Healthy Ways To Deal With Stress To Help You Feel Better

Stress is a terrible thing.  It can make you mentally sick, emotionally sick and even physically sick.  It is also an unavoidable part of life.  You can have stress from your job, in your family or even within other relationships.  Simple parts of everyday life can bring stress.  Maybe the cashier doesn’t want to take back the dress you purchased.  Maybe you have loaded up your cart with three hundred dollars’ worth of groceries only to discover that you forgot your wallet at home.  It doesn’t really matter where the stress comes from.  What matters is how you deal with it.  There are healthy ways you can choose to deal with stress to help you feel better.

1. Go To The Gym

Going to the gym is a very healthy way to deal with stress.  It provides you with a way to release your stress through active physical activity.  Exercising also releases endorphins which are like little bursts of feel good chemicals in your brain.  These boost your mood and help whatever it is that has you stressed not look so bad, after all.  It is also beneficial in other ways.  You are dealing with your stress while taking care of your body.  You may even think of a way to deal with a stressful situation while on the treadmill.
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2. Call A Girlfriend

Women are very relational.  They like to relate to others and it makes them feel better to share their concerns.  It is a good thing to call up a girlfriend to chat over a situation causing you stress.  Having a dear friend listen to you and either commiserate or advise you on how to handle the situation will feel like balm to your soul.  The problem may not be solved by the time the phone call ends but you will feel much better for having shared it with someone who cares about you.
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3. Go For A Drive And Turn The Radio Up

There is nothing like getting alone with the open road.  There is something that is very calming and can make your cares just melt away as the miles flow past you.  You could be dealing with stress from your job or just a bad day but time spent going for a drive without a set destination is good comfort and a healthy way to deal with stress.  By the time that you arrive home, you will more than likely find that you feel much better about the situation that had you feeling so distressed.  You will be ready to go on with the rest of your day.
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4. Get Lost In A Good Book

Sometimes it is good to just forget your troubles.  Going to the gym is a way to work through the stress you are feeling and calling a girlfriend is a way to process whatever is causing you stress.  But getting lost in a good book can provide a welcome distraction from the reality of your day.  With a good book, you can be transported to a faraway exotic land or into the midst of a troubled relationship.  There are books on every subject under the sun.  It doesn’t really matter what you read; it is the act of reading that will help you deal with stress in a healthy way.
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5. Break Some Plates

In other words, release your anger.  Maybe you are just so upset from the stress of a situation that you are dealing with that you can’t keep it in any longer.  Breaking some plates is one way of doing this.  Of course you want to do this safely. You should never do this in front of your children.  It is best to get alone to process your anger this way. This is actually a very healthy way to let go of your stress. Holding stress in is not healthy and can even lead to illness.  But you don’t have to break plates to release your anger.  You can scream, throw things or whatever makes you feel better.  Just be sure to do it in a safe environment, away from any children.
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6. Have A Good Cry

Sometimes, having a good cry is the key to dealing with stress.  Most women are emotional creatures.  They feel all of their emotions deeply.  Holding them in can just resurface in another way such as resentment or anger.  Sometimes the stress of a day will fade away when you allow yourself to release your emotions.  Crying is a good thing and feels very cleansing.  The only time you have cause for concern is if you find yourself crying often and feeling blue for more than two weeks.  That can signal that you may be suffering from depression.  But a simple, good cry every once in a while is nothing to worry over.  It can be good for you.
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7. Get Alone And Calm Down

Sometimes stress occurs because you have so many people coming at you.  You have your boss and coworkers on the job, your husband and children at home and probably friends and other relatives from time to time.  More than likely, they all have the best of intentions.  But if everyone wants something all at one time, it can lead to stress building up inside of you.  Getting alone can help you to feel better.  Taking a moment, or several, to be alone can be calming.  Maybe you want to count to ten or a hundred in order to calm down or just sit peacefully.  Do whatever makes you feel better.
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8. Try Some Yoga

Yoga is one of the most relaxing types of fitness that you can pursue.  It is exercise but it is a totally unique brand.  Yoga is all about flexibility, strength and inner peace.  When you are doing yoga you are encouraged to release your thoughts of the day and any stress it may have brought to you.  You are encouraged to focus on your breathing and clearing your mind.  When you do this, you will find that your body and mind become calm.  You will be more relaxed than you have been in a long time.
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9. Seek Advice From An Expert

Since stress can come from many different sources, the type of advice you might seek could vary greatly.  But seeking advice can help you deal with stress by providing you advice on how to deal with it.  If you are having financial stress then speaking to someone who is knowledgeable about this subject such as an accountant or financial advisor would be who you would wish to speak to.  If you are having stress from your job, then speaking to someone in your field who has more experience than you do would be the right choice.
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10. Remember, This Too Shall Pass

Stress is such an upsetting thing to have to deal with, no matter the source.  But just like most things in life, it is a temporary thing.  In other words, be strong and hang in there.  Whatever is causing you stress won’t last forever.  Try to detach yourself a little bit and realize that you won’t always deal with the situation that is bringing you stress.   Sometimes it helps to ask yourself if this will be a problem in a year or in five years.  You choose the time frame.  Most of the time, the answer to that question is no.
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11. Change The Situation

There are some situations caused by stress that we can change.  Of course, all change should be carefully considered before you act on it.  Acting on a whim is not wise.  But if the situation that is causing you stress has become an ongoing situation then you may need to consider what you can do to change it.  If you have a difficult work situation and have done all you can to fix it, you may have to take action and find a different job.  If your marriage is struggling to make it, maybe calling a counselor is the right step.
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12. Up Your H2O

Sounds too simple to help, doesn’t it?  But give this idea a chance.  Haven’t you ever noticed that the first thing people want to do in a crisis is get you a glass of water?  There is something to that.  Drinking caffeine when you are already agitated from stress can contribute to your anxiety.  Drinking alcohol can make you feel worse because alcohol is a downer and make you depressed. If you do drink, do so in moderation.  While one glass of wine may feel relaxing, 6 glasses aren’t going to do anything for you.  Water is the best choice for dealing with a situation resulting from stress.
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13. Try Some Retail Therapy

Ah, retail therapy.  Women have long been fans of this type of stress relief and for good reason.  It works.  It has now been proven that buying something does make you feel better.  But the trick is to know how to use retail therapy.  You don’t have to spend a lot for it retail therapy to help you feel better and relieve stress.  A few tiny purchases will do you.  It is fine to shop big if you can afford it.  If not, you will only bring more stress upon yourself in the long run.
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14. Do Something Fun

Getting out and doing something fun when are in the midst of stress can help you to deal with it better.  It is like changing the channel from something dark to something lighthearted.  Go to the movies or out to dinner with some friends.  Whatever is causing you stress will not seem as bad when you are laughing at the latest romantic comedy or enjoying your favorite appetizer while listening to a funny story your girlfriend is telling.  Doing something fun doesn’t make whatever is causing you stress disappear but it does give you a break from it.
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15. Get Some Perspective

Sometimes what seems like a big deal really isn’t a big deal.  Is it that big of a deal or is it you and your interpretation of the situation causing you stress?  Are you hormonal?  Lacking sleep?  These factors as well as others can make you feel like the situation is worse than it really is.  Take a moment or even a day if you need to, to step back from the situation and evaluate it.  You just may find that your reaction isn’t what it should be.  You could even find you are very much on target.  Either way, you will deal with it better with perspective.
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