By Josephine Agbonkhese

Stress is familiar to everyone. It’s something we all experience from time to time. In spite of its hidden benefit of keeping you on your toes and forcefully motivated, when stress becomes too intense, your physical and mental health can be adversely affected.

Though you may not be able to avoid stress completely, here are simple ways to manage it.

Practice Deep Breathing or Meditation

Just 5–10 minutes a day of focused breathing or mindfulness meditation can calm your nervous system. To master the controlled breathing technique, sit or stand in a comfortable, relaxed position and inhale slowly through your nose for a count of five. Next, hold your breath for five to 10 seconds and then count slowly to eight as you exhale. It’s recommended to repeat this several times.

Exercise Regularly

Physical activity releases endorphins— the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. Even a short walk helps. So, find a physical activity that meets your goal and personal style, engage regularly in it and watch your stress level stay under your control.

Prioritise Sleep

Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night—rested minds handle stress much better. Improving sleep and getting more rest can significantly decrease cortisol levels and restore balance to the body’s systems.

Stay Organised

Break tasks into smaller steps, use to-do lists, and avoid last-minute rushes to reduce mental overload.

Remember that the goal of organising and prioritising isn’t just to get everything done but to complete tasks without feeling pressure. When you prioritise and organise, you operate more effectively.

Use scent

Not many easily think of fragrance as an instant stress buster. Fragrance has the ability to jolt you out of a high-stress state and into a calmer and more relaxed frame of mind. This is because scent particles, when inhaled, travel through the nose to the area of the brain responsible for memory, mood and emotions.

Social connectivity

Social isolation and loneliness are common stress triggers. It’s common sense, therefore, to understand that social connectivity and physical touch can be extremely effective stress-relief strategies. This is because these two can reduce stress hormones, and increase levels of dopamine and serotonin.