We live in a world that feels like it’s spinning faster than ever. Global uncertainty, economic shifts, and societal changes have made stress and anxiety a regular part of life for many.
While we can’t control the world, we do have control over how external events impact our (inner) world.
It is necessary to give ourselves the time to process negative feelings, but it is unhealthy to let these feelings consume us. These difficult moments call for practices that counteract stress—practices that cultivate peace and help us reclaim power over our inner world.
Here are seven simple practices to relieve stress and reclaim your peace when life becomes overwhelming.
1. Mindfulness Practice
One of the most powerful practices to relieve stress is to intentionally infuse peace into your life through mindfulness. Practices like meditation, yoga, or simply being present help transform your energy of worry or stress into peace and acceptance.
Stress thrives on “what ifs.” What if the economy collapses? What if I lose my job? These thoughts pull us out of the present moment and into an imagined future that doesn’t even exist. The only way to break free is to return to the present moment and be mindful of our thoughts.
Mindfulness practices have the power to transform our inner world, but they are not always easy. While dealing with stress, it can be hard to focus and not be overwhelmed just because we are practicing mindfulness. If your mind feels chaotic or restless, know that you’re not alone. Many of us struggle to sit still and focus when overwhelmed, but the very fact that you’re trying is already progress.
Mindfulness is a practice, and like any practice, it takes time to see the benefits. Nevertheless, the effort you will put in is guaranteed to pay out multiplied. To get started, try this guided meditation for stress relief by The Honest Guys or explore other similar practices that will help you stay present.
2. Limit Your Exposure to Negative Energy
Our world is loud, and much of that noise is filled with negativity—constant news, social media rants, and doomscrolling. While staying informed is important, overexposure drains our energy.
Many people think checking the news daily doesn’t affect them, but the truth is, every negative thought triggers a negative reaction in our body, even if we aren’t consciously aware of it. This lowers our vibration, increasing stress, worry, and anxiety.
Breaking this cycle isn’t easy—many of us do it unconsciously, but it’s important to be aware of the things that impact us, no matter how strong we might feel on the surface.
The reality is, if the news is important enough, we’re going to hear it anyway. It’s good to keep track of what happens in our world, but not at the cost of our health.
In addition to the media, a major source of negative energy can be the people around us. If we cannot fully remove ourselves from them and block their impact on our lives, we can try to create distance.
To limit negativity:
- Choose specific times to check the news, and choose your sources wisely.
- Clean up your social media, and unfollow accounts that create anxiety or comparison.
- Set limits on the time you spend scrolling, and use apps that track or limit your screen time.
- Create distance from negative people. It’s better to be alone and in peace than with people that create unnecessary stress.
Taking these steps isn’t about avoiding the world—it’s about preserving your energy and choosing to engage with the world mindfully. By limiting exposure to negativity, you create space for simple practices to relieve stress and preserve your inner peace.
3. Journal to Manage Your Emotions
When stress and worry create negative feelings, our hearts can feel incredibly heavy. We can turn to someone for comfort, or we can turn inward. Journaling is far more important than just writing about our day; it’s a way to reflect on our inner world that helps us better understand it by putting our feelings into words.
When we write down or speak aloud how we feel, we distance ourselves from our emotions, giving us the clarity to observe them without judgment.
Journaling is so powerful because we are always the most honest with ourselves. Also, sharing our feelings with ourselves deepens our connection to our inner selves, fostering self-love, compassion, and inner peace.
You can journal in many ways:
- Journal with prompts: Ask yourself questions you might never consider otherwise, and see how your perspective and mood shift when you fully understand your true feelings.
- Journal freely: Write down whatever comes to mind and unload your stress onto the paper.
- Journal with audio or video: Record yourself talking about how you feel (you can delete it later), knowing that there’s no outside opinion and no judgment—just space for you to be open and honest.
Journaling is one of the most effective simple practices to relieve stress, helping you process and release your emotions. Whichever approach you choose, you are making a positive difference for yourself.
4. Move your body to release stress
Stress isn’t just mental—it’s physical, too. When we don’t manage stress regularly, it builds up in our body, creating tension, fatigue, and even illness. In addition to managing it through our mind, we can release stress by moving our body with intention.
Health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, but even a few minutes of movement daily can make a difference in how you feel. Our body needs movement and is much more resilient when it is strong. The mind and body are deeply interconnected, and if our body feels good, our mind will feel good too.
Here are some simple practices to relieve stress through movement:
- Take a walk in nature and focus on the sounds, smells, and sights around you. Walks are not only physical but can be a mindful experience as well.
- Dance! Moving your body freely is incredibly therapeutic and boosts your serotonin—the feel-good hormone.
- Stretch or do yoga to release physical tension. Even light stretching can have a great impact on our mood.
Yoga, in particular, combines movement with mindful breathing, making it a powerful tool for releasing tension and calming the mind. Try this simple yoga practice at home:
5. Anchor Yourself With Breath
Breathing as an exercise can sound overly simple, but our breath is what keeps us alive; it is the source of our energy, and it has more power than we might initially think.
Deep, intentional breathing signals the nervous system to relax, reducing stress and bringing clarity to the mind.
Whenever we are overwhelmed, breathing can quickly calm our inner state. Our breath is always there to bring us back to the present moment; all we have to do is focus on it.
One of the simplest and most effective breathing techniques for managing stress is box breathing.
- Inhale for 4 counts.
- Hold for 4 counts.
- Exhale for 4 counts.
- Hold for 4 counts.
Repeat this for a few minutes. Feel how each breath steadies your mind and body, reminding you that even in chaos, you have control over your inner state.
6. Focus on What You Can Control
Our stress often comes from feeling powerless. While we can’t really control what happens in the world, we can control how we feel and how we live our lives. We can choose to live in stress or take actions toward bettering our inner world.
By improving ourselves, we are open to the possibility of making a positive difference in the external world too.
If you want to create positive change, find a way to make an impact in your community by volunteering, donating, or committing to a bigger, purposeful goal. Remember, small positive actions multiply and can create a ripple effect far beyond what you might imagine.
We can make big change with small, everyday contributions: by being kind, spreading positivity, and bringing hope and joy into the world.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ~ Rumi
7. Trust in Something Bigger
Whether you believe in the universe, God, or just yourself, let that belief guide you through stressful times. Belief is a powerful energy because it allows us to create meaning from the events in our lives. When we believe, we feel like everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly—happens for a reason.
While we may not understand everything, trusting that there’s a bigger picture can bring a calming sense of peace, helping us find meaning even in the hardest times.
Remember, our entire life experience is shaped by our perspective. Choosing to believe in a bigger purpose shifts our focus from personal challenges to a greater view of the world, grounding us in the knowledge that we are part of something much bigger.
Final Thoughts
Stressful times, whether personal or global, are an unavoidable part of life, but they don’t have to control us. The world is unpredictable, and if we focus on the things outside of our control, we’ll always find something to worry about. By incorporating these simple practices to relieve stress into your routine, you empower yourself to face life’s challenges with resilience.
By choosing to take control over our inner world, we not only relieve stress but also reclaim our power and our peace. When we do this, we not only build personal strength and resilience but also lay the foundation to pursue our dreams and make an actual, meaningful difference in the world.
Life may not always be easy, and the world may seem uncertain, but we have the choice to make it easier for ourselves—and those around us. In the end, our greatest duty is to become the best version of ourselves, knowing that by doing so, we are shaping a brighter future for all.
