Quick and Easy Stress Management Techniques for Anywhere

You had a flat on the way to work, the bills are overdue, the boss is yelling, and the daycare just called to tell you little Timmy has a fever of 103. The stress is overwhelming! If only you could take just a couple of minutes to manage your stress.

But wait! You can, with these simple stress management techniques that can be used anywhere, anytime. Best of all, they're guaranteed to work in two minutes or less, so sit down, take a deep breath, and read on:

Stress Management through Deep Breathing
Sitting in a comfortable position, count to five slowly as you inhale through your nose, filling your lungs. Once your lungs are full, exhale slowly through your mouth, again to a count of five. Do this ten times.

When we become stressed, we tend to breathe more quickly, starving our brains of much needed oxygen and forcing our heart rate to increase. By breathing deeply and slowly, we replace that oxygen, increasing our brainpower as well as forcing our heart rate to slow down.

Stress Management through Muscle Relaxation
Find a comfortable position and close your eyes. Concentrate on the large muscle groups in your legs and feet. Tighten these muscles, tensing them as much as you can. After a count of ten, release and relax those same muscles while imagining a feeling of warmth spreading up your legs.

Repeat this technique for your buttocks and stomach muscles. When you've released those muscles, move up to your neck, shoulder, and arm muscles. Finally, concentrate on your facial muscles, paying close attention to the muscles in your jaw and forehead.

When we become stressed, we unconsciously tense our muscles, resulting in a host of physical problems. Headaches, digestive problems, and muscle soreness can all occur as a result of stress. By tensing and relaxing each muscle group, we increase blood flow to these muscles and bypass those painful physical manifestations of stress.

Stress Management through Visual Imagery
Visual imagery is a popular stress management technique often used by psychotherapists, but you can train yourself to use this technique without outside assistance.