Are you sometimes too stressed out to even think clearly and have no time for a therapy or to relax properly? No problem, because these techniques will help you relieve that stress, and help you function normally.

Don’t wait until you are overburdened, take a few minutes and use these techniques to allow yourself to breathe a bit easier.

Listen to music

Two solutions exist here. One is to find really slow or meditative music and let it play while you commute so it can soothe you. This is a proven stress buster, at least according to a study published in the British journal Heart. The other solution is to find wild, energetic music that makes you want to dance, and have at least three songs on a stress-free playlist on your phone.

Once a day, find a lonely place (at home, in the office...) where you can dance your heart out to these tunes. It will let off some of the steam, and make you feel a lot calmer.

Always be prepared in advance

Nothing relieves stress like being prepared. Organize yourself so you’re ready for the next day, make a to-do list and clean everything up before you leave. When you finish everything before leaving work, you won’t have to fret about work and tasks during your free time. So, when you go back to work in the morning, you’ll feel as if you’re in control of the situation, and you’ll be able to handle everything that comes your way during the day.

Get the healthy snacks ready

Most people turn to comfort food like cookies and ice cream to relieve stress. Usually, you are trying to control your weight by depriving yourself of these snacks, but under stress, the urge for these delicious treats becomes too strong to be ignored. So, in order to stop yourself from overeating under pressure, you need to keep three or four healthy snacks at hand all the time. You should choose peanuts, string cheese, a small chocolate bar so you can satisfy your cravings without binge eating, and without the subsequent stress over overeating.

Do repetitive tasks

It doesn’t matter what you repeat. Any routine will do. Knitting, shredding paper, folding clothes, vacuuming, reciting a mantra about how you wish you felt, reading a favorite poem… any and every one of these is a great way to achieve a Zen-like state of mind. According to some studies, repetition lowers blood pressure and slows breathing and heart rate. Just focus on the task at hand and don’t let your mind wander towards stressful subjects. Half an hour of these activities can help you relax and unwind.

Float

It might sound ridiculous, but give it a shot. Go to a pool and just float. A study published in the International Journal of Stress Management said that floating in water makes the body relax. This response, in turn, lowers the level of your stress hormone.

Just imagine - only 10 minutes of floating around a pool can help you feel less tense, less depressed and more like you had a good night’s sleep with no worries.

Downtime

Put all your electronics down! When you think about it, thanks to emails, mobile phones, and tablets, it seems that your work never ends. The line between your home life and work seems blurrier than ever, and all the tech you love to use so much just puts you in a constant state of alertness. Not to mention how it affects your private life. You should limit your cell phone and internet usage to working hours. When you get back home, limit yourself to two checks per night - you’ll be more relaxed, and your family will appreciate it.

Remind yourself how good you are

When you find yourself facing a problem that seems unsolvable and that causes you a lot of stress, just freeze. Take a deep breath and think back on how you handled previous stressful situations (a breakup, tight deadline, a difficult task). You should remind yourself that you are able to do anything you set your mind onto and overcome any difficulty. This will help you reconnect with your resilient side. Just think about this for a while -“If I was able to handle THAT, this cannot be any harder!” and you’ll be less stressed and in the mood to tackle anything that comes your way.