7 Simple Ways to Relax That Really Work

You should practice the leapfrog technique

The leapfrog technique involves thinking about a positive feeling that will take place after a stressful event. For instance, if you are always worried about your final exam, just try to think about how you will feel when everything will be over and you will succeed. What would you do? Will you think about partying with your friends?

“One of my favorite tricks to deal with stress is to do something called leapfrogging,” says Karen R. Koenig, M.Ed., LCSW, a psychotherapist in Sarasota, Florida. “Instead of thinking of a stressful event, be it a colonoscopy or doing a presentation, think past it. Most people become stressed because they focus on the stress-causing event which raises their anxiety. In leapfrogging, you focus on how you’ll feel after it—which lowers anxiety. The more sensory and grounded the envisioning is, the more it reduces stress.”

Do not neglect the conversations with yourself

Even though it sounds crazy for some people, you should be aware that many other individuals talk to themselves often and this is actually a great idea if you want to lower your level of stress. So, this method requires a series of positive affirmations that you have to say when you feel nervous and anxious. 

“When feelings of stress or overwhelm strike, repeat a positive affirmation or mantra that is easy to remember and will calm your nerves,” says Casey Kaczmarek, MA a holistic health and wellness coach in Portland, Oregon. “You can find one on the internet or create your own. Try starting it with ‘I am’, such as ‘I am filled with peace, love, and light.'”