Healthy Approaches to Relieve Stress: Distraction, Relaxation, & Self Expression

There are thousands of articles on the internet about ways to relieve stress, and most of them boast about the same three or four boring strategies. But the truth is that there are many ways to help alleviate your stress and anxiety, and many of these coping mechanisms fall under one of the following three strategies: distraction, self-expression, and relaxation. Each category is special because each one has a unique underlying goal for you to achieve, and all of them have the potential to help you maintain a good mental state. In the following article, I'll provide both the pros and cons of each strategy and a short list of related example activities. My hope is that you find at least one approach that is a Cinderella-shoe type fit for you!

DISTRACTION METHODS

While it may initially sound like an unhealthy self-care goal, activities related to distraction are effective because they buy an individual time to take a step back, cool down and regroup. By taking a temporary break from an emotionally stressful situation, you can mentally prepare yourself so you can handle the situation in a better way. Other benefits of distraction self-care are that they mostly range from being free to mildly inexpensive, and there are many options for people of all walks of life. No matter your age or interests, it's highly likely that you can find at least a few distraction activities that you feel comfortable taking up as healthy habits. Finally, these activities also serve as opportunities for you to feel productive and proactive, even when you are struggling with their mental health.

The main issue with this kind of tactic is that some people may feel a strong urge to avoid their issues for too long or for an indefinite amount of time by using distraction self-care as a cover. This temptation is fueled by the positive feeling one experiences by completing things they have been meaning to do. For this reason, it is extra important to understand that distraction-type options (like all kinds of self-care) are only meant to be temporary breaks rather than a means to completely avoid or deny problems.

Examples of Distraction Activities:

Call a friend and talk about something random (like how Australia waged a war against emus and lost... look it up)
Participate in heavy physical activity (ex. Sports or weight lifting)
Go out for coffee or food
Watch something (TV, Movie, Youtube)
Focus on completing a single chore

SELF-EXPRESSION METHODS

Activities related to expressing yourself are very helpful ways to assist in processing and working through complex feelings or thoughts. These activities are also great ways to self-monitor moods and release stress by partaking in free-form arts. This category of self-care allows you to use your stress or negative feelings and redirect them into something more positive and rewarding.

Many activities of self-expression involve natural creativity and artistic drive. Furthermore, while there are positive effects to trying something new every once in a while, some people may find these activities challenging or even frustrating, so be sure to keep an open mind and don't be too hard on yourself if the things you create aren't "perfect." Lastly, be aware that some of these activities may grow to be more expensive ventures depending on the quality of materials, such as when making high quality art or giving your image a complete makeover.

Examples of Self-Expression Activities:

Make art of any medium
Write a song or poem
Freestyle dance
Experiment with appearance (ex. haircut, new clothes, make up)
Journal about your feelings

RELAXATION METHODS

As you could probably guess, activities driven towards achieving relaxation are beneficial because they are good ways to remind yourself to value your own well-being and make yourself a priority. It is incredibly important for you to know that you are valid and worthy of peace, and relaxation activities can remind you of this and help re-energize you when you are feeling drained. Other positive aspects of relaxation activities are that they are either free or extremely low in cost, and they do not require excessive strength or talent to perform.

Even though these simple ideas are effective when made into regular habits, they are not likely to help much if you aren't committed to keeping up with their chosen self-care routine. Therefore, in order to experience significant results, you should experiment with a variety of techniques before settling on what works best for your own taste, and you also must commit this activity into some kind of regular routine. Otherwise, the unchecked stress will continue to build up and remain a constant problem.

Examples of Relaxation Activities:

Get a massage
Take a long bath or shower
Meditate or practice deep breathing (as wack as it sounds, this actually does work)
Take a short nap
Light exercise (ex. go for a walk, yoga)

GIVE IT A SHOT

Now that you have heard a little bit about each type of self care, you can start to try them out for yourself and see what works! Although I've separated them into three distinct groups, many of these activities can have multiple underlying functions or can have more of an impact on one person than another person. It is perfectly normal and acceptable to have a different coping mechanism than others, or to have a different opinion about what is helpful and what is not.

So, go ahead: shave your head like you've been wanting to do, phone an old friend and tell them you miss them, dance like no one is watching. Find something that helps you truly be you.

QUICK NOTE

It's important to keep in mind that while these activities can be positive influences on your mental health, there still must be balance and good judgement involved in these practices. Self-care activities of any kind are great in moderation, but may have negative effects if you are doing too much or too little of it. This rule applies to all of the above coping strategies. Also, many of these methods are great solutions for short-term problems or typical amounts of stress; if you are dealing with long-term dilemmas or are experiencing extreme amounts of stress and anxiety, you may need to seek additional help beyond these quick self-care activities.