Stress doesn’t discriminate—it can hit anyone, anytime, anywhere, with all kinds of triggers. Even on a bright day that you thought would be amazing, a problem can suddenly show up and weigh you down. No one is fully prepared for unexpected situations, which can mess up your mood instantly.
When stress strikes out of nowhere, you might not even have time to deal with it properly. But setting aside just a little time is better than nothing when it comes to making peace with your problems.
Problems will keep piling up if you don’t address them, just like sudden bursts of stress. A little positive action is way more helpful for releasing stress than just sitting around, zoning out, and letting negative vibes take over.
Simple Quick Things to Relax Your Mind
Calming your mind can be done through various activities, whether intense or light. The main difference lies in the time you spend. If you truly care about your mental well-being, dedicating more time to unwind is worth it. But here’s the point: when you don’t have much time, and stress sneaks up on you, flipping your day upside down, quick solutions can be lifesavers.
Here are 5 activities that don’t need much movement but can help you quickly lower and manage stress levels!
1. Deep Breathing
Of course, as humans and living beings, we need oxygen to support our life processes. As long as you’re healthy and alive, the oxygen around you is an invaluable resource that you can get for free.
Oxygen is essential for breathing—it enters your lungs and leaves through your nose. This process happens so naturally that you don’t even consciously realize your body is working by breathing.
Breathing can actually be a quick way to manage your stress. Breathing has benefits like reducing anxiety and lowering blood pressure. This makes it a great tool for quickly releasing negative energy.
To do this, simply position yourself in a comfortable spot. Then, calm your mind, clear your thoughts, and live in the present moment. By doing this, you’re already taking the first step in lightening your load—relaxing yourself. Next, take a deep breath, hold it for 3 seconds, and then exhale slowly.
Practice deep breathing for 10 minutes twice a day to maximize its effectiveness in managing stress, doing this consistently for 9 months can yield even better results.
If you’re having trouble doing deep breathing on your own, there are apps available to guide you. There are also websites with similar features if you’d rather not download anything onto your device.
Deep breathing doesn’t take much time. What’s important is to position yourself as comfortably as possible, choose a time that works for you, and relax peacefully. Just focus on yourself.
2. Just Think Positive
It’s true—it can be really hard to think positively when your heart and mind are weighed down by negative thoughts. But there’s no harm in trying to replace those feelings with more positive ones.
Thinking positively keeps your mind fresh and helps you avoid getting swept up in negative thinking, which can actually ease your stress, even if just a little.
In life, we’re always faced with choices and different perspectives. Just like every negative situation, there’s usually a positive side too. You just need to take a moment to see it.
Life’s like that—nothing goes smoothly without effort and sacrifice. What’s even more frustrating is when problems show up out of nowhere, disturbing your peace even when you’re just minding your own business.
You might feel resistant to thinking positively when you’re in the middle of something upsetting or infuriating. It’s natural to think that focusing on the negative is the most rational thing to do at that moment.
Acknowledging your feelings is essential for getting to know yourself better. It’s true—negative thoughts often seem more logical than positive ones when things aren’t going your way.
But here’s the catch: every time you feel stressed and stuck in negative thinking, your brain ramps up cortisol production—a stress hormone that, when too high, can damage and kill brain cells.
And that’s not even the worst part. The hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for memory and learning, can get affected too. This doesn’t just leave you stressed or anxious for too long—it can actually harm your brain.
On the flip side, choosing to think positively, even when your day is rough, gives your brain a boost and helps maintain better mental health.
Thinking positively means you’re actively working to improve your quality of life—whether by shifting your mindset or enhancing other functions in your body. Depression and anxiety can be managed simply by practicing positive thinking in daily life.
Your brain also benefits from this by increasing the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which help regulate emotions and make you feel happy and content.
It’s like getting multiple benefits from a single practice—improving mental health, breaking bad behavioral patterns, and optimizing brain function. That’s a huge win compared to staying stuck in negativity, which only harms you in the long run.
3. Eat Dark Chocolate
All food tends to taste better when you're stressed. But let’s be real—some people just can’t even swallow a bite when they’re in a bad mood. It all depends on the individual.
Whether your appetite increases or decreases, it affects your body’s calorie needs. That’s why it’s important to choose foods that benefit your current state—being stressed.
Eating during stressful moments might help some people cope. One recommended option is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate containing 78%–85% cocoa, when consumed daily for three months, reportedly reduces negative mood states compared to those consuming lower cocoa amounts. That makes it a great choice when stress hits.
Chocolate is loved by many because of its sweet, rich flavor that melts in your mouth. But the sugar content can backfire if you keep eating too much of it—not solving your stress but inviting other issues like diabetes.
Dark chocolate, however, is different from the typical chocolate you find in supermarkets. While some stores do sell it, those chocolates often have less cocoa and more sugar to make them sweeter. Dark chocolate has a bitter taste, which depends on the cocoa percentage in the bar. The higher the cocoa content, the more bitter it gets—usually in chocolate bars.
For stress relief, it’s recommended to choose dark chocolate with at least 78% cocoa. This ensures better benefits and safety as long as you consume it in the right amounts to achieve your goal: fighting stress.
Just eat it bit by bit, or up to three times a day. Around 30 to 60 grams per day with high-quality cocoa and minimal added sugars is suggested to help stabilize your mood.
4. Watching Movie
Some people might not enjoy entertainment-related activities, especially ones that require sitting for hours. But watching movies can actually help lift your mood and reduce stress.
A movie is an entertainment product where you experience a story in video form. The stories come in various types and are categorized into genres like action, comedy, romance, slice of life, and many more.
Not everyone enjoys watching movies, but why not give it a shot? Immerse yourself in the story—it’s even better if you can truly get into it and enjoy it.
Watching movies provides a mental escape and helps with daily relaxation, especially if you're into the genre you choose. A genre that matches your interests tends to be more effective in reducing stress because you genuinely enjoy the experience.
On the flip side, forcing yourself to watch something outside your interests can backfire, increasing your stress and leaving you frustrated or uncomfortable since you’re not really enjoying it.
You can enjoy movies alone for some “me time” or with someone special. Whether you watch on streaming apps or visit a cinema for the latest releases, both can be great ways to unwind.
5. Light Aromatherapy Candle
Scents can actually help your body relax. Studies show that aromas have benefits for reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, and boosting mood. This makes it a great option for calming your mind daily and keeping stress at bay.
Every scent has its own character. For example, floral scents give a soft, calming vibe—like enjoying blooming flowers in a garden. Meanwhile, fresh scents can remind you of being by the sea, helping you relax as you imagine the mix of ocean waves and soft sand.
Everyone has different scent preferences, so not everyone enjoys the same fragrances. Environmental factors like weather and temperature can also affect how a scent fills a room, meaning the same fragrance might smell different depending on the setting.
Choose a scent that fits your personality and preferences. These scents stimulate the limbic system, which controls emotions and memory, and some even help reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone.
To enjoy these aromas, one option I recommend is aromatherapy candles. Candles made with certified therapeutic-grade essential oils provide more significant benefits compared to regular fragrance oils.
Aromatherapy is different from just any scent. It’s a therapeutic practice using essential oils to improve physical and mental health, while a regular aroma is simply a smell produced by certain substances.
Common aromatherapy scents used for stress management include lavender, bergamot, and chamomile. These are great choices if you’re considering aromatherapy candles.
Why candles? Their soft, flickering light creates a soothing ambiance—not too bright, not too dark—offering a calming atmosphere.
Wrapping Up
Stress doesn’t knock on your door—it can show up unexpectedly when sudden triggers pop up. So the key is to handle it with simple activities as your first line of defense.
When you're stressed, your mind gets overwhelmed too. Your task is to relax it by doing easy activities to prevent your stress from escalating. You can try deep breathing exercises, thinking positive thoughts, eating chocolate, watching a movie, or lighting an aromatherapy candle.
Doing things that aren't overwhelming but help you relax can be a good first step for your mental health. These small actions can help you quickly get back to your routine with a better mood.
But always remember—if your stress level becomes too high, it’s best to seek help from a professional.
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