Life is stressful just because it’s unpredictable. Some of it stems from external factors, but much of it is about ourselves — our thoughts and emotions are dynamic, and our mental state changes constantly. But mindful living doesn’t mean boring or static. Things will keep making us stressed out. There are ways to mitigate this: well-being specialists at the Liven app review strategies that improve mindful living by small, consistent habits every person can develop. We’ll explore these habits today and explain how to use them to manage stress consistently.
Breathing and Meditation Exercise
If you search “Meditation” or “Breathing exercises,” you’ll find plenty of options. Why these, though? These strategies are among the most common recommendations people receive after taking a Procrastination test or trying to improve their self-awareness. From a scientific standpoint, mindful breathing and meditation are effective for reducing your nervous system reactivity.
- Sit comfortably and place one hand on your chest.
- Inhale naturally through your nose.
- Exhale a little more slowly than you inhaled, even if only by a second.
- Repeat for 1-2 minutes.
This simple and quick exercise can be done regularly and whenever you feel the need to relax your body a bit.
Sensory Release
We carry our sensory memories throughout the day, and this can feel like an additional weight, especially on stressful days. We don’t always have the time or ability to let go of this tension. When you practice sensory release, you return your attention to the present moment and send a gentle message to your mind to relax. These ideas are just a few that you can try separately:
- Pause and notice one sound around you. Do you hear the bus coming not far away? Or maybe a group of kids laughing as they return from school? When we pay attention to the sounds around us, we can hear many more sounds that previously stayed in the background.
- Touch something near you and focus on its texture. It can be your desk, a wall, or even your sweater.
- Look for one detail around you that your eyes haven’t noticed before.
Some people prefer touching/smelling/tasting things that are on the “extremes,” like ice or something very salty, just to ground themselves.
Movement Is Crucial
Yes, it can be demotivating to feel tired after work or studies, and then to look for ways to stay active as well. The only thing we sometimes want is to lie down and have a chill evening. Still, physical activity allows our stress hormones to drop, even if it’s just a ten-minute walk. Moreover, people who engage in too intense exercise tend to feel more anxious over time because it disrupts their stress regulation.
Most of us have sedentary lifestyles, and adding just a bit of movement can do wonders for our posture, muscles, and back/neck pain. Here are some ideas for low-impact exercise, even if you’re not in the mood for something more active:
- Walking around your neighborhood (or even in a mall if the weather isn’t good)
- Playing with your dog/cat
- Playing a few favorite songs and dancing to them
- Yoga and stretching
- A bit of cleaning.
Such brief activity can reset energy levels and improve emotional regulation.
Spending Time in Nature
Nature (even when you’re bitten by mosquitoes) is a natural stress repellent. Even when it’s cold and cloudy, being present outside can help us feel alive.
For greater effectiveness, you can pair exercise with time in nature to combine physical and mental benefits. If you’re a fan of observations and nature-watching, you can even pair it up with a diary of your field observations. Natural environments reduce mental fatigue and support calm attention — that’s why many modern infrastructure solutions include large green spaces in their design.
Dedicate Time to Pets
Spending time with our house pets isn’t even a question of relaxation: with them, we form deep connections that give us a sense of meaning and purpose. And it doesn’t matter what type of animal you have — a dog or a lizard — what matters is your connection.
But to make sure it works effectively, it’s best not to multitask and instead focus on the relationship you’ve with your pet. How does it feel? Do you notice any emotional or cognitive response in yourself? By understanding the emotions of our animal companions, we also gain a clearer glimpse into our own mind. It also encourages us to have a better emotional presence.
Journal About Your Stress
Journaling is a known stress management activity, but it’s also more than that. When we journal, we look at our thoughts from a different perspective. This allows us to process the stressors we encounter during the day more objectively.
Here’s an example of how you can journal to ease mental burden:
- Write everything on your mind for 2 minutes.
- Circle what’s within your control. This will help you prioritize your subsequent focus.
- Cross out what isn’t within your control. Allow yourself to let go of these worries for a while since you cannot change them, and it’ll free up space for you.
But using verbal processing isn’t the only way to journal. Just taking a pen and doodling more forcefully on paper helps you healthily release stress. Some people draw, others simply start the first letters of a word, then just let it go. This approach combines motor and mental activity that activates different types of emotional processing.
Conclusion
Each tiny moment of connection with others we build shapes our own self-image and stability. Our life doesn’t become stress-free immediately, but every small decision we make is another step toward learning our inner stability. And when our core is mindful and strong, we can withstand any storm life throws at us.
