Unhappiness and stress can quickly become a problem for people, even if they don’t realize it. While it’s normal to feel unhappy at some point in life, it becomes a problem when it is ongoing. It’s hard to not let doubts, anxiety, financial issues, relationship issues, or other problems get to your head.
You may let these things get the better of you and before you know it you’re feeling down or stressed out. Being stressed makes you unhappier than you already are.
To feel better when you’re stressed out and unhappy, here are some ways that can help.
What Does Stress Do To Your Body?
Stress is a normal part of our lives and can be beneficial in small doses. However, when it becomes chronic, it can have negative effects on your body and mind.
Stress has been linked to many health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and heart disease. Stress also increases the risk of developing cancer and disrupts normal immune function.
Physical Effects of Stress
When you’re stressed out, your body produces more adrenaline than usual. Adrenaline is the hormone that prepares your body for action by increasing blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration rate.
When this happens repeatedly over time, it can lead to problems such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and sleep problems.
Emotional Effects of Stress
Chronic stress can also take a toll on your moods and emotions. It can make you feel depressed or anxious about situations beyond your control.
It may also cause feelings of helplessness or hopelessness about what’s happening in your life at any given time.
11 Ways To Feel Better When You’re Stressed
Breathe
It can be hard to slow down and breathe when you feel stressed, but it’s the most basic thing you can do to help yourself relax. Not only does breathing help you calm down, but it also helps your body to release negative emotions and stress. So take a few deep breaths, exhale slowly, and try not to think about anything else for a minute or two.
Meditate
Meditation is another great way to calm your mind and help relieve stress symptoms like anxiety or depression.
Just sit somewhere quiet with your eyes closed and focus on breathing deeply while letting go of any thoughts that come into your mind.
Do yoga
Yoga involves exercises that stretch and strengthen your muscles, as well as help you relax. It also helps your body release endorphins, which make you feel better.
Take a break from your phone
Studies have shown that people who spend more time on their phones are more likely to be unhappy.
When we’re constantly looking at our phones, we feel like we’re missing out on something. This can lead to feelings of stress and unhappiness.
Listen to music
Music is the best mood booster around! It can help you relax, relieve stress and improve your overall wellbeing.
Listening to music while exercising or meditating can help reduce anxiety and improve concentration levels.
Get up and move around
Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to manage stress and boost your mood. Not only does it get rid of excess energy that builds up when you’re feeling stressed, but it also releases endorphins which make you feel happier.
You don’t even need fancy equipment or gym memberships, just take a walk outside, go for a jog, or do some stretches at home.
Follow a healthy diet
Your diet plays an important role in how you feel on a day-to-day basis and when you’re stressed out. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try cutting down on sugar and processed foods as these have been known to cause mood swings and depression.
Instead, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
You might also want to add some healthy fats like avocados or nuts into your diet, they contain omega-3 fatty acids which can help to reduce anxiety levels by reducing inflammation in the brain.
Write down your thoughts
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges or feeling sad because something happened that made you sad, write down how you’re feeling on paper so it’s not bottled up inside of you where it could make matters worse.
Writing about what happened may help you see things more clearly and realize that there are solutions available to fix whatever went wrong, even if they aren’t easy solutions.
Eat Some Chocolate
It may sound counterintuitive, but eating chocolate can help reduce stress levels. In one study, patients who ate dark chocolate daily for two weeks reported feeling less anxious than those who didn’t eat any chocolate at all, and their blood pressure was lower as well.
The key here is to eat dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content; anything less won’t have the same effect on your mood (and possibly raise blood pressure).
Meditate
Meditating regularly can help reduce stress and improve your mood. One study published in Frontiers of Human Neuroscience showed how meditation can improve your brain’s ability to deal with stress.
It also found that meditation makes it easier for people to regulate their emotions, even when they’re under pressure or facing challenging situations.
Cuddle with a pet
Animals can be great companions when you’re feeling stressed out or unhappy. They don’t judge us or expect anything from us other than love and affection, things we often don’t give ourselves enough of when we’re going through tough times.
Cuddling with pets has been shown to lower blood pressure levels, decrease stress hormones like cortisol and increase serotonin production (which is associated with happiness).
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling stressed out and unhappy, the best thing you can do first is to try to unload that stress. Try an activity that is completely outside your norm, like a day at a public pool or zoo or a swing dancing class. Then, of course, make sure that you are taking care of yourself physically as well.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep at night and eating well. Exercise is important too. Adopt good lifestyle habits and use them regularly so that they become second nature to you.
