8 Methods That Psychologists Use to Get Rid of Stress

Saleeha Som
ILLUMINATION
Published in
4 min readOct 3, 2022
Photo by Anna Shvets:

In order to be calm and healthy, psychologists help us handle issues, face our fears, and organise our emotions. But because they are also people, they occasionally experience stress.

We’ll outline some techniques for stress reduction that even experts employ.

8. Write down everything that comes to mind.

According to clinical psychologist John Duffy, who also wrote a book about the upbringing of teenagers, “I make notes to alleviate stress. Ideas for articles, circumstances, interpersonal interactions, and thoughts. Everything that comes to mind gets put into writing and is given structure. We forget about issues, our heads are clearer, and the tension decreases thanks to the creative process. After that, I am able to view things differently.

7. Be choosy when buying ingredients for a dish you want to cook.

Jeffrey Sumber, a psychotherapist, author, and educator, utilises the following strategies to manage stress:

“I enjoy eating when I’m depressed. But it needs to be healthy cuisine or a recipe I’ve never tried. I take my time choosing the ingredients while browsing the supermarket. I carefully chop them, make the dressings, and then take my time eating the meal. I frequently share the outcomes on Facebook to make my pals jealous!

6. Tighten all of your muscles.

Kevin Chapman, an American psychotherapist, employs the progressive muscle relaxation technique, which was created in 1920.

The concept is straightforward: Strong relaxation always follows strong tension. It implies that you must tense your muscles for 10 seconds before focusing for 20 seconds on the sensation of relaxation.

There are 200 exercises in total for every muscle group. Just remember to focus on every muscle group.

5. React correctly or don’t react at all.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, a psychologist, doesn’t actively combat stress. When she finds herself in a difficult situation, she uses a special chant. I can’t change the situation, but I can change my response, she replies.

If you respond positively to a bad situation, you can reduce stress and gain experience if you approach it as a challenge. You might also gain knowledge from your errors.

4. Stop the flow of your thoughts.

Martin Seligman, a psychologist, suggests one simple and well-liked technique for clearing your thoughts.

Clap your hands together and yell, “Stop! I’ll consider it later. You can also pinch yourself or snap a band on your wrist if you catch yourself thinking about anything that isn’t helping you right now. Use such techniques to break the loop of thought and temporarily put off an issue. Try to focus your attention on an unusual item or an exercise after that.

3. Spend an hour on your hobby and things you like.

Amy Przeworski, a psychotherapist, advises having a time when you can do whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy, do it: read, draw, cook, or exercise. Nothing should be bothering you, not work, not duties, not bad thoughts.

2. Stimulate your nerves.

Toni Bernhard proposes a novel yet successful physiologic approach.

With your index finger, swipe your lips. This action activates the parasympathetic nervous system and aids in relaxation by contacting nerves on the surface of the lips.

1. Try different classic methods.

Of course, there are more traditional methods of stress relief that are equally effective.

For instance, clinical psychologist Deborah Serani, who is the author of the book Living With Depression, makes an effort to provide for all of her body’s need. “I utilise anything that makes me feel something. For instance, I may simply sit in my car and draw, listen to jazz on the radio, unwind in the hot tub, or sip on a cup of delicious tea.

Therapist Joyce Marter employs a technique that is popular among AA members: you have to do something helpful to clear your thoughts. For instance, tidy up your desk, wash your dishes, and so forth. The primary requirement is that it should assist you in changing your focus and distract you from worrying about whatever it is that is making you anxious.

There isn’t a better antidepressant, according to psychologist Susan Newman, than our friends. Stephanie Sarkis, a doctor, substitutes yoga, exercise, or simply relaxation and sleep.

The main concept

Distancing yourself from the issue for a while is the key to relieving stress. And the more successfully you do it, the quicker you’ll recuperate and be prepared for fresh difficulties.

And which approach did you prefer? Do you have a special technique of handling stress? Share with us

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