Top Five Hacks to Manage Stress
What stresses you out? How does stress affect you? How do you react to stress? Everyone experiences stress, but the key is learning to manage it in healthy and sustainable ways. Here are the top five hacks to help you stay calm, centered, and in control.
Cut Down on Alcohol, Caffeine, and Nicotine
Reduce or avoid alcoholic drinks, caffeinated beverages, and nicotine. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that increase your heart rate and raise stress levels instead of calming you. Alcohol may feel relaxing at first, but small amounts act as a stimulant, and larger amounts can disrupt sleep and intensify anxiety.
Choose water, herbal teas, or natural juices instead. Staying hydrated supports clear thinking, a balanced mood, and better stress regulation.
Why it matters:
Limiting stimulants helps stabilize your nervous system. Your body can better manage stress hormones, leading to improved mood, clearer thinking, and more consistent energy.
Get Physical
Physical exercise is one of the most effective ways to release stress. Movement helps your body process stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline and brings you back to a calmer state. You can walk, stretch, dance, lift weights, or follow a short workout at home.
Regular physical activity also improves sleep quality, boosts your mood with endorphins, and helps clear your mind.
Why it matters:
Exercise reduces stress and builds long-term resilience. The more consistently you move your body, the easier it becomes to handle stressful situations.
Catch Up on Your Zs
Quality sleep gives your brain the time it needs to restore clarity, process emotions, and regulate stress. Create a relaxing routine before bedtime by limiting screens and stopping difficult or mentally demanding tasks a few hours before sleep.
Try to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day. A predictable routine helps your body wind down naturally and improves overall rest.
Why it matters:
Lack of sleep increases stress. Good sleep improves your mood, supports better decision-making, and strengthens your ability to cope with daily challenges.
Find Your Best Relaxation Method
Explore relaxation techniques to see what helps you unwind. This could include meditation, deep breathing, stretching, mindfulness, journaling, calming music, or self-hypnosis.
With self-hypnosis, choose a simple word or phrase that feels comforting or meaningful to you. Focus on it while breathing slowly to help your stress levels drop. This may take practice, but it becomes more effective over time.
Why it matters:
Relaxation techniques give you tools to calm your mind and release tension before stress builds up.
Talk It Out
Express how you feel by talking to someone you trust. Sharing your thoughts can provide relief, increase clarity, and help you release built-up tension.
Talking things through also helps you evaluate situations with a clearer mind. Another person may offer reassurance, a different perspective, or simply a supportive space to let your emotions out.
Why it matters:
Talking through stress helps you feel supported and more capable of handling challenges. Communication allows emotional pressure to ease rather than grow.
Life Insurance Questions?
We hope that this information on manage stress is useful to you. If you want to learn more about stress read our article How Stress Affects Your Body.
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This article was updated on 12/1/25.