Stop Stress in 60 Seconds

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By Leslie Pepper

Reducing stress doesn't have to take a lot of time. One minute can be enough to help you relax. Use these ideas to get started.

If stress is getting the better of you, give yourself a minute. Literally. Next time you're feeling stressed, spend 60 seconds doing one of the activities below and feel yourself relax. Or, mix and match these stress-busters to create your own relaxation break. Your heart will thank you for it.

Take 5 Slow, Deep Breaths
Stress typically causes quick, shallow breathing, which contributes to a rapid heart rate and sweating, which causes more stress. “Get control of your breathing and the spiraling effects of stress will automatically become less intense,” says Brent Bauer, M.D., director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic and medical editor of the Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine.

Try this technique to feel more relaxed:

1. Inhale as slowly and deeply as you can to the count of six.
2. Keep your mouth closed, shoulders relaxed.
3. As you breathe in, push your stomach out.
4. Hold and slowly count to four.
5. Exhale through your mouth as you slowly count to six.
6. Repeat three to five times.

Read Your Fan Mail
Print out complimentary e-mails and look at them when you’re feeling anxious. “Just as negative events elicit the fight-or-flight response, positive events can help elicit the relaxation response,” Bauer says. Keep notes, letters, and cards in a special box you can get to easily. Or play back friendly phone messages.

Drink a Huge Glass of Water
Dehydration can exacerbate stress and cause fatigue. “Any activity that causes you to stop for a few moments can be helpful,” Bauer says.

Look Forward to Fun
Take a one-minute time-out and think about something fun you’re looking forward to later that day. “It can be anything from planning to watch the Dancing with the Stars finale to going to your granddaughter’s dance recital,” says Larina Kase, a Philadelphia psychologist. “Thinking about something enjoyable you’ll do later helps keep things in perspective. You may be stressed now, but you’ll know it will soon pass, and you’ll be doing something relaxing.”

Find a Quiet Place to Meditate
Meditation actually changes brain waves—not just while you “ohm,” but often for the rest of the day. Close your eyes and focus on a word or phrase in rhythm with your breath.