How to deal with Stress: Top Tips for Stress Relief 

Stress has become inevitable in everyone’s life. Whether it’s juggling between school or work, managing family relationships or just keeping up with everything chaotic happening around the world, stress can feel like a never-ending cycle. 

While having some level of stress is completely normal and even helpful at times, excessive stress can leave us overwhelmed, anxious and even physically burnt out. Learning how to manage stress is crucial, and it doesn’t mean you need to escape to a remote island or completely change your life. Small shifts in habits and finding the right tools can help you stay relaxed, even when things get hectic. There are many practical and research-backed tips that help you find stress relief, but what exactly is stress? 

What is Stress?

Stress is the body's natural response to any challenging demand or situation. When we feel threatened by something, our nervous system responds by releasing stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), stress is “a physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors” (1). Not all stress is bad, acute stress or short-term stress can actually positively enhance focus and even provide motivation. However, when stress becomes chronic, that’s when long-term health problems such as anxiety, depression and insomnia can occur.

Stress vs Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are closely related but very different. Stress is a response mechanism, usually to an external cause such as a deadline. Anxiety on the other hand is an emotion, a persistent feeling of worry, sometimes without an identifiable cause. 

Common Causes of Stress

Stressors vary widely depending on life circumstances, but some common causes can include:

Personal Challenges

Everyone experiences personal challenges in their day to day, from financial difficulties, relationship issues, family responsibilities to health concerns, these factors can all contribute to stress. 

Poor Lifestyle Habits

Insufficient sleep, an unbalanced diet, and a lack of physical activity can all lead to an unhealthy lifestyle - a major contributor to high stress levels.

Work-Related Pressure

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes workplace burnout as an occupational phenomenon (2). High demands, lack of workplace control and poor work-life balance can often lead to chronic stress.

 

Digital Overload

We are bombarded with information and dopamine 24/7 in our modern world. Studies show that excessive screen time and social media use are linked to increased levels of anxiety and stress, especially in younger adults (3). 

Environmental Factors

You would be surprised but even small factors in our daily environment can really affect our stress levels. Examples include loud noises, crowded spaces and pollution can all act as persistent stress triggers.

Top Tips for Stress Relief

Managing stress doesn’t always require a complete lifestyle restructuring. Small, consistent habits can create steady progress that adds up to meaningful change over time. Below are some highly effective tips and methods to manage and reduce stress:

Physical Activity & Exercise

We all know to exercise regularly, but few actually put it into practice. 
Physical activity is one of the powerful ways to deal with both short term & long term stress. When you exercise, the production of endorphins dramatically increases (the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters), this decreases cortisol levels which helps relieve stress.

You don’t have to hit the gym for hours. Even a short daily 15 minute walk, yoga, or cycling can do wonders. Harvard Health reports that exercise has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, provide stimulation and calm which counters depression and dissipate stress (4). 

Good Quality Sleep

Another obvious yet underrated practice - high quality sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends at least 7–9 hours of sleep for most adults to function optimally (5). Poor sleep doesn’t just make you tired and lazy, it can significantly increase your body’s stress levels. Good sleep hygiene is essential for mental clarity and emotional stability. 

Everyday, try to:

• Sleep and wake up at the same time 

• Limit screen time an hour before bed - NO doom-scrolling!

• Create a calming sleep environment
  
  

You will see a big noticeable difference if you just implement this into your day to day routine.  

Diet - Limit Caffeine, Alcohol & Sugar

Daily exercise and quality sleep helps significantly, but this all goes to waste if you have a poor diet. While a cup of coffee, some donuts or a glass of wine might feel like a short term relaxing fix, too much of any poor substances can disrupt your nervous system and sleep cycles, increasing stress and anxiety in the long run. 

Practice Meditation

One of the fastest ways to calm the nervous system is through mindful breathing. Breathing deeply and slowly signals your brain to relax. Techniques like box breathing or the 4-7-8 method are extremely simple and effective (6).

Meditation, especially when practiced regularly, has been shown to reduce the body’s stress response. A 2020 meta-analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindfulness meditation can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression (7).

Journaling/Gratitude Practice

Writing down your thoughts helps you process emotions and reduce internal tension, in turn, relieving stress. Even just five minutes a day can help declutter your mind.

Gratitude journaling - listing 3 things you’re grateful for each day, has been linked to improved mood, better sleep, and reduced stress. Studies found that people who kept a gratitude journal had lower levels of inflammation and improved heart health (8). 

 

Socialising

Have you realised whenever you spend time with your close friends you instantly feel like you’re in a better mood? Social support is one of the most simple yet effective buffers against stress.

Spending time with people who uplift you - whether it’s friends, family, or support groups helps regulate emotions and provide you a sense of belonging (9). Even small interactions, like chatting with a neighbor or checking in on a loved one, can improve your mood and help reduce stress levels. 

Calming Hobbies

Adopting fun and calming hobbies are also extremely effective! Hobbies that require your hands and attention can induce a flow state, similar to meditation. Examples include:

• Sports

• Drawing

• Puzzles

• Instruments

• Sports
  

Creative activities release dopamine and help distract from stressful & anxious thoughts.

Sensory Tools Designed for Stress 

There’s a reason why weighted blankets and comfort tools have grown significantly in popularity. Deep pressure stimulation mimics the feeling of being hugged, which helps to calm the nervous system and reduce stress hormones. 

Gentle pressure can significantly lower heart rate and increase feelings of safety — especially effective for people dealing with sensory overload or anxiety.

In recent years, several products have been developed to offer stress relief in more portable, stylish forms. Items like weighted hoodies, anxiety hoodies, and even weighted hoodies with built-in squishies such as Squiddy’s hoodies are designed to combine functional benefits with style & comfort. 

These tools offer on-the-go calm for people dealing with high-stress environments, providing physical comfort and emotional grounding in one wearable form.

 

Conclusion

Stress is a part of everyday life, but it doesn't have to control yours. Try these helpful tips, whether it’s meditation, exercise, better sleep or connecting with others, each small change you can implement today will be extremely helpful for you in the long run!

If you're looking for a tactile, wearable solution that supports your mental wellness throughout the day. Our brand Squiddy offers Weighted Hoodies designed for Stress, we combine comforting pressure with built-in squishies to create the perfect weighted hoodie for stress relief anytime, anywhere. 

References

[1] American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Apa.org; American Psychological Association. https://dictionary.apa.org/stress

[2] WHO. (2019). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases. World Health Organization. https://doi.org/entity/mental_health/evidence/burn-out/en/index.html

[3] Nexus Health Systems. (2024, January 4). Excessive Screen Time & Mental Health Issues | Nexus Health Systems. Nexushealthsystems.com. https://nexushealthsystems.com/excessive-screen-time-mental-health-issues/

[4] Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, February 21). Exercise is an all-natural treatment to fight depression - Harvard Health. Harvard Health; Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression

[5] SLEEP FOUNDATION. (2000). National Sleep Foundation. Sleepfoundation.org. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/

[6] Fletcher, J. (2019, February 12). 4-7-8 breathing: How it works, benefits, and uses. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417

[7] Goyal, M. (2014). Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018
[8] Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2010). Gratitude and Well Being: The Benefits of Appreciation. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 7(11), 18. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3010965/

[9] Mayo Clinic. (2022, January 12). Friendships: Enrich your life and improve your health. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860