10 Effective Natural Strategies to Reduce Stress

Key Takeaways

• Stress is a natural response to life’s demands, but managing it effectively can improve your well-being.
• Regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, and quality sleep are critical for managing stress effectively.
• Mindfulness, deep breathing, and time management can help you manage stress in the moment. However, if stress becomes unmanageable, professional support may be needed.

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Stress is the body’s response to any demand, pleasant or unpleasant. You may respond to stress in different ways – mentally, physically, or socially.¹ 

A job promotion or making new friends are positive but can induce some feelings of stress. On the other hand, financial hardships, illness, or work difficulties can make you feel overwhelmed and unable to cope.¹ Stress affects both the mind and body, leading to symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, and weakened immune function. Chronic stress can also contribute to serious health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and digestive problems.

While we can’t avoid stress altogether, the below healthy activities can help you manage and reduce stress. Try some of these strategies to regain balance in your life.

In this article, you will learn about ten effective natural strategies to reduce stress and its toll on your mind and body. These include moving more, eating a healthy diet, and prioritizing quality sleep. 

1. Engage in Regular Physical Activity

An American Psychological Association survey of 1,950 adults found that Americans spend nearly 4 hours watching TV and 3.7 hours online daily. While many use these activities to reduce stress, fewer than one-third find them an effective stress reliever.²

In contrast, 62% of those who exercise for stress relief report it as highly effective.² Regular movement lowers stress hormones like cortisol and improves mental health. Exercise mimics stress but provides a positive resolution.³

Try walking with a friend, a pet, or music—start small and notice how your stress levels respond!

2. Maintain a Balanced Diet

Emotional eating, particularly of fatty or sweet foods, is strongly associated with stress and obesity. Finding healthy coping mechanisms can help reduce stress and emotional eating.⁴ 

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein ensures you are fueled with appropriate vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Consuming protein—and fiber-rich foods can help you stay full and prevent cravings between meals. 

Pay attention to your caffeinated and sugary drinks. Drinking more than five cups of coffee daily can increase anxiety levels.⁵ Consuming one can of sugar-sweetened beverages daily is also associated with high levels of anxiety.⁶ 

Balanced nutrition supports stress management and overall health. 

3. Prioritize Quality Sleep

Sleep quality significantly determines mood, health, stress, eating choices, and the ability to function well daily.⁷ 

Insufficient sleep places extra physical stress on your body. It interferes with your ability to repair and restore all functions ranging from cognitive abilities to increased inflammation, increasing your risk for developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.⁷

While it can be difficult to sleep well when stressed, different strategies, such as a schedule for sleep hours, calming activities before bed, and reducing caffeine intake, can help ensure you are getting enough sleep and reducing stress.

4. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is experiencing one’s present moment and awareness of stress triggers.⁸ Much of our daily stress is related to our daily work. Researchers have found that mindfulness can improve employees' health, stress, and burnout in work situations.⁸ 

Mindfulness helps you focus on the present rather than dwelling on past decisions or the unknown future. Start with short, guided sessions to see if mindfulness helps you manage stress. Many free apps and websites offer mindfulness training. 

5. Incorporate Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing exercises can be done anywhere to calm the nervous system and reduce stress. A review article of 58 studies found that 54 confirmed that deep breathing effectively reduces stress and anxiety in children and adults.⁹ 

Deep breathing increases parasympathetic tone, which calms the body’s nervous system, heart rate, and blood pressure.⁹ The 4-7-8 method is a simple and specific deep breathing technique. In this method, you inhale for a count of four, hold your breath for seven, and exhale for a count of eight. Deep breathing was most effective when practiced for at least five minutes.⁹ 

6. Foster Social Connections

Social support can help you deal with all aspects of life. Studies show that having people to support you increases your resilience in stressful situations.¹⁰ 

If you lack strong social support, seek connections with a family member, friends, or local groups. Community centers, churches, and support groups can provide valuable connections and encouragement for your well-being.

Sharing burdens and experiences can provide relief, perspective, and encouragement. 

7. Allocate Time for Hobbies and Leisure Activities

To improve stress management, consider relaxing hobbies like reading, pickleball, walking outside, listening to music, gardening, or creating art. Hobbies can provide joy and divert attention away from stressors. 

These activities require minimal finances, don’t require planning, and help you prioritize self-care. Add them in at whatever frequency makes sense to you.

8. Practice Time Management

There are only 24 hours in each day, no matter how many things you need or want to do. 

The skill of time management helps you decide what things are critical each day and which can wait. Learning to manage your time can reduce stress and increase enjoyment.¹¹ 

A simple strategy is to think about your daily necessities (eating, sleeping, working, etc.) and the remaining time you have each day.

Then, prioritize tasks and activities for the day or week, ranking them by importance or urgency. For example, paying bills on time is both important and urgent—it prevents service disruptions and avoids the stress and financial consequences of late payments.¹¹

Other important tasks include spending time with family and friends or meeting work deadlines. Less important tasks may include deep cleaning, doom-scrolling on social media, or frequently checking emails or messages. 

9. Limit Exposure to Stress Triggers

While you can’t eliminate stress entirely, you can identify your triggers and minimize exposure when possible.¹² Each person has unique stress triggers, so take time to recognize yours. If it is within your control, set boundaries to help prevent these stressors.¹²

For example, if your schedule is overloaded, be honest and say, “I’d love to say yes, but I have many obligations right now and need to prioritize my well-being and family. Please check back in a couple of weeks, and hopefully, we can schedule a get-together.”

The tips on this list can help you manage unavoidable stressors. To relieve stress, prioritize quality sleep, movement, and deep breathing.

10. Seek Professional Help When Needed

Sometimes, you need more help beyond these natural strategies. If stress becomes unmanageable, seek compassionate, expert support from a mental health professional.

You can find a qualified therapist or counselor through your workplace, insurance provider, or local resources. Many employers offer covered providers, and some campuses have on-site counseling services.  Online therapy platforms like Better Help can connect you with a counselor who meets your needs. 

Prioritizing your mental well-being and reducing chronic stress are just as important as your physical health. 

The Bottom Line

While stress is inevitable, these ten natural strategies can help you regain balance and improve your overall health. Regular movement, quality sleep, balanced nutrition, and deep breathing are key tools for healthy stress management. Mindfulness, social connections, and time management can also help reduce daily pressures and bring joy to life. Small, sustainable changes can reduce stress. Pick one or two of these strategies and build from there. 

Learn More About How to Improve Blood Sugar Health With Signos’ Expert Advice

Stress management is one aspect of overall health, but physical activity and balanced nutrition also play key roles in preventing stress and disease. 

A Signos continuous glucose monitor (CGM) allows you to track your blood sugar levels, helping you understand how diet and exercise affect your body and levels. Making these positive changes can help you improve your health, prevent type 2 diabetes, and lose weight. 

 A healthcare professional can help you choose the proper medication (if needed) to help manage your health conditions, blood sugar levels, and weight. Learn more about nutrition and healthy habits on Signos’ blog. Take a quick quiz to determine if Signos is right for you!