5 Meditation Techniques To Reduce Stress

Experiencing stress is all part of being human. Stress affects everyone at some point, including the happiest, most grounded people you know. Managing stress is critical for mental, emotional, and physical health. And meditation happens to be one of the best ways to keep stress in check. 

An estimated 200-500 million people globally meditate on a regular basis, and with reported stress levels reaching record-highs, meditation techniques to reduce stress are needed more than ever.

Following are five simple meditation techniques to help relieve stress that can be used by anyone, even if you’re new to meditating. 

5 Meditation Techniques to Reduce Stress

Meditation has gone mainstream for a good reason. It works. It's researched-backed benefits include severeal neurological and physiological benefits that allow for focused, mindful presence free from the stress-related thinking that can send you into a tailspin.

1. Breath Focus (Deep Belly Breathing)

Breath focus, also known as belly breathing, is a meditation technique where you simply take slow, long, deep breaths, focusing on each smooth inhalation and each smooth exhalation. Breath focus meditation can be done anytime, anywhere, offering soothing stress relief in the moments you need it most.

Breath focus works by modifying your breathing pattern and slowing down your breathing rate. When you bring a slow, deep breath into the belly and then slowly, softly, and deeply exhale this breath, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system. 

Ultimately, this generates a relaxation response withing the body. Heart rate begins to slow down, blood pressure decreases, and the muscles start to relax.

Engaging in breath focus meditation for just 5-10 breaths can significantly shift stress levels and deeply relax body and mind.

Instructions

• Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor.
• Slowly and deeply inhale through the nose until you feel the belly begin to rise, perhaps counting slowly in your mind for 5-10 seconds.
• Pause after the inhalation. 
• Slowly exhale the breath, counting slowly again for another 5-10 seconds.
• Pause after the exhalation.
• Repeat 5-10 rounds.

2. Box Breathing

Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is a powerful practice for reducing stress, worry and an overactive mind. Extremely effective and calming and balancing the mind, box breathing is a yoga breathing exercise known as sama vritti pranayama, which translates to “equal mental fluctuation breath.”

As this Sanskrit translation and the image of a box might suggest, box breathing involves equal inhalations, exhalations and breath retentions. 

Instructions

• Inhale through the nose for a count of four, feeling air fill your lungs as the belly and chest expand.

• Hold the breath for a count of four.
• Exhale for a count of four, feeling the natural fall of your belly and chest as all of the air is expelled from the lungs.
• Hold the breath for a count of four.
• Repeat 5-10 rounds. 

Note* When you become more comfortable with box breathing, you can begin to increase the length of each inhalation, exhalation and breath retention.

3. Guided Stress Relieving Meditation

One of the easiest meditation techniques to reduce stress are guided meditations. Sometimes, letting the soothing voice of someone else guide you into a state of blissful relaxation is exactly what you need to to let go of any stress you're experiencing.

Guided meditations simple to find for free on YouTube and there several meditation apps with a variety of guided meditations to choose from. With these online resources, you can easily customize your search specifically for stress-relief and find a wealth of options to support your unique needs.

4. Body Scan

A body scan meditation merges breath focus with mindful progressive muscle relaxation. One of the primary benefits of a body scan meditation is reduced stress, but it’s also a beautiful practice for establishing the mind/body connection.

Like other meditation techniques for stress, a body scan meditation is simple and doesn’t require any prior experience or knowledge about meditation. After a few moments of deep breathing, you simply focus on one area of the body or one group of muscles at a time, mentally releasing any tension you might be feeling there. 

A body scan meditation is one of the best meditation techniques for stress accompanied by difficulty sleeping, with research showing it can improve both sleep quality and overall quality of life.

Instructions

• Sit or lay down in a comfortable position somewhere where you won’t be disturbed.
• Begin to slow things down by taking long, slow breaths into the belly, feeling the abdomen rise fully with each deep inhalation, and fall gently with each deep exhalation.
• Bring your awareness to the head and neck, noticing any tension you might be holding on to. Breathe into any tension you might be feeling, allowing yourself to relax deeper with each slow exhalation.
• Bring your awareness to the shoulders, chest and upper back, noticing any tension you might be holding on to. Breathe into this tension, and allow yourself to relax deeper with each slow exhalation, releasing any physical tension remaining in this area.
• Continue to bring your awareness down your entire body, moving from the head all the way down to your feet. Visualize any tension leaving your body with each exhalation you take, staying in one area as long as necessary until you feel relaxed.

 It's one of the best meditation techniques for stress accompanied by difficulty sleeping, with research shows it can improve both sleep quality and overall quality of life.

5. Mindfulness Meditation

As one of the most popular meditation techniques, mindfulness has become a modern-day buzzword. The premise of mindfulness is simple, often described as paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment without judgment. 

There’s a reason so many people get their mindfulness meditation on. According to a 2013 review that examined over 200 studies on mindfulness-based therapy indicate it’s extremely effective for reducing stress, depression, and anxiety.  

It also found that people who practiced mindfulness were less prone to negative thinking and unnecessary emotional responses during times of stress, offering a significant improvement on mental health and wellbeing.

Mindfulness offers a moment-to-moment present awareness of your thoughts, physical movements, and sensations from your external environment. It takes you out of our head and into the present moment without judging what's happening as “right” or “wrong.” 

Last Thoughts

One of the best things about meditation techniques to reduce stress is that they're always available. You don’t need prior experience, just a bit of patience, an open mind and willingness to engage with your breath. 

Using meditation techniques designed specifically for stress offer an all-natural approach to managing some of the more difficult moments in life, ultimately offering a deeper sense calm amidst the occasional chaos.