40 Ways to Relax in 5 Minutes or Less

When we’re feeling frazzled, a weekend at a beach resort might be just the thing to calm our nerves. But there isn’t always time for tanning, let alone sleeping, eating, or going to the bathroom.
Luckily, we’ve rounded up 40 ways to relieve stress in just five minutes or less. From sipping tea to trying some pranayama breathing, all these tactics can create calm during tough times.

Food and Drink

• Sip Green Tea: Instead of turning purple with rage, get green with a cup of herbal tea. Green tea is a source of L-Theanine, a chemical that helps relieve anger. Boil the water, pour it out, and take a soothing sip — there’s probably still a minute to spare.
• Nosh on Chocolate: A carton of chocolate ice cream is no stranger to stress relief, but just a square (about 1.4 ounces) of the sweet stuff can also calm your nerves. Dark chocolate regulates levels of the stress hormone cortisol and stabilizes metabolism.
• Slurp Some Honey: Replace stress with sweetness and try a spoonful of honey. Besides being a natural skin moisturizer and antibiotic, honey also provides compounds that reduce inflammation in the brain, meaning it fights depression and anxiety.
• Bite Into a Mango: Take a tropical vacation without leaving the desk chair. Use a five-minute break to peel, slice, and bite into a juicy mango, which packs a compound called linalool that helps lower stress levels.Don’t fret about the juice dripping down your chin — the stress relief is worth the mess.
• Chew Gum: Minty, fruity, or bubble-gum flavor, a stick of gum is a surprisingly quick and easy way to beat stress. Just a few minutes of chewing can actually reduce anxiety and lower cortisol levels.
• Munch a Crunchy Snack: Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than munching away on a candy bar when we’re stressed — one study found stressed adults craved crunchy and salty snacks more than usual. But that salty crunch doesn’t have to be so sugary — a handful of trail mix or a bag of celery sticks work just as well.

Inner Peace

• Lay Your Head On a Cushion or Pillow: There are days when all we really need is a nice, long nap. But it’s not always possible to start snoring in the middle of the office. If you’ve got a pillow, you’re already on the road to relaxation. Try this visualization technique: Lay your head down for a few minutes and imagine the pillow is a sponge sucking up all your worries.
• Meditate: No need to go on a retreat to the mountains — five minutes of peace is all it takes to reap the benefits of meditation. There’s evidence that just two quick bouts of silent meditation per day can relieve stress and depression. So find a comfortable spot in a quiet place, concentrate on your breath, and feel those anxieties start to disappear.
• Remember to Breathe: Is there any simpler way to relax? Slow, deep breaths can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. For the fancy noses out there, try pranayama breathing, a yogic method that involves breathing through one nostril at a time to relieve anxiety. The technique’s supposed to work the same way as acupuncture, balancing the mind and body (and possibly eliminating the need for a tissue).
• Try Progressive Relaxation: Anxious? Just squeeze, release, and repeat. Progressive relaxation involves tensing the muscles in one body part at a time to achieve a state of calm. The method (also used by actors) is a great way to help fall asleep.
• Count Backward: Nope, it’s not an IQ test, but it is a way to relax. When worries are running rampant, try slowly counting to 10 and then back again to calm down. It’s harder to freak about an upcoming date or job interview when you’re busy remembering what number comes before seven. (Hey, kindergarten was a long time ago.)
• Use Creative Visualization: The doorbell rings. It’s Ryan Gosling, and he wants to know if you’ll marry him. “Yes!” you shout and then — sorry, time’s up. These little daydreams, also known as “creative visualization,” involve thinking of something that makes us feel happy. It’s an instant mood boost on hectic days when we’re feeling tense.
• Close Your Eyes: James Taylor said it: You can close your eyes, it’s all right. Take a quick break from a busy office or a chaotic household by just lowering your eyelids. It’s an easy way to regain calm and focus.

Total Body Relaxation

• Give Yourself a Hand Massage: When there’s no professional masseuse in sight, try DIYing a hand massage for instant relaxation that calms a pounding heart.  Massages can be especially helpful for people who spend a lot of time typing on a keyboard. Hands in general can carry a lot of tension. Apply some luxurious lotion and start kneading the base of the muscle under the thumb to relieve stress in the shoulders, neck, and scalp.
• Try Acupressure: Pressure to meet a deadline can be stressful, but acupressure can help release all that tension. Acupressure’s a kind of touch therapy that works by balancing the circulation of fluids and energies in the body. Use the thumb and forefinger to massage the soft area between the thumb and index finger of the other hand. Dab on some lavender oil for extra relaxation.
• Rub Your Feet Over a Golf Ball: Leave the clubs at home and just bring the ball. You can get an impromptu relaxing foot massage by rubbing your feet back and forth over a golf ball.
• Squeeze a Stress Ball: On days when you want to strangle a coworker, your BFF, or the driver in the next lane, squeeze a stress ball instead. It’s an easy, portable, and non-violent way to relieve tension.
• Drip Cold Water On Your Wrists: Pass on the perfume and go with water. When stress hits, head for the bathroom and drop some cold water on your wrists and behind your earlobes. There are major arteries right underneath the skin, so cooling these areas can help calm the whole body.
• Brush Your Hair: Really, it looks like a rat’s nest. Even if you’ve already done your 100 strokes for the day, repetitive motions like running a brush through your hair can cause the body to relax.

New Environment

• Be Alone: Not everyone needs a cabin the woods, but five minutes of alone time can help you collect your thoughts and clear your head.
• Create a Zen Zone: Hiding in a bathroom stall might not sound calming, but do make (or find) a space that’s completely free of stress where you can go to relax. Set up a comfortable chair or light some incense and disappear there for a few minutes until the tension dissipates.
• Find the Sun: Here comes the sun — and some stress relief. If it’s a sunny day, head outside for an easy way to lift your spirits. Bright light can be an effective treatment for people who suffer from depression, and can even cheer up otherwise healthy folks.
• Look Out the Window: No spying on the neighbors allowed. When things get hectic, take a five-minute break to just stare out the window. Looking at nature scenes like trees and public parks can be a lot more relaxing than staring at the TV screen.
• Get Organized: A stack of papers, three tape dispensers, a bunch of misshapen paperclips: All this clutter could be contributing to stress. Take a few minutes to reorganize your desk (or table, or wherever you are), leaving just what you need on top.

Exercise

• Stretch: Standing up for a quick stretch can relieve muscle tension and help us relax during a stressful workday. Why not try a shoulder roll-out or a chest-opening stretch right from the desk chair?
• Do Some Yoga: Put your feet up, against the wall, of course. The Vipariti Kirani yoga pose involves lying on the floor and putting the legs up against a wall. Not only does it give the body a good stretch, but it helps create peace of mind, too.
• Run in Place: We may not be able to run from stress, but it’s worth practicing. Try running in place for a few minutes to get those endorphins flowing. Even brief physical activity can help beat stress.
• Take a Quick Walk: “Now walk it out, now walk (stress) out.” When you’re feeling overwhelmed or having trouble concentrating, go for a quick stroll around the block. You’ll get the benefits of alone time, physical activity, and a few minutes to gather your thoughts!

Entertainment and Creativity

• Listen to Your Favorite Song: Britney, Blondie, or the Biebster, sometimes belting out the lyrics to a favorite tune makes everything seem all right. If you’re in a public place (that isn’t the opera), just listening to music can be a quick fix for a bad mood. Classical music can be especially relaxing right before bedtime.
• Dance: Only sing in the shower? No problem — just daaaance to the music! Research suggests people feel less anxious after a few months of modern dance, but if that’s not your style, five minutes of the funky chicken probably works, too. (At the very least, dancing’s a great form of cardio exercise!)
• Write It Down: “Dear Diary: Today I feel STRESSED.” Just putting our emotions on paper can make them seem less intimidating. Try journaling before a big exam and it just might improve your score.
• Do a Crossword Puzzle: Number 10 across: Anxious, overwhelmed, or freaking out (seven letters). If you guessed “Stressed,” you’re in good shape to try some crossword puzzles. Brain games that require lots of concentration can help take our mind off whatever’s worrying us.

Smells

• Try Aromatherapy: It takes just a minute to drip some lavender, tea tree, or another essential oil into your palm and inhale. The soothing scents may help send stress and anxiety packing by stimulating smell receptors in the nose that connect to the part of the brain that regulates emotions.
• Smell Some Flowers: Stop and smell ’em. Certain odors can really change our mood, and it’s hard to feel angry or upset with a nose full of roses. Keep a fresh jar of your favorite flowers near your workspace.
• Sniff Citrus: Orange you glad you’re not stressed? The smell of citrus can help us relax by increasing levels of the stress-related hormone norepinephrine.
• Nose Full of Coffee: Wake up and smell the latte. Just the odor of coffee can help reduce stress hormones — no sipping required. (Just make sure not to burn the tip of your nose.)

Socializing and Fun

• Laugh: Stressed? Me? Ha! Laughter’s one of the sillier ways to beat stress, but there’s science behind it. A fit of hysterics can increase blood flow and boost immunity. Keep a book of jokes handy in the desk drawer or check out a hilarious YouTube video (maybe a piano-playing pug?).
• Talk to a Friend: When something’s really bothering you, it can help to share your feelings with a pal. In fact, more talkative folks tend to be happier in general. So vent to a coworker or call a close family member and spill.
• Start Planning a Vacation: Crashing waves, warm sand, a gentle breeze ruffling your hair. Well, at least the image is nice. Take a break from work and start browsing the web for some future vacation spots. Sometimes the whole fun of a trip is in the planning, anyway.
• Cuddle With a Pet: A boyfriend or girlfriend is okay, but they’re (usually) not furry enough. After a rough day, snuggle up with a pet for an instant slobbery smile, since pets can boost self-esteem and even ease the sting of social rejection. Here’s the Greatist Team’s resident furry friend.