It’s natural to experience a bit of stress, but too much takes its toll on the body. Whatever is causing you to feel stressed, it’s important that you make time for rest and relaxation. How can you maintain that balance and help your body recover from stress? Here are six tips for rest and relaxation.
What’s the best way to recover from stress? We asked OpenUp psychologist, Soesja Vogels, to explain what stress does to your body and why recovery is so important.
What Is Stress?
According to the World Health Organisation, stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. How we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall well-being.
“Stress is an abstract concept, but you can view physical stress as a form of tension that occurs in your body as a response to external stimuli,” explains Soesja. “When something happens in your surroundings and your brain detects ‘danger’, you get that sense that something is wrong and you need to act now.”
What Happens to Your Body When You’re Stressed?
When you experience stress, your body’s initial response will be to produce adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, triggers the “fight or flight” response by increasing your heart rate and providing a burst of energy to prepare for quick action. Cortisol, another hormone released by the adrenal glands, helps regulate metabolism, immune response, and energy levels during prolonged stress. However, when cortisol levels remain elevated for too long, it can have harmful effects. Excess cortisol can disrupt sleep, weaken the immune system, and even impair cognitive function. You get physically stronger and you can react more quickly. That would be great if you were being chased by a bear, for example.”
However, stress becomes harmful when you’re exposed to it for a prolonged period. “When you’re under too much stress, your brain keeps getting the message that you’re in a ‘dangerous situation’. You’re no longer able to relax because there are too many stress hormones in your blood,” clarifies Soesja.
Soesja further explains: “Think of it as using water to put out a fire: at first that’s going to be really effective at scaling back the blaze. But if you kept going after the fire had been extinguished, you’d eventually destroy the house as well.”
What Are the Physical Consequences of Too Much Stress?
When you’re exposed to stress for a prolonged period of time, it has a harmful long-term effect on the body. It puts your essential bodily functions under too much pressure.
“Too much stress and not enough relaxation has a major impact on your body,” emphasises Soesja. “Your immune system, digestive system and memory may all suffer the consequences.
Additionally, it can cause headaches, high blood pressure and sleeping problems. When you’re very stressed, your heart rate will also consistently stay at an unhealthily high level.”
Why is it So Important to Recover From Stress?
When you’re experiencing (too much) stress, rest is essential. Think of the analogy of a balloon with too much air in it: if you don’t deflate a little, you’re going to pop.
Recovery from stress is crucial, and rest allows you to recharge your internal battery. However, relaxing isn’t always easy, which can be frustrating. “When your phone or laptop runs out of battery, the logical thing to do is charge it,” explains Soesja.
“But with our bodies, we expect them to keep going without that same recharging time. The reality is, we don’t have unlimited reserves of energy.”
Helping Your Body Recover from Stress
So how can you recharge that internal battery? Soesja is here to share six tips that will help you regain your balance and recover when you’re experiencing too much stress.
1. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
For those experiencing high levels of stress, getting enough sleep is even more critical—but it can feel almost impossible when cortisol levels are elevated, making it hard to switch off. Sleep is the foundation of recovery, where your body reaches its most relaxed state and carries out essential repairs. But when stress disrupts this process, it’s not just about the hours you spend in bed—it’s about quality.
To improve your chances of a restful night, create a consistent nighttime routine that signals to your brain it’s time to wind down. When possible, go to bed at the same time every night and ensure your environment is conducive to relaxation: circulate fresh air in your room, limit screen time, and try calming activities like journaling or reading. It’s also important to shift your mindset about sleep. Rather than putting pressure on yourself to “get a good night’s sleep,” approach it as an experiment: what might happen if you slept deeply, even for one night? This shift in thinking can ease some of the pressure and make success more attainable.
For those whose stress is particularly severe, regulating cortisol is key. Engaging in stress management techniques, like mindfulness or breathing exercises before bed, can help reduce cortisol levels and improve your ability to fall asleep.
2. Avoid excess stimuli
Stimuli includes anything that makes your brain more alert, making it harder to relax. This includes screens, bright lights, loud sounds, and substances like caffeine, nicotine, and sugar, which can boost energy and disrupt calmness.
Limiting screen time—especially before bed—is key since blue light from devices interferes with melatonin, the sleep hormone. Beyond screens, emotional stimuli like tense conversations, stressful situations, or certain people can also increase stress. If you’re overwhelmed, it’s helpful to step back from these triggers. Similarly, substances like caffeine should be avoided at least 6 hours before bedtime, and should also be avoided or limited during particularly stressful periods.
3. Stay hydrated
Chronic stress can lead to dehydration because your body prioritises immediate action over essential functions like hydration. When stress hormones, like cortisol, are elevated for long periods, your body diverts resources to cope with perceived threats, often neglecting proper fluid distribution to vital organs. This can leave you feeling fatigued and worsen the physical symptoms of stress.
To counter this, ensure you’re staying hydrated throughout the day. Water helps flush out excess stress hormones and keeps your body functioning optimally. And no, alcohol doesn’t count—it dehydrates you further!
Aside from drinking water, there are several other ways to stay hydrated:
• Herbal teas: Caffeine-free teas like chamomile or peppermint can hydrate you while offering a calming effect.
• Water-rich foods: Fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, and celery have high water content and help boost hydration.
• Coconut water: It’s a natural source of electrolytes and can help replenish fluids, especially after stress-related energy depletion.
4. Exercise regularly
When we think of exercise, we often picture intense workouts, but gentle activities like walking can be just as effective for stress relief. When stress causes muscle tension due to excess adrenaline and cortisol, gentle movement helps release that pressure. Exercises like yoga, tai chi, and stretching improve flexibility, promote relaxation, and ease tension. Light swimming, pilates, and cycling also help get your blood flowing, reduce stress hormones, and restore balance without the need for intense activity. These gentle exercises offer a calming way to relieve stress and support your overall well-being.
5. Focus on a nutrient-dense diet
Eating healthily can be particularly challenging when dealing with stress. When cortisol levels are high, you may crave sugary foods, but consuming sugar can increase cortisol further, creating a vicious cycle. This can make stress worse and leave you feeling more fatigued.
Cortisol also impacts your digestive system, slowing down digestion and making it harder for your body to process food. To be kind to yourself, focus on eating foods that are easy on your stomach and promote calm. For example, choose whole grains like oatmeal, which releases energy slowly, or lean proteins like chicken and fish, which are gentle on the digestive system. Vegetables such as spinach, sweet potatoes, and avocados are packed with nutrients and fibre, helping digestion without overwhelming your system. Incorporating healthy fats like those found in nuts, seeds, and olive oil can also support brain function and reduce inflammation, which is often heightened by stress.
By focusing on nourishing, easy-to-digest foods, you’ll not only help your body recover from stress but also avoid the negative effects of high cortisol levels.
6. Find a form of relaxation that works for you
Work out what makes you feel relaxed – it’s different for everybody. Consider doing breathing exercises, a mindfulness body scan or gentle types of yoga, such as yin or yoga nidra. ‘Progressive muscle relaxation’ exercises involve tensing and relaxing your muscles in a certain order, and they’re great if you experience a lot of tension in your body.
Of course, you might also turn to hobbies or spending time with friends when you’re looking to relax, but be aware that these things sometimes require energy and they might not necessarily give you the rest you need to recover from stress.
