From the Guidelines
Effective stress management at home involves creating a balanced routine that includes regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and mindfulness practices, with a focus on mindfulness-based stress reduction and positive psychological interventions, as supported by recent studies 1. To manage stress at home, it's essential to start by designating a quiet space for relaxation where you can practice deep breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes daily, focusing on slow inhales and exhales to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.
- Progressive muscle relaxation, where you tense and release muscle groups sequentially, can also reduce physical tension.
- Limit screen time before bed and establish a consistent sleep schedule aiming for 7-9 hours nightly.
- Regular exercise—even just a 20-minute daily walk—releases endorphins that naturally combat stress, as recommended by the European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice 1.
- Setting boundaries between work and personal life is crucial, especially when working from home; create clear start and end times to your workday.
- Connecting with loved ones, even virtually, provides emotional support that buffers against stress.
- Hobbies that engage your attention fully, like gardening, cooking, or crafting, create flow states that naturally reduce stress hormones like cortisol. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs, which typically involve 45 minutes of practice daily for 8 weeks, have been shown to reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and improve psychological well-being 1. Additionally, positive psychological interventions, such as imagining and writing about a better future, recalling positive life events, and planning and performing acts of kindness, can promote optimism, gratitude, and positive affect, leading to improved well-being and reduced stress 1. It's also worth noting that mind-body therapies, such as yoga, can be a promising complementary therapy and stress-management tool for children and adolescents, with very low reports of adverse effects 1. Overall, a comprehensive approach to stress management at home should incorporate a combination of these techniques, tailored to the individual's specific needs and circumstances.
From the Research
Stress Management at Home
Stress management is a crucial aspect of maintaining overall well-being, and there are various techniques that can be employed at home to achieve this. Some of the key strategies include:
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) [(2,3,4,5,6)]
- Meditation and mindfulness practices [(3,5,6)]
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and MBSR 4
Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to have numerous benefits, including:
- Reducing stress and anxiety [(2,3,4,5,6)]
- Improving symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [(2,3,5,6)]
- Enhancing mental health-related quality of life 5
- Promoting prosocial behaviors 6
Effectiveness of Home Practice
Home practice in MBCT and MBSR has been found to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety, with participants reporting significant improvements in psychological and physiological outcomes 4. The extent of home practice has been shown to be associated with positive intervention outcomes, with a small but significant correlation between self-reported practice and outcomes 4.
Safety and Cost-Effectiveness
Mindfulness-based interventions have been found to be relatively safe and cost-effective, with potential benefits for a wide range of biopsychosocial conditions [(5,6)]. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and long-term effects of these interventions 6.