The secret power of 'less is more'

Experts reveal that it takes less time and effort than previously thought to relieve stress. Here, easy strategies to restore calm and increase happiness—in minutes!

- KRISTINA MASTROCOLA

As you unfurl your long to-do list, you instantly feel overwhelmed. And with all of your unanswered emails and endless responsibilities, you worry it would take weeks on a tropical island to ease your stress. While it’s easy to think “more is better” when it comes to relieving stress—that you need to devote ample time to anxiety-busting strategies—research suggests the brain can dial down tension and boost bliss in mere minutes.

“Rather than making an unrealistic time commitment to stress relief, focusing on little adjustments throughout the day enhances our well-being the fastest, according to neuroscience,” confirms psychotherapist Heidi Schreiber-Pan, Ph.D., author of Breaking the Anxiety Cycle.

Another perk of mini stressbusters is they reduce the hidden pressure women tend to put on themselves to relax in specific, culturally prescribed ways, adds psychotherapist Sally Stevens, LCSW, founder of Anchor Yourself Wellness. “For example, I have a client who feels like a failure if she doesn’t get to yoga class three times a week,” she says. “But we have to find more sustainable ways to relax on our terms, in small chunks, rather than waiting for our batteries to be drained.”

Read on for simple ways to take common stress-reducing strategies — from journaling to meditating to exercising—and trim them down to minutes so you can reap their calming rewards and increase your everyday joy…fast.

TAKE A ONE-DAY BREAK
INSTEAD OF A VACATION…