It’s no secret that life can be stressful. However, many of the ways to combat stress do seem like secrets. A life filled with stress due to agitation and anxiety could be the root for an array of other problems circulating in your home. You deserve to lead a tranquil and stress-free lifestyle. And believe it or not, you can actually take the steps to beginning your journey to a stress-free life in the confines of your home with expert stress management techniques.

Below, we have uncovered 10 secret ways to cope with stress all within the comfort of your home.

1.Bring the Outside In

The great outdoors have long been hailed as man’s most rewarding escape from the demands of urban living. A long walk through a lively forest, tending a crackling fire under a starry sky, or enjoying a simple picnic atop a sea of rolling green hills are just a few ways in which we use Mother Nature’s welcoming embrace to detox from our everyday lives. So, it only makes sense that bringing a little bit of that natural remedy indoors will help add a sense of ease and beauty to our homes while reducing stress. If you find you’re combating stress on a regular basis, try adding some foliage to one or multiple rooms in your home. Here are a few peaceful plants to help get you started decorating:

• Aloe Plants
• Peace Lily
• Bamboo Palm

2.Put Down the Devices

That’s right. As difficult as it sounds, powering down will in fact help you calm down. Our mobile devices are great tools for achieving daily goals, entertainment, and connecting with others, but when it comes time for “you” time it’s best to disconnect. There are numerous studies that correlate increased use of digital devices with increased levels of anxiety and stress. As we become dependent on these devices, we begin to expect instantaneous results and confirmations, which in turn makes us more prone to dissatisfaction with minor events, like not receiving an email at the moment you expect it.

3.Tune Out

Now this one’s pretty obvious. If you’re feeling particularly stressed it’s always good to resort to your favorite tunes for solace and comfort. Scientific studies have found that listening to music slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and releases your body’s natural feel-good neurochemical, dopamine. So find your comfy spot, cue up your favorite song, sit back, relax and let the melodies soothe your soul.

4.Start Exercising for Greater Stress-Relief

Here’s one you can pair with listening to your favorite tunes: exercising.Yes, exercising can have a tremendous effect on your mood. Although exercising itself can at times be pretty challenging, the natural high you experience once you’ve finished a routine is well worth the strain. Plus, you can complete a full-body routine within minutes, all in the comfort of your own home. Here are a few quick exercise routines to help get you started:

• How to do power Pushups
• How to do bodyweight Squats
• How to do jumping jacks
• How to do crunches

5. Deep Clean Therapy

We all try our best to avoid it, but cleaning your home can actually be quite the stress reducer. Think about it, experiencing unwanted irregularities in our daily lives often causes stress. When our homes are dirty, full of clutter, and out of order, they’re not fulfilling their duty as a place to wind down from a long day. Instead, it’s just adding to the tension. So get out that mop, get out that dustpan, and get down to business.

6. Restock Your Kitchen with Healthy Food Choices

Stress comes in many shapes and sizes. And sometimes all of that stress adds to our shape and size. One great way to reduce stress is to drop the fast food and pick up a habit of paying close attention to what you put in your body. A great way to start is by thinning out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of any unhealthy choices and leave behind only that which is healthy for you. If you notice there’s not much left, then you might want to consider changing your grocery list.

7. Take a Relaxing Bubble Bath and Detox the Day

When was the last time you drew a bath? Most of us can’t remember the last time we stripped our troubles away and slipped into a warm, soothing bath. It’s such an easy in-home escape from stress that it’s a surprise so many baths go underutilized each and every day. But to really make it an experience light some scented candles, put on some ambient music, and add some detoxing minerals or other soothing organic material to the water. Here are some natural additives to consider for making it a true detoxing experience:

• Sea Salt
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Magnetic Clay
• Apple Cider Vinegar

8. Focus on Your Breathe by Breathing In and Out

Now this little trick you can do anywhere in your home. All you need is yourself and the air around you. Simply take a break from whatever it is you’re doing and take some long, deep breaths. You can stand, sit in a chair, or go full yogi on the ground (Hopefully you’ve finished a deep clean session before trying the latter). Taking deep breaths helps reduce your blood pressure, increase oxygen flow throughout the entire body and reduce your heartbeat.

9. Get Social. Invite Your Friends Over.

One way to quickly de-stress or at least curb your stress for the time being is to socialize with others. The presence of friends and family can naturally calm our unease by reminding us what’s most important in life. Try making it an event. The process of planning and preparing a social event at your home will help keep you busy and your mind off of whatever it may be that’s causing you to stress. Here are some ideas for a social event to host:

• Host a party for the next big game
• Invite people over for a backyard BBQ
• Throw a small cocktail party
• Get to know the neighbors with a friendly meet & greet

10. Laugh Off the Day

To cap it off, here’s a really out there approach to stress relief that can be done at home – laughter yoga. Yeah, you heard right. Laughter yoga is a type of yoga made popular by a doctor from India named Dr. Madan Kataria. This revolutionary technique spread across the world in the early 2000’s and is still making headlines today because of its’ effectiveness. You may be thinking, “okay, so you just stand around and laugh uncontrollably like a crazy person?” Well, not exactly, but that is a good place to start. It becomes a bit more of an involved process, and believe it or not, there are actually many different ways to laugh. You can begin practicing this great stress management strategy by learning ‘how to do laughter yoga’ at home while practicing it in your living room.