6 Easy Tricks to Calm You Down

If the stress of a new year is getting you down, it's important to find some relief. Thankfully, our friends at PureWow have created a list of six simple ways to calm you down.

Between catching up at work and catching sight of your post-holiday bank statement, it's no surprise you feel on the brink of combustion.

First step: Remind yourself this too shall pass. Second step: Try these six genius little tricks for keeping your cool.

Dab cold water behind your ears. Or on your wrists. Both areas have tons of veins running through them, so when cooled off, they can relax your entire body.

Sniff an orange. Studies have shown that the scent of a peeled orange can drastically reduce stress and improve mood swings.

Learn this breathing technique. Try the 4-7-8 approach from Dr. Andrew Weil to calm your nerves. Here's how it works: Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds.

Eat a mango. Snacking on this tropical fruit can help you chill thanks to a compound in it called linalool. Plus, you can pretend you're relaxing on some lovely beach while you eat it.

Do some cardio. Whether it's a walk around the block, a quick shopping trip or a long run, any type of cardio can relieve stress and brighten your mood — all while you get in a bit of a workout.

Count backward. This one seems pretty obvious, but actually having to concentrate on going from 100 to 0 will help take your mind off your worries and onto the process itself.

And if all else fails, you can always look at pictures of cute animals.

Check out more great posts from PureWow: