Coffee and Stress Reduction
Cut back on that coffee! Too much coffee only makes stress worse, so try to cut back as much as possible. To avoid caffeine withdrawal, try adding a little decaf to your morning mug, increasing the proportion of decaf to regular over the next couple of weeks. And, watch out for caffeinated soft drinks!
Natural Stress Relievers
Close your eyes, take three long breaths, and picture yourself somewhere else..... (hiking in a forest, swimming at a secluded beach, walking through town after a fresh rainfall. Focus on the details and the sights, the sounds (or lack thereof), and the smells for a great natural stress reliever.
Stress Reduction Tools
Say stuff you regret later? Before you do that, silently count to 10. Use this time to take a few deep breaths, stretch, or recite an affirmation. Before you blow up at your co-worker or supervisor, take a jog around the block to clear your head. If you haven´t got time, walk to the bathroom or water cooler. Anything helps.
Yoga Eye Relaxation Techniques
Try this yoga eye relaxation technique: Rub your hands together vigorously until they feel warm. Then cup them over your closed eyes for five seconds while you breathe deeply.
Warm Milk Helps You Sleep
It´s a scientific fact that a glass of warm milk really does help you sleep and that in turn helps you relieve stress. Make sure you drink it approximately one hour before you plan to retire. You have to forget about the cocoa because chocolate is a stimulant.
Pets Relieve Stress
It's been researched and found that those who owned a pet had lower blood pressure than those who did not own any pets, because pets relieve stress. If you don´t have a pet, you can visit a friend´s pets, because petting an animal for just a couple of minutes is going to help to relieve that stress.
Evaluate Your Stress
Using a scale of one to ten, rate your stress. Make one equivalent to a bump in the road and ten - a true catastrophe. Think about what is making you tense, and give it a number.You will find that most problems rank pretty low and are not even worth your worry.
Stress Relief Activities
Get a green thumb! One stress relieving activity is tending to a garden, which helps people to escape their worries. If you haven´t got a garden, get some houseplants. It works!
Alleviating Heachaches with Sleep
Sleeping in an awkward position or on your stomach may tighten your neck muscles and this could trigger a headache. Try sleeping on your back. Good sleep can often alleviate a headache.Get the sleep you need (about eight hours is optimal for most people). But don´t sleep to escape your worries. That will only make you groggier.
Speaking of headaches.......If you have a mild tension headache, exercise will probably relieve it. If your headache is more severe, don´t exercise. The pain will worsen.
Avoid Common Headache Triggers
Avoid the following common headache triggers: strong perfume, noisy environment, bright light, caffeine, chewing gum, high sodium intake, skipping meals, hot dogs or any cured meats containing nitrates, monosodium glutamate (MSG), chocolate, nuts, liquor and aged cheeses. (The tyramine in chocolate, nuts, liquor and cheeses is the culprit.)
Stress Reduction Exercise
Mindfulness leads to relaxation. Focus intently on an object. Notice an objects shape, color, weight and feel. Or slowly savor a raisin or a piece of chocolate.
Great Natural Stress Reliever
Lotions containing peppermint, spearmint or menthol used with a body massage is a great stress reliever. The scent as well as the massage have a relaxing effect.
Snack a Little for Natural Stress Relievers
You've heard of serotonin? It's a feel good brain chemical. Foods that are high in carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin. Crackers, pretzels, or a bagel can give you a boost on stressful days.
Herbal Stress Relievers
We all know how good and relaxing a warm bath is. Did you know that adding some well-chosen herbs to the water could make your soak even more effective? Place dried herbs -- your favorites -- in a cloth bag, then toss the bag into the tub or hang it from the faucet as the tub fills. For a refreshing, stimulating bath, try lovage, mint, rosemary, sage, orange, pine, or thyme. To calm down at the end of a busy day, chamomile, sandalwood, lavender, marjoram, marigold, or mint are good choices for natural herbal stress relievers.
Tallking about herbs................ Brew a pot of chamomile tea. It´s natures tranquilizer. Drink at least 2 cups for effective herbal stress relief.
Chamomile tea promotes relaxation and can relieve anxiety as a great herbal stress remedy. Buy it in ready-to-use tea bags or steep two teaspoons of the dried flowers in one cup of water for five minutes. Drink three cups a day for optimum effect.
Place a few pieces of rock salt in a small vial, then add a couple of drops of aromatherapy oil (made from anise, basil, bay, chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rose, or thyme). Open the vial and inhale the perfumed air. Oils and rock salt are often sold in health food stores.
Both Siberian and Panax ginseng, bolster the adrenal glands, and may also be effective in coping with stress. These stress-fighting herbs are sometimes called "adaptogens" (because they help the body "adapt" to challenges) or "tonics" (because they "tone" the body, making it more resilient). All can be safely taken together.
Other herbs and nutritional supplements, used singly or together or combined with the supplements above, may be of value in special circumstances. For stress-induced anxiety, try kava, which is best reserved for high-stress periods lasting up to three months. Take melatonin if worry is keeping you up at night, and St. John's wort if stress is accompanied by mild depression.
Relaxing Music Helps Natural Stress Relief
Music soothes the senses and eases fragile holiday nerves. The music should be slower than your heart rate to relax. Some good classical music to relax with: Bach´s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, 2nd movement, and Orchestral Suite No. 2 and Ravel´s Mother Goose Suite, 1st movement.
Change into some comfy clothes after a hard day of work, and treat yourself to downtime with some relaxing melodies. Find a quiet spot where you won´t be disturbed, light a few aromatherapy candles, breathe deeply and let your mind and soul be massaged by the music.
Sounds of nature have a relaxing effect and reduces stress. Put in a CD of surf sounds the next time you want to just mellow out.
Yet More Stress Reduction Tools to Smile About
Smiling almost ALWAYS causes a reaction. We do it naturally when we´re happy and relaxed, but did you know that smiling when we're frustrated and stressed can actually make us feel happy and relaxed? So go ahead and smile. Don´t you feel better?
Stress Reducing Exercises
Try deep breathing for a great stress reducing exercise. Breathing deeply oxygenates the blood, helping to relieve stress. Put your hand on your abdomen just below the navel. Inhale slowly through your nose and watch your hand move out as your belly expands. Hold the breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times.
Acupressure and Stress
Acupressure relieves stress naturally like acupuncture, but fingers are used instead of needles. Applying light pressure with your index fingers to one of these three points: between the eyebrows, the back of the neck slightly below the base of the skull, and about half an inch to the left or right of the spine.
Laugh Stress Away as a Natural Stress Relief
We've all heard about laughter being the best medicine. Reduce those hormones associated with stress, by having a good laugh once or twice a day. This is another good natural stress reliever.
Be affirmative for Natural Stress Relief
Think up and have handy, a short, clear, empowering statement. For example: "I feel relaxed and calm. I can handle this." Then, the next time you feel as if your life is one disaster after another, take a deep breath and repeat it 10 times.
Stress Reduction Tools
Sharing your troubles with someone else can give you perspective, help you feel cared for, and relieve your burden. So pick up the phone or walk next door and catch up with a friend.
Stress and Vitamin B
The B vitamins can help your body cope with stress. They can also boost the immune system and counteract fatigue. Look for a B complex pill with 400 mcg of folic acid and 50 mcg of all other B vitamins. Always discuss vitamins with your doctor, before starting a vitamin program.
