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Natural Stress Relief & Overall Mood Health
Stress is a big issue in today's fast pace lifestyle. Be it from jobs, relationships or financial problems, life can be stressful for most people to manage effectively. Too much stress will take its toll on your mental or physical well being. First, let us explore the mental process behind stress. Stress, in its simplest form, is an emotional (and often physical) response to challenges and external factors which manifests from the outside world. While stress is a natural response by the body and helpful to trigger decisive action, heightened reflexes or enhanced brain functions, too much stress resulting from an increased state of alertness has a huge impact on health. Hypertension, heart disease, stroke are all potential ailments that can develop from chronic stress. The good news is that there are many natural stress relief techniques you can employ on a regular basis to help to you to not only cope with stress, but also excel under stressful situations. 1. Relaxation Exercises Many forms of relaxation exercises could be helpful. One such example would be Deep Breathing. While this may sound like an overly common exercise, proper deep breathing exercise is an obvious natural stress relief technique. Breath deeply through your diaphragm, hold your breath for a couple of seconds, and exhale completely before repeating the process. Make sure every single last ounce of air has been expelled from your body. A helpful hint. Imagine the air coming in through your lungs, down to your stomach. Let it sit there for a few seconds. Exhale it through your spine, all the way, imagining it leave through the top of your head. The whole time, think about how it eases muscle tension, relaxes individual muscles of your body, starting from your face down to your toes. 2. Calming Herbs Calming herbs are great for natural stress relief. Most commonly brewed as teas is a great stress buster that you can employ practically anywhere. Simple, quick and refreshing, such teas or infusions can help to relax your mind and body with its effective blend of smells, nutrients and tastes. While most supermarkets or pharmacies sell prepacked teas with natural herbs, some of the more popular ingredients include Chamomile, Dandelion, Lavender, Skullcap or Catnip. Many of these herbs are found in SleepWell. Alternatively, go for a soothing massage, where a physical response, in combination with various essential oils, scented candles, warm lights and exotic aromas could work wonders on mental and emotional state. Many massage centers do serve herbal teas or other natural concoctions on request. 3. Meditation Meditation can be a quick way to recharge yourself mentally and is one of the more common ways of natural stress relief. For a comfortable and fruitful meditation session, choose a quiet, cushioned area to sit. Avoid lying down though, as the tendency to sleep might be a tad high. Calm your mind down by clearing your mind of your worries to a state of emptiness. Some people prefer to focus on a singular, repetitive action such as deep breathing, saying repeated words at intervals or holding physical objects. After you have been sufficiently calmed, let images, scents and sounds fill your mind as let yourself drift of from the rigours of your daily life. Choose whatever setting is more relaxing to your body. For example, my favorite would be a day at the beach. Breath in the salty, fresh air of the sea, feel the grains of sand slip between your fingers and imagine the sounds of the waves gently lapping against the shore. 
4. Exercising, Yoga and Tai Chi A more common natural stress relief method would simply be rhythmic exercising! Not only does this prompt the body to produce endorphins, natural substances which help a person to feel good, but it also helps to keep you in shape. Doing cardiovascular exercises with short intervals in between is a great way to relieve your stress. The ancient techniques of Yoga and Tai Chi can both help to release tension and relieve stress effectively. Yoga focuses on using body postures, breath control and meditation while Tai Chi focuses on the fluid movement of the body to center the body and to relax the mind. However, both requires a certain level of instructions to properly execute the techniques, either from videos or through your local instructors. While stress will still be always be present in our lives, these natural stress relief techniques, if employed regularly, will provide you with the tools to manage stress actively. Learn to keep stress at bay, and you will find yourself leading a more fulfilling, enjoyable life and ready to take on life’s challenges. Learn more about How Can I Sleep Better? Back to Health Topics homepage
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