In this day and age, I think that everyone is a little stressed. Whether it’s the little everyday things that just pile up, work-related stress, financial issues or anything else, stress can be extremely bad for your health–both mental and physical.
While there are plenty of drugs and things that one can take to reduce anxiety and stress, I personally prefer home remedies and natural health for things like this. Don’t get me wrong–modern medicine has its place, but I think sometimes what people need is just a little bit of old fashioned comfort in order to turn a really stressed day into something a bit more relaxing.
I personally have been battling with a lot of stress from various sources, and these are the things that almost always tend to help me relax and just enjoy the moment!
1. Herbal Tea
There’s nothing quite like curling up in a chair with a hot glass of tea to make everything a little better. Maybe that’s my English side coming out, but herbal tea can be extremely beneficial for a number of things. As far as stress goes, chamomile and lemon balm are both excellent herbal teas to help reduce stress and anxiety. I have read that lemon grass is excellent as well, but I have not tried it personally.
2. Take a Walk
As I write this, it’s probably one of the coldest days of the year. But, during the summer months I’ve found that taking a brief walk outside in nature can do wonders for stress relief. Even when it’s a little chilly outside, sometimes the brisk, fresh air can really help you gain a handle on things and clear your head.
3. Relax your Muscles
Ok, so this sounds pretty stupid. Kind of like telling someone who is stressed to stop stressing, right? Bear with me. I’ve found there are several ways you can convince those tight muscles to relax, which is sometimes the first step towards de-stressing. My favorite ways are with heat via a hot bath or a heat pack applied to the muscles or just simply laying back and listening to relaxing music and clearing your mind.
4. Meditation/Positive Thoughts
Meditation is an age-old practice of clearing your mind. There’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo and crazy-looking poses that tend to go along with meditation. Kudos to the people who can do that crazy leg thing, but that certain isn’t for me! I just do a simple positive thought exercise where I close my eyes, take deep breaths and just count backwards from 10, clearing my mind through the first five or six, and then focusing on positive things for the last few numbers. You’d be amazed how much of a difference such a simple act can do!
5. Know when to Walk Away
I will openly admit this is still something I’m working on. Sometimes, you just have to understand that there is only so much you can do in a given situation. If you have done all you can, and the situation allows it, sometimes taking a step back is the best course of action. Of course, this isn’t always possible but reducing stress and negativity in the areas of your life that you DO have control over can help.
Everyone deals with stress a little differently. I’m interested to see what everyone else does to help reduce their stress. Share your thoughts and methods with me in the comments, or join us in the forum!
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