10 Naturally Simple Stress Relievers To Try
People are always on the go! This naturally leads to an increase in stress levels. If this is you, then discover 10 naturally simple stress relievers to try to naturally help you get back to life.
Stress and anxiety are very common among adults. Research shows that about seventy percent of the adult population in the USA are prone to stress on a daily basis.
Some individuals tend to get stressed at every slight activity. While for others, their body absorbs this and eventually piles up.
An increased stress level makes it very hard to perform even the smallest and the simplest task.
Stress can definitely take a toll on your total wellbeing.
Looking for ways to naturally relieve stress? Here are ten (10) naturally simple stress relievers you definitely want to try.
1. Aromatherapy
This is one natural therapeutic way to relieve stress. The calming scents associated with essential oils and scented candles do work wonders.
2. Exercise
This might sound strange, but yeah, exercise is a natural stress reliever. Whether you’re a frequent gym goer or just like taking a walk around the park or just stretching your limbs does a lot to ease the stress from your body.
3. Meditation
The art of meditation is one activity that most working-class adults seem to pick up after an entire day or week of stress.
Meditation helps you to develop healthy stress management skills that will definitely come in handy when you sense the stress coming on.
Deep breathing is one naturally simple stress reliever that costs you nothing! No dime at all.
It involves taking deep breaths through your nose, pausing for a few seconds, and slowly exhaling.
You can do this even in public, and no one would notice. Making it a very effective stress reliever as you can perform this whenever you begin to feel signs of stress.
5. Healthy food
Healthy foods are excellent stress relievers. They contain antioxidants that protect your mind and body from stress and its symptoms.
6. Music
Over the years, music has played an important role in the lives of thousands of individuals. One secret most don’t know is that music is an excellent stress reliever.
Listening to soothing music or your favorite music when you feel the symptoms of stress coming on is one way to totally get rid of stress itself.
7. Laughter
Laughter really is the best medicine. The act of laughing releases tight muscles in your skin, thereby relieving your body of any and every form of tension that causes stress.
8. Writing
Penning down thoughts (even random ones) can create a soothing feeling in your mind, which then spreads to your entire body.
Writing is one natural stress reliever as it doesn’t require physical exertion.
9. Hugs
Hugs are excellent stress relievers. The body releases oxytocin when you hug someone, especially a family member or someone you are comfortable with.
The release of oxytocin causes a huge reduction in blood pressure. It takes off the stress from the body and produces a sense of safety, thereby allowing your muscles to relax.
10. Sleep
Sleep, which is the ultimate stress reliever, is one activity most people take for granted.
It is important to sleep as much as possible to regain strength and energy after a hectic day. Plus, sleeping helps your body relax and loosens up tight muscles.
How to manage stress in life?
Due to our day to day activities as humans, there’s the tendency to get stressed after a day’s job.
Managing stress in life can be tasking, but it is important to note that it’s not impossible.
It’s actually very possible to manage stress in life. All you need is a few tips to help you out.
Here are tips on how to manage stress in life.
- Identify the source
The first and most important step to managing stress in life is to identify the source of the stress.
Identifying the major source of stress in your everyday life will definitely bridge the gap between you and stress relief.
Pay close attention to your daily routines as sometimes, a little strenuous activity during the day might be one of the sources of stress.
It is also important to be conscious of your thoughts, your habits and attitude. Your thoughts can be borderline dangerous enough to cause chronic stress.
Don’t be surprised, it is true. Bad habits (excessive drinking, smoking) and a host of others can also act as agents of stress.
Check your attitude towards questions, towards new people, towards animals, places, and even smells. The way you react to discoveries may or may not serve as a source of stress.
- Write
This might sound like Clichè, but it does work. Writing takes your mind off the present situation, making it easy to place your focus on one thing.
Some individuals might say, “writing is not my thing” to be honest; writing isn’t anyone’s thing. Writing should come as naturally as eating does.
Take a pen and a piece of paper, look for a quiet environment, and pen down the following:
- The cause of your initial stress
- Your feelings at that particular moment
- How you reacted (physically and emotionally)
- What you did or what you feel you can do to make yourself feel better (healthy thoughts only)
Writing these down whenever you feel the symptoms of stress or anxiety coming on, especially in your day to day life, will definitely help you to manage stress while leading to a massive reduction in your stress level.
- Move!
Naturally, when you feel stressed, you might not want to do or perform any activity. It’s normal, but one secret to gradually getting rid of stress and its symptoms are to move.
Moving can amount to exercise. Simple forms of exercise like light jogging, or the easiest and most undermined, walking.
Walking is a very effective way to manage stress in life, and it’s sad that most individuals don’t know how important this is in their day to day lives.
Taking a stroll around the block with or without a pet does a whole lot of good for managing stress in life. Plug in your earbuds (stay clear of busy roads) and enjoy.
- Create and maintain a healthy lifestyle
Creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for yourself might not be so easy, but it is worth the effort.
An effective way to manage stress in life is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes the following:
1. Eat healthily
Eating healthy is one key strategy for managing stress. A healthy body will contain the antioxidants it needs to help your brain and the rest of your body system work against stress and its symptoms.
Do note that eating healthy essentially entails not skipping breakfast!
2. Drink more water
Another effective way to manage stress is to drink water. Water has cooling agents that naturally offer relief to the human body.
It is important that you reduce the intake of caffeine and sugary treats. Take these once in a while, infuse daily intake of water into your routine, and you’d definitely put up a fight to beat stress.
3. Rest
Most working adults find it hard to sleep, and this is as a result of lack of rest.
It is crucial if you want to manage stress for you to find time to rest, even if you can’t actually sleep at that point.
A proper rest routine gives way to sleep.
How to reduce stress at work?
Stress is something the average working adult can’t avoid, but there are ways to reduce stress, especially at work.
Need help? Here are a few tips on how to reduce stress at work.
- Avoid sitting for too long
Sitting for two, three hours, or more in the same position will definitely lead to an increase in the stress hormones.
It’s important to avoid sitting for too long which equates to more than two hours at a time. Squeeze out time during office hours and stretch your limbs a bit.
This will do a whole lot of good when you eventually leave the office. You’ll feel no pain in your joints from sitting too long.
- End or avoid unhealthy work relationships
This is one crucial way to reduce stress at work. Unhealthy work relationships usually entail relationships with individuals who do nothing else but to stress you.
It is important, especially at work, to observe these individuals and try to stay away from them.
Identifying an unhealthy work relationship is one step. Ending that relationship is the next step!
How to relieve stress and anxiety?
Stress and anxiety are almost inevitable due to our daily activities, but there are ways to help you get relief.
Fortunately enough, you really don’t have to take actual pills in order to be relieved of stress and anxiety. There are natural and healthier methods!
Searching for ways on how to relieve stress and anxiety? Here are a few ways to help you out.
- Reduce caffeine intake
The intake of caffeine is rampant among most working adults.
Most of them do this in order to stay awake and alert throughout the day or, in other cases, throughout the night.
Caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks, is a stimulant. Unfortunately, if taken in large, excessive, or high quantities, it leads to anxiety.
So, the very first way to relieve stress and anxiety is to reduce your caffeine intake. If taken in moderation, caffeine really is healthy.
- Exercise
You might have heard or read about this countless times, but exercise does work wonders.
Regular exercise takes away large amounts of stress from your body by lowering the stress hormones.
This, in turn, allows you to relax, hence taking away signs of anxiety and stress in your body and mind.
- Try Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the act of using scents to treat stress and anxiety. This is an inexpensive method to help relieve stress, so it should be given a shot!
Using essential oils and scented candles visibly lower the stress levels in your body by creating a cloud of calmness around you, thereby eliminating every sign of anxiety.
An example of a calming scent is Frankincense. Others include lavender, rose, sandalwood, and a few others.
This method drastically decreases anxiety and also greatly improves sleep.
Stress-relieving foods
Your diet largely affects your growth, the way you think, and even the way you react to situations around you.
A healthy diet is one every individual, young or old, is highly advised to adopt.
Unhealthy food intake causes loads of health defects; this can also include stress. Some individuals engage in what is referred to as “Stress eating.”
Stress eating, which usually includes the intake of junk food, is very unhealthy and can be dangerous.
In order to steer clear of this habit, here’s a list of stress-relieving foods we highly advise you to try out.
- Sweet potatoes
First on our list is this carbohydrate meal, highly packed with loads of nutrients.
Sweet potatoes are whole nutrient-infused foods that help to drastically lower the stress level of individuals who battle with stress.
A natural remedy, sweet potatoes lower the stress hormone cortisol levels that might have been raised as a result of unhealthy eating habits or strenuous activities.
Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin C and potassium. These are nutrients that work to lower stress levels naturally.
- Organ Meats
This might sound strange, but it really does work. Organ Meats that include the liver, heart, and kidney of animals such as chickens and cows are certified stress relievers.
These organs contain nutrients that help lower the stress level in the human body. They are sources of B vitamins, which include B12, B16, riboflavin, and folate.
These vitamins work hand in hand to regulate the stress level and keep it from going too high.
B vitamins produce neurotransmitters that naturally regulate the human mood.
- Eggs
Yes, eggs! Eggs are an excellent source of protein while also working as remarkable stress relievers!
Eggs naturally contain multivitamins that place them at a very high nutritional level.
They’re packed to the brim with minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants that are needed to regulate the stress level.
It is essential that you add at least an egg or two to your everyday meal, as the nutrients found in eggs are not common in other meals.
- Garlic
Garlic, which also serves as a spice for some traditional dishes, is one certified stress reliever!
Garlic contains high sulfur compounds that work to increase the level of glutathione in the body.
This system largely decreases the stress level as glutathione is an antioxidant that serves as a sturdy defense against forms of stress.
Garlic also helps the body fight against anxiety and depression!
- Sunflower seeds
Big beautiful sunflowers are not only for decoration. They hold one of the greatest keys to stress relief; their seeds!
Sunflower seeds contain vitamin E. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that works wonders. It is an excellent antioxidant that drastically reduces the stress level, keeping it in a regulated range.
These seeds contain antioxidants and stress-relieving nutrients (B vitamins, copper, magnesium), etc., that serve as antidepressants, keeping you far away from depression and trashing out symptoms of anxiety too.
Vitamin E, which is seen in sunflower seeds, is also highly recommended for mental health.
Bottom line
Stress and anxiety can become chronic if not treated with urgency, as more humans seem to be on the run everyday!
It is important to note that there are naturally healthy ways to combat stress and symptoms of anxiety; be mindful that you don’t always necessarily need to rely on pills to combat the everyday stresses in our lives.
Originally published at https://drricardolalama.com on December 26, 2020.