We All Need Ways to Manage Our Stress

Incorporating Relaxation Techniques Into Your Life Can Help Reduce Stress and Is Essential For Overall Health And Wellness.

Relax. While you may have a lot to worry about, there are a few easy ways to reduce the stress of our demanding, hectic schedules, and work and family responsibilities. Fortunately, taking the right steps can reduce stress overload and improve your health.

Stress overload harms the body and can eventually lead to cardiovascular, immune and digestive problems, as well as depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns. Try incorporating some relaxation techniques into our everyday lives:

1. Work your mind and your body: Exercise and activities such as meditation and yoga have been known to decrease stress levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can decrease the production of stress hormones and counteract the body’s natural stress responses by increasing endorphins and improving your mood.

2. Do a diet assessment: Think about incorporating more foods with complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, oats and brown rice, which can increase serotonin levels and help keep you calm.

3. Consider botanicals: Plants, such as chamomile, lavender and lemon balm, are known for their relaxing tendencies. In fact, research has shown that the botanical supplement Rhodiola rosea may improve physical endurance and mental performance and reduces stress-induced fatigue in humans. Valerian, another botanical supplement, has been known to help manage stress efficiently by promoting healthy sleep patterns. These dietary supplements can be found in many pharmacies and grocery or health food stores.

4. Please your nose: Smells that are enjoyable to your olfactory system (or sense of smell) often have a relaxing or calming effect, especially if they evoke pleasant memories.

5. Keep your body’s nutrients in check: Excess stress depletes the body of essential B vitamins that are required to keep the nervous system healthy. B vitamins work as a team to maintain healthy brain and nerve cells and help with the production of important neurotransmitters in the brain that help promote relaxation. Taking a “B-complex” vitamin can provide extra nutritional support during times of stress

6. Just breathe. And breathe deeply: Long deep breaths are associated with relaxation while rapid bursts are a symptom of stress. Try 10 deep breaths in a row.