Lower stress levels mean lower levels of whole-body inflammation and higher levels of good health. The first step to stress management is to identify the source of your stress. Physical, emotional and mental stress caused by illness, a packed schedule, lack of sleep and a poor diet can all be culprits. Often, you need a holistic approach to stress management that involves several key things. Here are six effective ways to reduce the effects of stress on your body.
1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Stress causes inflammation, and anti-inflammatory diet can also be thought of as a stress-reducing diet. Every food either increases or decreases inflammation to one extent or another, so it’s important to learn which foods reduce inflammation, and which contribute to the condition.
2. Practice positive thinking. Anxiety and stress are greatly affected by the kinds of thoughts we have. If you tend to be a worrier or a negative thinker, learn how to modify your thoughts, perhaps with the help of a counselor or by using self help methods. It will probably take some practice, but the payoff is worth the effort.
3. Breathe! There’s a reason why people tell us to “take a deep breath” when we seem stressed or anxious. When we’re stressed, we tend to hold our breath, which raises blood pressure, causes muscles to clench and stimulates a release of endorphins. Taking slow, deep breaths will bring the body back into balance.
4. Practice yoga and meditation. Yoga is more than a physical exercise, though the physical part is certainly one effective way for lowering stress levels. In addition to building physical strengthen and keeping the blood flowing to your brain, yoga also offers a variety of techniques that can help you learn to breathe properly all the time. But yoga’s most important stress-relieving benefit is meditation. In fact, the purpose of this ancient practice is actually to prepare the body for the stillness that meditation requires.
5. Use herbal remedies or nutritional supplements. Different nutrients affect your body – and your stress response – in different ways. Three nutrients that may help reduce stress are B6, potassium and magnesium. Vitamin B6 is involved in the creation of serotonin, a chemical that helps you feel good but can quickly become depleted when you’re stressed. Potassium and magnesium are muscle relaxers. Certain herbs are said to help calm the body and curb the stress response as well. These include valerian, passion flower, chamomile and lemon balm. Herbs can be taken in capsule form or as a tea.
6. Try aromatherapy using essential oils. Aromatherapy works because the area of the brain that processes emotions also processes aromas. Essential oils that have calming scents include sandalwood, lavender, geranium, cedar, jasmine and lemongrass. You can add the oils to bath water, use them in a diffuser, or even apply them directly on your skin. If you do use them on skin, check the label to be sure that the oil you’ve chosen can be used that way safely.
These simple methods for reducing stress are relatively easy to incorporate into anyone’s lifestyle. You may find that you only need to use one or two of them for effective stress management, or you may decide to try them all. The important thing is to get started and find a strategy that works for you.
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