5 Natural Stress Relief Techniques That Really Work

Stress is a natural part of life. It is when we don’t effectively deal with stress that it builds up inside us, leading to deeper problems. To help you keep stress at bay here are 5 natural stress relief techniques that really work.

Exercise: Exercising is one of the most effective ways to naturally DE-stress. It has many layers of action. When we exercise we breath deeper and increase our heart rate, so more oxygen enriched blood flows to our brain. This in itself helps, but exercise also stimulates the production of Beta endorphin. This chemical relieves stress and induces wellbeing. Our adrenalin supply is also exhausted by exercise, leaving us feeling tired and relaxed. Additionally, exercise simply takes your mind of the cause of the stress in the first place.

Laughter: Another way to take your mind off stress, is laughing. Finding something funny to focus on or making ourselves laugh at the situation releases the pressure valve. It also produces a chemical response and reduces our cortisol levels. Cortisol is key hormone in our stress response. While it may not always be possible to laugh it off, regularly taking time-out to watch a funny movie or comedy TV show will help reset your overall stress levels.

Aromatherapy: Certain smells produce a known effect on our mood and sense of wellbeing.

Aromatherapy takes this knowledge and works with essential oils to boost mood and relieve stress. Scents that are used to reduce stress include Lavender, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Ylang Ylang and Bergamot. After lighting an oil burner containing a soothing essential oil, sitting down and breathing deeply will maximize the effects of aromatherapy, but it will work even if you don’t have time to sit down.

Acupressure: Acupressure works by taping into your body’s energy meridian system to restore balance and natural harmony. Disruption of this energetic harmony is a result of experiencing stress. When you feel overwhelmed by stress try placing your hand across your forehead, palm facing in. This is a natural response to stress. What it does is contact two acupressure points known as the Neurovasculars. By stimulating these 2 points you will restore blood flow to the forebrain and a relaxed state of thinking will return. Try cupping your forehead in your palm and breathing deeply for 2-5 minutes.

Deep breathing: Nearly every natural stress relieve technique has a deep breathing component. Deep breathing by itself is a powerful stress relief method. When we are stressed we tend to breath short shallow breaths. Taking long deep breaths breaks this cycle, just like you cannot stay angry when you smile, it’s hard to stay stressed when you breathe deeply. Deep breathing also restores oxygen and blood flow to the brain, which takes us out of the stress related fright or flight thinking mode.
Keeping stress under control with these natural stress relief techniques will help you stay healthy, happy and ready for life’s little challenges.