Natural Stress and Anxiety Relief

All of us experience stress and anxiety in our lives. We are all familiar with the sources of stress and anxiety. They include financial concerns, work deadlines, providing for our children, countless tasks to do and errands to run, heavy traffic, relationships with co-workers, family relationships, and the list goes on. The irony is that the responses of our physical bodies that are designed to protect us can turn against us when stress and anxiety is without relief or prolonged. Under stress, our heart rate and blood pressure increase to provide our brains with more blood flow for oxygen and nutrients. Our blood sugar increases to provide us with more energy as we would need in a crisis. Our blood is routed away from our intestines in order to provide energy for the large muscles in our arms and legs for fight or flight. If the source of our stress and anxiety subsides after a brief period of time, our bodies return these functions to their normal process. If the source of our stress and anxiety remains constant then our physical responses become harmful to our health. We begin to experience insomnia, joint and muscle inflammation and pain, fatigue, hypertension, perhaps heart constriction, indigestion, higher cholesterol levels, impotence, either lack of or excess appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain, weakened immune system making us vulnerable to colds and flu, and so on. Emotionally we experience feelings of irritability, impatience, lack of sexual interest, lack of concentration, depression, restlessness, excessive alertness and reaction to normal external stimuli, or feelings of being constantly overwhelmed and helpless. Our bodies need time to recover from being in crisis mode due to stress and anxiety in order to restore normal physical balance and functioning. We need a break from and relief from the stress and anxiety in order to maintain our health. Some of us have had experience with prescription, synthetic drugs to ease anxiety and stress, but have suffered the potentially harmful and discomforting side effects which, ironically added to our feelings of stress and anxiety. Fortunately, many of us have discovered substances provide by nature that our bodies readily absorb and utilize to deal with stress and anxiety without the possible harmful side effects of prescription, synthetic drugs. When dealing with stress and anxiety, our bodies need a proper balance of vitamins and minerals that can be obtained in multivitamin formulas some of which are specially created to provide extra stress protection with calcium, potassium, magnesium, a full spectrum of B vitamins and pantothenic acid. Essential fatty acids provide us with Omega 3 and Omega 6 which help balance blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and provide our neurotransmitters in our brain to function quickly and efficiently. Essential fatty acids help reduce joint and muscle inflammation and fatigue, and enhances the functions of our respiratory and intestinal digestive system providing our muscles organs, and brains with the oxygen and nutrients needed to deal with stress and anxiety. Flaxseed oil with lignans and fish oils which have been filtered to remove heavy metals can provide us with the essential fatty acids that we need for dealing with stress and anxiety. GABA i.e. Gamma-aminobutyric Acid, which is an amino acid, effects the neuro-receptors in our brain. This helps us deal with stress and anxiety by lowering over-reaction to potentially stress causing stimuli and enables us to be detached in an emotionally healthy way providing us with the calmness and poise we need to deal efficiently and effectively with what we are presented. Herbs e.g. skull cap and passion flower can help us relax and receive the rest and sleep that we need. L-tyrosine is an essential amino acid often used to treat insomnia, depression and anxiety as well as helping to control appetite and elevate our mood. Melatonin and herbal formulas are available to us to provide the restful, restoring sleep we need in order to deal with anxiety and stress. Aromatherapy which is the use of aromas from plant essential oils can be added to our baths, used in massage oils, or released into our living space with aromatherapy candles. As we inhale these aromas, they quickly reach our brain and help provide us with feelings of calm and relaxation. The aromatherapy essential oils that are most effective in easing stress and anxiety are bergamot, cypress, geranium, jasmine neroli, rose, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Lavender is the most popular essential oil used to provide us with a feeling of calm and well being. These are just a few of the all natural substances and formulas available to us to help keep our bodies healthy as we experience the stress and anxiety that accompanies our too often hectic and prolonged stressful life experiences. Other all natural formulas that increase the functioning of our brains in the areas of attention, concentration and performance are also available to us. Our bodies need extra help in dealing with stress and anxiety. Cognitively and emotionally we need breaks and periods of rest and release from stress and anxiety. The safest, non-addictive way to obtain the help we need for dealing with stress and anxiety is with all natural health care products that do not present the possibility of harmful side effects that actually increase stress and anxiety.
About The Author
Jennifer Kays has more than twenty years experience with all natural health care products. More information about all natural products for restoring and maintaining physical and emotional health when experiencing stress,depression and anxiety is available at => http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-depression-relief-c-35.html

Journaling for Stress Relief

Journaling is a great way to deal with chronic stress. It is one of the most powerful tools for self growth and can help you release negative emotions, clear confusion and sort out puzzling or traumatic events. The best way to begin is to set a time to write and put down whatever thoughts and feelings pop into your head. Your journal can be used to reflect on the events currently affecting you that are particularly traumatic or overwhelming. It can also be used to process other things, such as dreams, childhood events, and long and short term goals. Research has shown that writing not only about your feelings but also your thoughts about your feelings is more helpful than just venting your feelings. In other words, write from both an emotional and an intellectual angle, Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. The purpose of what you’re doing is to relieve stress and release pent up emotions, not to cause yourself more stress by censoring your own writing. Keep what you’ve written private. If you think privacy is an issue, keep it under lock and key. If you’re journaling on a computer, password protect your file. A journal can be written on lined or plain paper, in a special bound book or a plain spiral notebook, or you can use a computer. The important thing is to make a commitment to write for 10-20 minutes each day if you can. Schedule a time to write, whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing before you go to bed, preferably a time when you’re free from interruptions. Experiment with writing at different times of day and in different locations. Don’t think of journaling as a chore. If you miss several days of writing, simply pick up and write again when you can. Chances are the more you practice journaling, the more you will look forward to it. Your journal can be thought of as a friend who is always willing to listen. In a journal you have the freedom to express deep emotions that you may not be able to share with anyone. No one will be affected by what you write. If you review what you’ve written over time, you’ll be able to see your own growth. If you’re processing a traumatic event, you’ll be amazed to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve healed. Journaling is a lot less expensive than most other methods of stress relief. It’s a great tool for self-knowledge and emotional healing. Like other healthy habits, you will improve with practice, and the benefits you attain from journaling will build the more you work on this life-changing habit.
About The Author
Valerie Dansereau is a banker turned entrepreneur. She is the owner of http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com

How To Manage Stress Effectively

Throughout the lifespan of stress management research, experts have argued about the exact definition of the word stress. There are many opposing viewpoints, and like many words in our language, the conflict lies in the way the word is commonly used in popular culture. When most people hear the word stress, their muscles tense and they expound on feelings produced by situations like time restraints, emotional pressures and the responsibilities of the daily grind. To the man on the street, the word stress is associated with negative or, at the very least, uncomfortable feelings. Medically speaking, stress is anything that makes your body work harder. For example, your doctor might administer what is referred to as a “stress test” to gauge how your heart is working. The usually form of this procedure is gradually increase the amount of strenuous physical activity you’re performing until you’ve reached your limit. Theoretically, that limit will reveal a lot about the condition your body is in. So technically, stress doesn’t have to be the monster we make it out to be. There are good kinds of stress too. It can be a creative energy, like an adrenaline rush for artists, or even writers in a hurry to make their deadline. Basically, stress is responsible for the internal flight-or-flight mechanism that alerts you to danger and could even save your life. However, researchers say not having to hunt our own food or fight for survival anymore has dulled our more feral instincts and we typically aren’t in enough control to use fight-or-flight as nature intended. A lot of people just panic. The situation doesn’t have to be life threatening to initiate a flight-or-flight response. Studies say we tend to get a small does of it anytime we are startled or interrupted. When we are so stimulated, that it becomes an everyday part of our routine, we develop what is called General Adaptation Syndrome. Think of the syndrome like a callous. It’s your body’s way of coping with constant stress and allowing you to function in spite of it. No matter how adept you become at handling whatever stresses you, your body will eventually rebel. Sighs of exposure to prolonged stressors can creep up in unexpected ways such a chronic headaches, muscle pain, insomnia, weight loss and a variety of digestive issues. You can only take so much. Sometimes what you think you can deal with and what you can actually handle are not the same. Pay attention to your body because it will let you know, even when your brain isn’t listening. There are all kinds of ways to manage stress, and different methods work for different people. Some like to soak in a hot bath at the end of the day while others would rather sweat it off at the gym. Studies have shown that certain scents such as lavender trigger a calming effect for most people. It is commonly used in infant-care products for that reason. As wide and varied as the things that stress us are the things that sooth us and perhaps even more so, the ways in which we perceive stress. The circumstances which trigger feelings of anxiety in one person may seem pleasant or at least benign to another. The key is to take a minute to evaluate the way you respond to the stimuli and adjust the way you thing and feel about it. Maybe if seeing a spider usually causes you to jump up and down, next time you see one try taking slow, deep breaths. Rather than perceiving the spider as something that might bite you, practice thinking of it as something you can simply step on.
About The Author
Kelly Hunter operates http://www.stress-management-help.org and writes about Stress Management.

Effects of Stress

What is stress
Stress is a part of daily life. Everyone has stress. Some people appear to have more stress than others. Stress is one way we react to specific events in our life. There are times when you might feel that too much is happening at once and feel overwhelmed. Other times, you feel the pressure of time or a deadline and realize you need to take care of something before it is too late. Having been in a similar situation before will create anxiety. How we perceive a situation will effect how we respond to it. There is good stress and bad stress. Good stress can be a motivator. Knowing that you have an obligation to address and a timeframe. That type of stressor puts you into action in order to meet a deadline. Or you might be in an unexpected situation where you need to make a split second response in order to avoid danger. This could be slamming your foot on the brake to avoid an accident. Anticipation of a competition or performance will cause tension and nervousness prior to the event. This nervousness is due to an increased flow of adrenaline going through your body. Your body is preparing for the “fight or flight” syndrome. The release of adrenaline prepares your body to take the steps to deal with the situation, including improved focus, strength, stamina and heightened alertness. People also have bad stress in their lives. Whether we perceive a situation as being stressful or not depends on previous experiences. One person might see being in a multi tasking job as very stressful, feeling overwhelmed and becoming anxious about their work. Another person might find multi tasking enjoyable because they continue to stay busy and time goes by faster. Your body is capable of dealing with stress for short periods of time. When the stress is ongoing i.e. dealing with a divorce or bankruptcy, this can wear a person down. Long term stress contributes to feeling tired, overwhelmed and contributes to lowered immunity. The body’s reactions to stress Once you view something as being stressful, whether positive or negative, your body reacts to that perception. The response is a survival technique and a defense mechanism. The reaction is referred to as the “fight or flight” response. Either you are going to fight the attacker or you will choose to flee from the threat. This includes increased heart rate and blood pressure, perspiration, hearing and vision become more acute and hands and feet might become colder since blood is being directed to larger muscles in preparation for a fight or to flee. Your body is being prepped to handle the situation. When the threat is over, your body will return to normal. If your body has difficulty returning to normal, then you would experience stress overload. This is when you stress out too much or have ongoing stress in your life and never get a chance to relax. Pressure in your life might be too intense or go on for too long without a break. People that have experienced trauma are likely to have stress overload. If trauma is not resolved then you might become hypervigilant, a sense of being overly aware of possible danger. You might always be “on guard.” Stress overload has an emotional and physical effect on the body. This could include panic attacks, depression, sleep problems, physical pain i.e. headaches and allergies as well as abuse of alcohol or other drugs. Having unresolved trauma will effect your perception. Situations that might not have caused tension prior to the trauma can have the ability to create anxiety after the trauma. Becoming aware of how your perception has changed and seeking support to address the trauma issue can be helpful to reduce ongoing stressors and to reduce anxiety. Seeking counseling that focuses on cognitive perceptions will help to decrease hypervigilance and will help to reduce the likelihood of continuing to be retraumatized. In addition, your body has memory of the event as well. Being able to release that reaction to the memory of the event from your body will help to reduce stress overload and triggers. Stress and control Stress is contributed to the desire to be in control. This not only includes control over yourself, but control over other people and your environment. Trying to control others and your environment, however, is impossible. You only have control over your own thoughts and actions. In order to relieve stress and anxiety it is important to let go of trying to control things outside of yourself. We are unable to foresee the future and cannot control what events will happen next. Focusing on future potential problems contributes to anxiety. On the other hand, people are able to prepare for things that might occur and have a plan of how you would like to respond to events. This could be as simple as having a repair kit in your car for getting a flat tire or preparation for an interview and the questions that might be asked during the interview process. Part of living life is that things always change. Change is normal. How you perceive something will impact how you react to it. This is where the fight or flight reaction occurs. You can decide to be proactive and address the situation. Making a choice to take care of things when they occur. Or you can expend a lot of energy avoiding issues and letting them build. Taking action will actually help to reduce stress and anxiety in the long run. In addition, there will be a feeling of empowerment as you begin to deal with problems as they arise. Trust your intuition and creatively think of all ways you could resolve the issue at hand. Even if you try to tackle a problem and don’t succeed, you could then view this as a temporary setback. Review what happened and try to approach it differently. Setbacks can be temporary. Find who your friends are and develop a support system. Another option is to seek counseling in order to have someone that is impartial as part of your support system. You don’t have to always take care of problems by yourself. Ask your friends, counselor or other support persons what they think about a situation. They might have ideas that you would not think of on your own. Learning to address problems as they occur will help you to change your perception of things from problems to challenges. Doing so will continue to help you build your sense of self esteem and empowerment. Identifying challenges as they occur, developing a plan to deal with the challenge, asking others for their point of view, taking action and keeping focus on the goal you are working toward will help to strengthen your resiliency. Steps to reduce stress Each one of us is a unique individual and we all have different experiences throughout our lives that affect our perception. What might be a stressful event for one person, might not be viewed as stressful for someone else. In addition, some activities are more stressful than others. Self care including eating well and getting enough sleep are important for stress reduction. Making time for doing activities that are relaxing is preventative to reducing stress overload. Relaxation is important, but there is no one right way to relax. Some people find that sleeping or going to the beach is relaxing. Others choose to be involved in an enjoyable activity or hobby as a way of relaxing. The goal is to find an activity that allows you to escape from everyday worries and problems. There is no right way to do that. Relieving stress can be done by meditation, exercise or doing an activity. Making the time to care for yourself is a priority that helps to reduce stress overload. As you focus on making positive change in your life that will help to reduce stress and anxiety, be forgiving of yourself if you don’t resolve your problems immediately. Being critical of yourself is very easy to do, especially when people close to you have been critical of you for a long period of time. That critical voice can be very loud when you don’t get it right the first time. A suggestion is a positive response to the changes you are trying to make and to be forgiving of yourself when things don’t go perfectly as planned. These are some suggestions that might work or to come up with your own.  “As things develop, I will, through listening to guidance from my unconscious, adapt to changing circumstances and grow with them.”  “I may not get what I want when I want it; I trust that things will work out in their own good time, for my ultimate benefit, as long as I remain calm and peaceful.”  “I may not get what I want at all, and yet, in remaining calm and attentive, I may discover something else that I need even more than what I thought I wanted.” How you perceive a situation will affect how you respond. Whether you choose to address the issue or to avoid it. If you have a negative perception then you are more likely to experience anxiety and not be able to effectively take care of the problem. This will then reinforce that you have no control over the outcome and reinforce the perception of being helpless. On the other hand, a positive perception will help you to find a way to deal with the challenge you are presented with. If you choose to take responsibility for your feelings and actions then you are more likely to have a positive outcome. This will reinforce the sense of resiliency and empowerment. Breaking old patterns of behavior is difficult, especially when trying to do it by yourself. Being willing to look at yourself and to identify changes you would like to make takes a lot of energy and time. The more effort you put into making a positive lifestyle change, the greater the feeling of accomplishment you will experience. Develop a support system, whether family, friends or a counselor. Having someone that helps you to make positive change will increase the likelihood that the change will be long term instead of temporary.
About The Author
Loren Fogelman is the co-owner of Kolpia Counseling. Her education includes a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters in Community Counseling. She is an Oregon Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and an advanced certified EFT practitioner. Since 1984, Loren has been working as a therapist. Her experience includes Mental Health units in hospital settings, schools, residential and outpatient treatment programs. Her specialties include addictions, chronic conditions, trauma, and spirituality. Loren’s goal is to help people reach their peak potential, whether personally, professionally or in sports performance. “Part of my approach to counseling involves energy work using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). EFT is the most effective, gentle, yet rapid method for personal growth I have ever found.” Maintaining a sense of safety while working on issues is a priority. EFT focuses on perceptions and helps to change negative beliefs into positive ones. EFT has the ability to clear emotional traumas without additional anxiety and to remove physical pain.
Contact www.kolpiacounseling.com for a free consultation.

Using Visualization for Stress Relief

Visualization can be a powerful tool to help you improve your life circumstances, but it can also serve as a handy technique for transforming stress and anxiety into peace, happiness and confidence! Stress and anxiety can quickly become a vicious cycle that keep you feeling powerless and frightened. The more stressed you get, the more your thoughts and emotions will move toward the negative side, which only makes you feel more stressed! Using visualization to transform these feelings can stop the cycle by switching your focus to something more positive and uplifting. First and foremost, it’s helpful if you can remove yourself from the stressful environment and engage in some relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing before you begin your visualization, because your mind will be more receptive if you’re calm and centered. Once you’ve moved yourself into a more relaxed state, bring to mind a scene that soothes and calms you. You can choose a natural setting like a beach or forest, or imagine a place that is representative of relaxation such as a spa or temple. Imagine yourself being in this place, feeling balanced and calm. Rather than simply “seeing” the images in your mind, make an effort to mentally transport yourself to this calm setting and engage as many of your senses as you can. Imagine that you can smell the fresh air or incense in the temple; imagine that you can feel the rich earth beneath your feet, hear the roar of ocean waves or bird song, and feel the cool breeze moving through your hair. The more you can involve your senses, the more “real” the scene will seem to you, and the more effective it will be in calming you. Stay with the visualization for as long as you like, making an effort to fully relax your body and let go of worrisome thoughts. If you’re not used to visualizing or meditating, you may have trouble keeping your focus. Your thoughts may keep returning to the situations that made you feel stressed in the first place, or you may struggle to “see” these soothing images in your mind. This is completely normal. Just keep gently returning your focus to the visualization as often as necessary, and keep in mind that once you’ve made visualization a regular practice it will get easier to stay focused. You can keep your visualization sessions brief at the beginning, but as time goes on you may want to lengthen the time you visualize up to 30 minutes or so. Then, whenever you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious, simply recall a mental image of your calming scene again and make an effort to mentally transport yourself back to it. You’ll probably have to exert a fair amount of effort to achieve a calmer state of mind at the beginning, but eventually you’ll be able to shift immediately to a calmer state just by thinking about it.
About The Author
Iain Legg is now giving away powerful mind power secrets in his free ecourse. Discover the most powerful visualization exercise in the universe! Free mind power course reveals all at http://www.mindpowercourse.com

Stress Management - 5 Easy Ways to Manage Stress

If you are reading this article, you have already fulfilled your first step in identifying that you may have a problem, and are taking active steps in learning how to cope with it. Whilst stress is sometimes seen as a negative problem, there is positive stress as well, which can help us to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency at our optimal stress level. Stress refers to the conflict we experience when we face pressures and react to the external environment, and this can take the form of both psychological and physical reactions. Be it competition at your workplace, or conflicts at home or with friends, stress is everywhere and certainly unavoidable. Hence, it is important that you learn how to manage your stress levels to ensure that they continue to remain positive, and not cause a negative effect on your lifestyle. Below are 5 easy ways to manage stress: 1. Identify the Causes There are many causes of stress, which we refer to as stressors. These stressors are likely to occur in your everyday life, and you can identify them simply by your own reactions to different events or situations. For example, if you find yourself getting a headache when you are required to give a speech, you are likely to be suffering from performance stress. There are many different stressors, and these can range from bereavement and boredom to frustration. 2. Taking Deep Breaths This is perhaps one of the easiest and most effective relaxation techniques. When you feel your body tensing, or a headache approaching, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths and slowly accept the situation without panicking. Tell your body and mind to calm down, and this will help to stave off the approaching reactions that your body has to the stressor. 3. Think Positive Your subconscious mind picks up and magnifies your positive and negative thoughts! It is important that you maintain a positive attitude towards stress management, and this will help your subconscious to magnify on the positive aspects. Remember that no matter how stressful it may seem, you will learn something from the situation. 4. Take care of yourself If you take care of your body, it will help your mind to function better. A well rested body and mind can work wonders for stress relief, so make sure that you get the recommended dosage of 8 hours of sleep a day. A balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables will keep your systems healthy and working. Regular exercise at least twice a week will help your body to relax and unwind from the daily stressed you face. It does not need to be something that is extremely taxing – a brisk walk or yoga practice sessions work just as well as aggressive sports. 5. Relax Learn to slow down your pace and relax! The psychological and physical reactions are your body’s way of telling you that it needs a break, so take heed. Often, we are the most demanding on ourselves, and you need to remember that taking a break can be more productive than slogging on. A quick break or a power nap can help to rejuvenate your mind, and leave you more motivated than before!
About The Author
Greg Frost is a leading innovator in the field of Stress Relief and the director of http://www.HowToRelieveStress.org which specializes providing a whole range of stress relief topics to improve the quality of your life

Using Stress Relief Games for Stress Management

Stress refers to the tension and pressure from the conflict between the external environment and yourself, resulting in physical and psychological reactions. There are many ways of relieving and managing stress levels, ranging from the extreme to the not so. Medication, alternative treatments, therapy range on the extreme, whilst relaxation techniques, laughter and even stress relief games range on the not so extreme. That is right – there are such things as stress relief games, which promise to help you with managing your stress levels. Stress relief games are a viable option for relieving stress, and this includes both indoor and outdoor games. Although this method is not supported by research, it is highly recommended by most stress management programs. Outdoor games take the form of tennis, football or basketball, and works similar to exercise. It is a great way to relieve stress and unwind, and serves as a useful and healthy outlet for day to day worries. Through exhaustive physical game play, the stress hormone levels are decreased. Indoor games are of course, a lot more convenient, and do not require you to spend as much time. These include chess, computer games, or mind puzzles such as crosswords and sudoku. If outdoor games are similar in function to exercise, than indoor games are similar to meditation or relaxation techniques. By focusing on the game, the mind is able to move away from the stressor and this will help it to relax. The game also allows for the expression of altered states of emotions, ensuring intense involvement. That said, that are many games available online for free, and it can be difficult to choose the appropriate game. There are a few guidelines to keep in mind when picking your game, to ensure that you reap the full benefit of engaging in the game. Firstly, the game should be suitably challenging, but should allow the player to win with ease. This promotes a sense of success and will increase confidence. Secondly, it is important to pick a game suitable to each individual. Certain people relieve stress through physical exertion or expression of anger, and it is preferable to pick games that allows for them to vent their emotions without any actual physical or emotional damage to themselves or others. Suitable games would be those that involve some measure of violence. Of course, games which have negative effects should be avoided, such as those with high violence content and a high level of difficulty. In general, studies have found that the incorporation of stress relief games at work reduces stress levels, and result in better relaxation. Whilst only a few studies support the use of online indoor games in stress relief, it is the general perception that such games are highly effective and useful for short term and immediate stress relief.
About The Author
Greg Frost is a leading innovator in the field of Stress Relief and the director of http://www.HowToRelieveStress.org which specializes providing a whole range of stress relief topics to improve the quality of your life