4 Things You Can Do Right Now to Naturally Relieve Stress
Stress is a normal reaction all people have to life experiences. Many things can cause a stress reaction, from work issues to problems at home. People react differently to stress, but we all suffer from it at a certain point in our lives.
Understanding stress begins with knowing where it comes from. Stress is triggered by your fight or flight response, which is a function of the central nervous system. This system tells your brain to release cortisol and adrenaline when something makes you feel fear or anxiety. Once the thing causing your stress is gone, your body normally goes back to normal. If for some reason the body doesn't go back to normal, chronic stress might develop. Chronic stress can cause health issues, from heart problems to immune deficiency.
Easy Things to Help Relieve Stress Naturally
If you're in need of some instant stress relief, there are some things you can do to help find calm and relieve anxiety. Don't be a victim of stress – do what you can to relieve your anxiety and fear.
1. Get Some Exercise
A brisk workout will tell your brain to release the ‘feel-good’ hormones, endorphins, which help you find happiness naturally. This is a great way to find natural anxiety relief without medication because it's good for your entire body. Even a moderate workout gets your blood flowing, helps your heart, and can help you feel more positive about life.
Even if a brisk workout isn't in the works, a simple walk around the block can help you feel better. Not only do you get to workout, but you'll get some much-needed fresh air, and you can spend some time enjoying the outdoors in general.
2. Focus on a Hobby
The right hobby can make a huge difference in how stress and anxiety affect you. Think about how you feel when you're doing something you enjoy. Most likely you forget about your troubles and the world around you, and you focus on the task at hand. That focus will help you relax, bring your heart rate down, and help you attenuate the effect of your fears on your life.
Some great hobbies for stress and anxiety relief include reading, knitting, gardening, yoga, painting, drawing, and running. Any hobby that brings you joy will work.
3. Use Aromatherapy
Relaxing scents can bring calm, relieve stress and headaches, and bring you peace of mind. There are many relaxing scents, pick the ones you like best to use in your aroma diffuser. Diffusers offer an easy way to get your favorite scent in the air without the smoke of incense or the flames of a candle (although those are both great options as well).
One of the best scents when it comes to relieving stress and anxiety naturally is lavender. This mint family member is relaxing enough to ease the most stressful of headaches, help you get to sleep even when you have insomnia, and it will calm your nerves during moments of distress.
4. Use Your Breath
Breathing exercises can offer natural relaxation without medication. Several studies show that rhythmic paced breathing balances the autonomic nervous system and therefore can help you become more attentive and more relaxed at the same time. The key is to focus on rhythm to your breathing and extend the exhalation length. Breathing this way is relaxing, and it balances the amount of carbon dioxide in your system – too much CO2 in the body can cause rapid heartbeat and other issues.
While guided meditations are one way to learn relaxing breathing techniques, not everyone enjoys meditation or are able to find the time to integrate it into their daily routine. Devices like CalmiGo, which combines personalized breathing techniques with a relaxing scent and multi-sensory stimulation, are an excellent way to enhance relaxation in as few as 3 minutes whenever and wherever you need it.
The next time anxiety and stress begin to overwhelm you, use one of these four instant techniques and regain your calm!
