How to Relieve Stress

Stressful life experiences are sometimes unavoidable. You probably experience good stress and bad stress on a daily basis. Good stress is best described as the adrenaline rush you feel when you rise to challenges. Bad stress feeds on worry, fear and anxiety, and creates a vicious cycle of harmful stress that can lead to health problems. Bad stress can also get embedded into your life when its consistent; like the stress that comes from ongoing work-related issues, family struggles, or relentless financial problems.

Stress often has harmful repercussions on your health, state of mind, behaviour and attitude. You can’t completely eliminate stress out of your life but you can help yourself to deal with it and minimise its harmful effects.
Follow these easy relaxation techniques that will help ease your stress quotient…

Hot beverages
Having a cup of coffee or tea is not only enjoyable but also quite relieving. Caffeine acts as a stress buster and helps improving the mood. However, one must be careful to consume tea and coffee in moderation as excess of it can be harmful. If you’re not a tea or coffee drinker, try hot chocolate. A nice steaming cup of hot chocolate will definitely cheer you up!

Meditation

Meditation will unite the body and mind so this is an important step. Occupy your mind with a pleasing memory or image; close your eyes and focus on that thought. Become wrapped in it and feel the joy of that moment. Ensure that you are not disturbed so this will be needed to be conducted at home.

Music
By music we mean serenading music and not heavy metal. Listening to soothing music helps relieve stress and alleviate your mood. Sit back, close your eyes and listen to relaxing music for about 20 minutes. You can choose from a range of music like classic instrumental music (either desi or international), new age music , soft jazz , Chinese relaxation music.

Deep breathing
You’ve been breathing continuously since the day you were born. However, proper breathing can not only be relaxing but also relieves stress and increase your energy levels. If yoga and meditation ain’t your cup of tea, try deep breathing exercises. Taking deep breaths is one of the simplest and easiest ways to relieve stress.
Begin by either sitting or standing straight (your back should be straight, no hunching!). Place one of your palms on your stomach. Breathe in slowly taking deep breaths and exhale slowly. Now try holding your breath while inhaling and exhaling for about five seconds. With practice you can increase holding your breath for 10 seconds. After doing these breathing exercises, a sense of calm will prevail.

Imagery
Guided imagery is also known as diversion or in a layman’s term, daydreaming. All you have to do is let your stressed out mind escape to calming scenery or situations. When you are stressed out, take a few minutes to sit back on your chair and close your eyes, and breathe slowly and deeply. Imagine yourself on a secluded beach with lush palm/coconut trees and the beautiful ocean or imagine yourself on a green and cool forest with fresh, fragrant, colourful flowers. You can choose to escape to any scenario, preferably where it is very quiet and not to some wild party. The trick is to magically transport yourself to a serene place/situation, thus, invoking relief from your stress.

Music

By music we mean serenading music and not heavy metal. Listening to soothing music helps relieve stress and alleviate your mood. Sit back, close your eyes and listen to relaxing music for about 20 minutes. You can choose from a range of music like classic instrumental music (either desi or international), new age music , soft jazz , Chinese relaxation music.

Aroma therapy
Taking a luke warm bath after a long stressful day can be a rejuvenating experience. Burning some scented candles around and adding aromatic oils of flowers can soothe both your mind and body. Vanilla and cinnamon flavoured oils in particular are effective as stress relievers. Its no surprise that at spas, aroma therapy oils are often used for most types of massages.

Spending time with pets
Whether you have a dog, cat or a fish tank at home, they can function as effective stress busters. Petting your precious pup or kitty will not only make them feel loved but also make you feel better. Simply watching fish swimming is a calming experience.