You CAN conquer anxiety and enjoy LESS STRESS right now! No more crawling into bed covering your head with your covers. No more middle of the night panic attacks or night sweats. It’s time to pump the breaks, stop the stress and get your life going back in the right happy direction.
It will not be without work on your part, but you can get there. A reduction of stress is not just some mere wish or unlikely dream. There are methods and techniques available to help you.
In this online guide we are going to share everything from workouts to at home remedies and mental tricks you can start implicating right now to feel better. If you are truly ready for a change; if you are tired of feeling tired, than please keep reading and get the motivation you need to flood joy and peace back into your life!
Less Stress: Complete Guide to Releasing the Negative and Regaining Your Happy
To know HOW to cope, we first to know WHY we feel stress in the first place. You see… The body’s response to stress – the ‘fight-or-flight’ response – entails several hormonal changes. If the source of stress is relatively short-lived, the body’s “stress thermostat” can reset itself to neutral levels within an hour or so. But if stress continues – whether actual or just perceived – then those hormonal imbalances will eventually do permanent damage.
Specifically, when stress is perceived the adrenal glands release epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline), norepinephrine, and cortisol. Collectively, these hormones increase heart and respiration rates and boost blood-sugar levels, preparing the body for action.
The role of cortisol is to switch off various bodily functions that demand a great deal of energy or resources, enabling a full diversion of energy to reacting to danger. Such functions include digestion, reproduction, growth, and certain aspects of the immune system.
Thus, the body’s ability to repair itself is weakened just when extra demands are being placed on it. It is no wonder that stress is so clearly connected to heart disease.
Interestingly, cortisol also changes the structure of the brain itself, causing enlargement of the amygdala, which controls fear and other emotional responses, while inhibiting neuronal connections in the hippocampus, which is involved in memory formation. Taken together, these changes impair the brain’s ability to remember emotional experiences properly.
One’s whole system becomes geared toward an expectation of more stress, perpetuating a vicious cycle of physical and psychological damage. We urgently need to break that cycle by learning how to relax.
Release Tension -It All Starts with the Mind
While we could attempt to fight stress with expensive drugs that have their own side-effects and long-term health risks, there is a cheaper, safer way to restore the balance of mind and body. Breathing and Positive Thinking exercises can be used repeatedly and reliably to take the brain to a state of tranquility, where perceived dangers melt away and all the associated hormonal havoc is restored to order.
First: Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Ideally, you should be in an area that is free from distraction and as quiet as possible. Close your eyes and relax.
You may even decide play soft melodic music. Or download Nature Sounds to help improve your state of relaxation.
Next: Breathe deeply, in and out, ten times. Let your muscles go limp, holding onto absolutely no tension. Sit or lie in peace for 10-15 minutes. If a negative thought tries to creep in, dismiss it immediately. Only think of happier things, like achievements, things you love or perhaps visual or daydream about the bright future you want to have.
Breathing exercises are so beneficial when it comes to having less stress because they make and trick your body into feeling like it does when you are already relaxed. When you breathe deeply you are able to relay and send a message to the brain to relax and calm back down.
Coping Strategies for Stress: Stay Stress Free With These Easy Tips
While stress is difficult to control, it can be managed with a positive outlook and a willingness to learn new techniques. Check out the tips in this article, and see what stress management tips apply to you.
- Active meditation, thinking deeply about positive things in your life will nourish your spirit, improve your mood and help you find peace within yourself. Take the time to stop and think positively on life and breathe deeply if only for a minute. It can reduce stress, lower your blood pressure and relax your body.
- A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to eliminate caffeine from your diet. Getting too much caffeine can have serious side effects. By cutting out or decreasing your caffeine intake you will feel much less anxious.
- To help cut down on your stresses, just say no! If you try to do everything that is asked of you, it will quickly cause stress in your life. Set limits and be clear, you cannot please everyone all the time, so stop trying or your stress will continue.
- One of the things that you should do at least once during the week is to get a manicure or a pedicure. This will make you feel good about your body and relieve your tension.
- Minimizing your exposure to the daily news will actually relieve you of some inadvertent stress. Even if you don’t realize it, watching a war on television, skyrocketing prices at the supermarket or neighborhood crime rates can really wear on your psyche. Every once in a while, especially when your stress levels are high, turn on a comedy or music instead of the news.
Fun Stress Relieving Activities -Coloring Books For Adults
We live in a stressful world, so some adults are taking matters into their hands…literally by coloring. They are using coloring as a form of active meditation. There’s been an explosion in adult interest in coloring that has caught vendors of coloring books by pleasant surprise.
Coloring has been used in a therapeutic context for years, and the benefits are well-documented by research. These include reduced stress, less anxiety, better focus, and increased tranquility.
In a sudden, unexpected, and generally curious development, grown-up versions of the doodle-books used by countless kindergartners have not only become a thing — but the thing, as far as millions of rapt Americans are concerned.
At the moment, five of the top 30 titles on Amazon’s best-seller list are coloring books aimed at adults. Barnes & Noble currently carries well over 100 different adult coloring book titles, many of which feature much more intricate and detailed designs than children’s versions. And as the trend seeps into the mainstream, publishers and booksellers have been left scrambling to keep the most popular titles on store shelves.
Want to give it a try? Click on any of the images below to find out more about these coloring books available now on Amazon!
Need some coloring supplies? Like coloring pencils? No problem! Here’s the cheap pack from Amazon we always buy (click the below image). However, feel free to look around for the quality of pencils you prefer. Have fun!
Body Stress Release -Infuse Your Life With Joy and Humor
It’s a good thing that people are finally realizing that stress is real and that it can be devastating to your health. It’s also a good thing that there are so many stress-fighting tools you can arm yourself with. Use the tools provided to you in this article you can begin fighting your stress.
For instance, laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
There’s also fitness benefits too! DID YOU KNOW… Laughing for 10 to 15 minutes raises energy expenditure, increases heart rate, and can burn up to 40 calories. However, it’s not a weight-loss method. “People can’t eat at McDonald’s and then expect to laugh away their lunch,” says Dr. Maciej Buchowski, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University. Even so, a few calories every day translates to a few pounds a year; which means you will be releasing yourself of stress and helping keep your weight under control. Winning!
A good smile and a belly laugh can be an exercise for the face and the diaphragm. It makes you look younger because of the thousands of muscles that undergo a workout when we are smiling as well as when we laugh. This “humorous” workout will leave your muscles and shoulders stronger. It gives your heart a great workout too.
Furthermore, you probably will find yourself smiling more too! A Big smile brings your center of attention away from guilt, anger, negative emotions, and stress. It will boost your self-confidence and make you extremely happy.
Stress and Weight Loss
Can stress cause you to gain weight? YES. Poorly managed stress may lead to the development of elevated levels of cortisol that will in turn stimulate your appetite. Meaning… you will want to eat more.
Before you know it, you could be pounding bags of chips, candy, McDs or ice cream all because you are sad, depressed of full of anxiety. Not good.
Nevertheless, stress can also have the opposite effect. Some may feel so much stress that they completely lose their appetite. Really, this weight loss or weight gain due to stress will vary from person to person; because we all handle stress differently. However, you can get your stress under control either way by getting active!
A tip for dealing with stress without medication is walking. Turn on your music or just enjoy nature. In no time flat you will find yourself feeling better.
Additionally, if you experience a lot of job stress, trying to make time for walk breaks is very important. You may not think that you have time for what sounds like a luxury while at work. But, if you observe closely, you may find that other people at work are already taking short walking breaks.
Taking even a 10 minute walk around the block, building, campus, or grounds can immediately reduce your stress level and increase your productivity.
A beneficial bonus for those with computer-based jobs is that getting up from your desk may help prevent or relieve wrist and arm pain that can develop from typing excessively without sufficient breaks. So, go ahead…get up and move and beat your stress into submission.
Stress and Weight Loss (Continued)
Stress is literally an enemy of fitness that could derail all of your hard-earned work in the gym. Stress actually has the ability to decrease metabolism if not kept in check. How does stress put a choke hold on our metabolisms?
Stress causes our bodies to put ourselves in conservation mode in order to store calories. This storing process can have you gaining weight even if you are not exercising as much as you had been or not eating more than you usually do. Scary!
Therefore, what are some ways that a lady of fitness can help herself say no to stress? Try listening to calming music, stretching and remembering to breathe deeply when a stressing situation arises. Moreover, call up the girls and have a night on the town or take a walk to help clear the mind. You might also consider writing in a diary or journal to help express your thoughts as well as emotions. Taking these precautions will not only help you find your joy regardless of what life throws at you but will also help you stay on the road to being your best fit self!
Nature of Stress -How Anxiety Can Even Affect Your Skin
Nothing makes you breakout faster than emotional stress, anxiety or depression. There is a very easy and simple solution to keep such acne flare-ups at bay and it’s not found within a bottle. Exercise is not only good for the physique but can improve your chances of having and keeping amazing skin!
Working out regularly boosts your mood helping you relax and making you feel a lot better (thank you Endorphins); while keeping anxiety and depression from coming back. How is all this possible?
According to the Mayo Clinic, when you exercise, neurotransmitters and endorphins that ease depression are released. In addition, you raise your body temperature, which has been shown to calm nerves. With less stress your skin can be at its best.
If looking cute on TikTok or IG is still your number-one motivation to get in shape, then add glowing skin to the list of benefits too. Skin can glow like it has the Midas’ touch because exercise enhances the blood flow to your skin.
Moreover, studies have also shown that exercise improves acne by controlling the production of acne-inducing testosterone hormones like DHEA and DHT. Nevertheless, working up a good sweat can unclog pores and help clear up your breakouts—ultimately detoxifying the skin of oils and dirt.
So if you are feeling anxiety or stress; hop on up and get moving! Allow a good workout to sweat out all of those bad vibes. Aim to workout at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
Tension in Neck and Shoulders From Anxiety
Hey YOU reading this page right now… DROP YOUR SHOULDERS. Feels better right? Sadly, most of the time we are completely unaware of just how much shoulder tension we are carrying around. It just seems to happen; even subconsciously.
Moreover, tension in our shoulders can occur for a number of reasons. We can get it from our bad sitting habits at school, work or at home. Even while we are just trying to collect our “beauty sleep” we can cause tension due to incorrect sleeping positions.
Nevertheless, a lot of the time tightness in the shoulder area is all thanks to anxiety or stress. And we all have a lot to be stressed about! School, business, work, pandemics, bills, projects, unfairness, aging parents, kids; you name it! We all have a LOT on our plates and we are just doing our humanly best to get through it all.
Therefore, learning to cope and relax our bodies will go a long way in achieving relief. You will feel better. Think clearer. Additionally, you will experience better emotional health as well as a rise in energy. Benefits we are sure we can all agree that could make a huge difference and be amazing to enjoy daily. So what can be done?
Cortisol Manager -Less Stress in Neck and Shoulders by Medicine or Natural Methods
Cortisol Manager is a supplement that many use to help control their body’s cortisol levels. Cortisol is know as the “stress hormone” which is produced by the adrenal cortex in response to signals being received from the pituitary gland as well as hypothalamus. When Cortisol levels in the body are at balance; then usually stress can be managed well. When things go haywire… then you can probably guess the rest.
Furthermore, tack on the immense, draining feeling of carrying stress pain in your shoulders and neck; then wanting immediate relief becomes a must! There are those prefer to take a supplement like Cortisol Manager; in to order to aid their bodies in promoting: relaxation; alleviating fatigue, supporting restful night’s sleep, all without diminishing daytime alertness. However, if taking stress hormone stabilizer is not for you; you could consider doing things the natural way… walking it out and good old fashion stretch.
Yes, Stretching is very good for shoulder tension. Why? It is because stretching helps to shift tension thus allowing our muscles to soften. As any fitness guru will tell you, muscles are soft when they are in a relaxed state. This is a sign that they are normal and healthy. So then, what’s a good stretch for the shoulders?
Simple Shoulder Stretch
The stretch we are about to describe will go a long way in helping you not only relax, but get out all of that unnecessary tension in your shoulders. Plus, it’s also good for the neck too! Let’s get started.
- Start by sitting or standing with your back straight and of course your arms and shoulders relaxed.
- Next interlace your fingers together and place the palms of your hands gently on the back of your head. Keep your elbows out but facing forward.
- Now gently pull your head down towards your chest.
- Hold this stretch and position for 30 seconds.
Tension in the shoulders is not fun, but it can be remedied. Life might get stressful but there are ways of tackling it so that your health is not affected. So then, we remember to take some time to be mindful of your posture; take deep breathes and stretch your way to a more relaxed you!
10 Ways to Cope With Stress -Reduce Stress by Good Habits and Hobbies
It has definitely been a crazy, stressful year and self care has never been more important! Taking a few moments for yourself can increase your overall happiness and help you be more productive and successful during the week.
Therefore, it is essential to take moments here and there to pamper yourself for your own health and wellbeing. Moreover, doing so can help you to maintain good habits and routines that could eventually even lead to you being in better shape mentally, emotionally and physically than ever before!
What are some good habits or hobbies to get into? Here’s just a couple self care ideas to consider:
- Regular Exercise
- Art and Hobbies
- Skincare Routines
- Relaxation and Stretching
- Traveling (Even Virtual Tours Can Be Fun and Exciting!)
- Journaling
- Reading and Writing Literary Works
- Game Nights and Movie Nights
- Talking with Good Friends
- Bubble Baths
- Learning and Enriching Yourself with New Skills
All the above self care tips can be very beneficial to your overall emotional, mental and physical health. However, in the next part of this article we will focus on the Beauty aspect and the perfect products to help you make it happen!
Stressors in Life -Self Care Beauty Products to Promote Better Well-Being and Less Stress
Okay the time has come to reveal a few amazing Self Care items for Beauty; and they are all by a wonderful brand called Native Atlas! A great company that we personally use and enjoy. Right now we are total fanatics over their rollers! However, their entire lineup of products are FABULOUS and make for great additions to your beauty regimens.
They have products for on-the-go, or for the perfect night in. So whether you’re vacationing or staycationing you’ll be all set. Enjoy!
For the Friend That’s On-The-Go
Universal Rollers – $14
Native Atlas’ Universal Rollers are the perfect stocking stuffers for the friend that can have a little self-care on-the-go! Use this versatile, intoxicating elixir on your face, body, or hair for deep hydration and long-lasting moisture
For the Skincare Guru
Zahara Rewind Tonic – $68 (4 oz.)
Would you consider yourself as the type that possesses the most thorough skincare routine? Well, then this is one product that you will want to include in your next shelfie! The Rewind Tonic is a powerful AHA + BHA blend that gently wipes away dull surface cells, excess oil and dirt, and Quickly restores a clear and glowing complexion.
For the One Who Needs a Chill Pill
Circulation Bath Soak – $18
For the friend (and of course you!) who could use a little R&R! The Circulation Bath Soak is packed with mustard and clay, which increases circulation and oxygenation to purify the body and ease the pain.
Neuro Bliss -If You Are Sick of Drinking Tea, Try This
Drinking tea is great for combating stress. Why? This is because tea possesses calming properties to help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after exposure to stress!
So then what are some stress reducing teas that can help calm the mind and aid in relaxation? There is:
- Chamomile
- Black Tea
- Passion Flower
- Green
- Lavender
- Lemon Balm
- Mint
- Rose
- Jasmine
- Valerian Root
- Peppermint
All of the above teas can help to reduce stress and bring about peaceful sleep and mindsets; as well as leaving you feeling a little more balanced. However, what if you are burned out on tea? Or what if you just don’t like drinking tea period?
Well, you can try beverage called Neuro Bliss. Neuro Bliss is a low calorie and low sugar, lightly carbonated drink that is jam packed with 8 stress reducing, brain boosting botanicals and nutrients. In reviews online this beverage scores a 4.6 out of 5 stars. And the brand says that their alternative to tea beverage does still contain an optimal dose of L-Theanine (found in Green Tea); an ingredient well researched for the ability to help with stress reduction.
Does Neuro Bliss sound more up your alley? Check it out by clicking the image below.
Strategies for Managing Stress in the Workplace: Want To Relax? Take A Few Minutes To Smell The Roses
Are you overwhelmed? Is your work stress starting to affect your personal life? You know the signs all to well…you don’t eat lunch, you lay awake at night obsessing over your to-do list, you spend half the weekend worrying about Monday morning. Try as you might, relaxing is just not an option.
Maybe it is time to scoot your chair back, get up and take a break.
There will always be another email to read and another tab to open on your internet browser—but that doesn’t mean that sitting in front of your screen for a seven-hour stretch is healthy.
Instead, make sure you’re logging off consistently every couple hours, even if it’s just to walk around the block and take in some greenery. Research shows that people who live near green spaces have less depression and anxiety. So, if you have the opportunity to go outside for even a few minutes to “smell the roses,” do it!
De Stress Relax! Less Stress… Final Words of Advice
From school to work, to life in general we all can find plenty to be anxious about. However, it is SO important to begin taking steps to start curving that anxiety. Since if we allow it to grow, it can begin to affect our bodies in other ways.
Stress can wreak havoc on your skin so it is important that you take time to relax. Take a warm bath or just talk with a friend. A class such as Pilates especially can also be a great stress reliever. Moreover, if you take the time to relax and relieve your stress, your skin will thank you.
When you get stressed out, your body produces higher levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, which leads to an increase in your body’s production of oil. Too much oil equals acne, even in people who don’t usually break out. Stress can also dehydrate your skin and interfere with its ability to repair itself when it’s damaged. However, don’t be in despair about your breakout there are many things you can do to get rid of the anxiety that’s wreaking havoc on your skin. Here are some practical ways to reduce overall stress and help your skin at the same time.
Stressed Skin: Here’s How to Fix and Prevent It
- Exercise — Working out releases endorphins, which can help to banish all that anxiety.
- Moisturize — Since stress can dehydrate your skin, using moisturizer regularly is like giving your skin a much-needed drink.
- Get enough rest — Not only does a good night’s sleep give your worried mind a break, it also allows your skin time to rest and repair.
- Relax — Deep breathing is great and can be an effective relaxation technique.
- See a dermatologist — If you continue to be plagued by skin problems that cause you worry and stress, seeing a dermatologist might help you take a load off. I had to go to the dermatologist and within a few weeks it was all cleared up.
When it comes to your skin, worry can do more harm than you might realize. So relax, chill out, and your skin and body will take care of the rest.
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