Natural Stress Relief

Control Your Drinking
Alcohol can depress the central nervous system and disturb your sleep. So do yourself a favor and limit your intake.

Count to 10
Before you do or say something you'll regret, silently count to 10. Use this time to take a few deep breaths, stretch, or recite an affirmation.

Don't Grind Your Teeth
Stress tends to settle in certain parts of our bodies, the jaw being one of them. When things get hectic, open your mouth wide, and just say "ahhh."

Evaluate Your Stress
Using a scale of one to 10 (one being equivalent to a minor hassle and 10 being a true catastrophe), assign a number to whatever is making you tense. Most problems rank pretty low and are not worth your worry.

Exercise Your Green Thumb
Tending a garden can help people to escape their worries. If you haven't got a garden, try a houseplant. It works!

Fight Back
Next time you are faced with a conflict, be proactive. For example, if your flight gets canceled, don't wallow in self-pity. Find another one. If your office is too hot or too cold, don't suffer in silence. Call the building manager and ask what can be done to make it more comfortable.

Get a Pet
Researchers have found that those who owned a pet had lower blood pressure than those who didn't. If you don't have a pet, visit a friend's: Petting an animal for just a couple of minutes helps relieve stress.

Get Your B Vitamins
The B vitamins can help your body cope with stress. They can also boost the immune system and counteract fatigue. Look for a B complex pill with 400 mcg of folic acid and 50 mcg of all other B vitamins.

Get Your ZZZZZZZ's
Get the sleep you need (about eight hours is optimal for most people). But don't sleep to escape your worries. That will only make you groggier.

Gobble, Gobble
Turkey is a major source of tryptophan, which relieves anxiety and helps alleviate stress and insomnia. So eat up.

Great Natural Stress Reliever
A great stress reliever is a body massage with lotion containing peppermint, spearmint or menthol. The scent as well as the massage have a relaxing effect.

Herbal Stress Relief
Have you had a bad day? Brew a pot of chamomile tea. It's nature's tranquilizer. Drink at least 2 cups for effective stress relief.

Herbal Stress Relief II
Both Siberian and Panax ginseng, which bolster the adrenal glands, may also be effective in coping with stress. These stress-fighting herbs are sometimes called "adaptogens" (because they help the body "adapt" to challenges) or "tonics" (because they "tone" the body, making it more resilient). All can be safely taken together.

Other herbs and nutritional supplements, used singly or together or combined with the supplements above, may be of value in special circumstances. For stress-induced anxiety, try kava, which is best reserved for high-stress periods lasting up to three months. Take melatonin if worry is keeping you up at night, and St. John’s wort if stress is accompanied by mild depression.

Horizontal Mambo
If sex has been on the bottom of your to-do list for too long, move it to the top. Sex increases levels of endorphins, those mood-boosting chemicals in the brain, and it's one of the best total-body relaxes around.

Imagine a Calm Place
Close your eyes, take three long breaths, and picture yourself in a relaxing scene (hiking in a forest, lying on a deserted beach, walking through town after a fresh snowfall). Focus on the details-the sights, the sounds (or lack thereof), the smells.

Just Say No
Trying to do everything is a one-way ticket to serious stress. Be clear about your limits, and stop trying to please everyone all the time.

Just Say Yoga
Muscles tighten during the course of the day, and when we feel stressed out, the process accelerates. Yoga can help loosen muscles and encourages deep breathing. Find a yoga studio in the Yellow Pages or buy a video so you can practice at home. Some simple stretches can even be done in your office.

Laugh Stress Away
To reduce the hormones associated with stress, have a good laugh once or twice a day.

Music to Soothe Your Soul
After a hard day of work, treat yourself to downtime with some relaxing melodies. Change into comfy clothes, find a quiet spot where you won't be disturbed, light a few aromatherapy candles, breathe deeply and let your mind and soul be massaged by the music.

Natural Stress Relief I
If you feel stressed, close your eyes and stretch out in a quiet darkened room for 15 - 20 minutes. You'll be surprised how much this helps decrease your stress.

Natural Stress Relief II
A warm bath is relaxing, but adding some well-chosen herbs to the water could make your soak even more effective.
Place dried herbs -- a single herb or a mixture of your favorites -- in a cloth or net bag, then toss the bag into the tub or hang it from the faucet as the tub fills. For a refreshing, stimulating bath, try lovage, mint, rosemary, sage, orange, pine, or thyme. To calm down at the end of a busy day, chamomile, sandalwood, lavender, marjoram, marigold, or mint are good choices.

Nature Sounds to Relax
Research shows that the sounds of nature have a relaxing effect. Pop in a CD of surf sounds the next time you want to mellow out.

Phone a Friend
Sharing your troubles can give you perspective, help you feel cared for, and relieve your burden. So pick up the phone or walk next store and catch up with a friend.

Play a Few Bars
A number of studies have shown that music can do everything from slow heart rate to increase endorphins. Good bets: "Air for G-String" by Bach, "Pastoral" by Beethoven, "Nocturne in G" by Chopin, "Water Music" by Handel, or "Autumn" or "December" by pianist George Winston.

Practice Mindfulness
Heighten your awareness of the moment by focusing intently on an object. Notice a pencil's shape, color, weight and feel. Or slowly savor a raisin or a piece of chocolate. Mindfulness leads to relaxation.

Put It On Paper
Divide a piece of paper into two parts. List the stressors you may be able to change on the left side and the ones you can't on the right side. Then change what you can and stop fretting over what you can't.

Put the Pressure On
Acupressure relieves stress like acupuncture, but with fingers instead of needles. Try applying light pressure with your index fingers to one of these three points: between the eyebrows; the back of the neck slightly below the base of the skull; and about half an inch to the left or right of the spine.

Relaxing Music
What soothes the senses also eases jangled nerves. Relax to music with a tempo just slightly slower than your heart rate. Some good classical offerings: Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, 2nd movement, and Orchestral Suite No. 2 and Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, 1st movement.

Repeat a Mantra
Devise an affirmation, or a short, clear, empowering statement. For example: "I feel calm. I can handle this." Then, the next time you feel as if your life is one disaster after another, take a deep breath and repeat it 10 times.

Say a Little Prayer
Studies show that religious spiritual people are calmer and healthier than those who profess no faith. So say a little prayer for yourself.

Say Cheese
Smiling is a two-way mechanism. We do it when we're happy and relaxed, but doing it can also make us feel that way. So go ahead and grin. Don't you feel better?

Shake It Off
Shake your hands and arms vigorously for 10 seconds while breathing deeply. It may seem a little silly at first, but it's surprisingly relaxing.

Skip the Mall
Avoid the malls on busy shopping days, remembering that you'll have more luck on less crowded days. Also consider off hours.

Snack a Little
Foods that are high in carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical. Crackers, pretzels, or a bagel can give you a boost on stressful days.

Soak It Up
A warm bath can relax the muscles and lull you into a state of calm. Garnish with your favorite bath salts or oils.

Switch to Decaf
Too much coffee only makes stress worse. So cut back as much as possible. To avoid caffeine withdrawal, try adding a little decaf to your morning mug, increasing the proportion of decaf to regular over the next couple of weeks. And, watch out for caffeinated soft drinks.

Take a Deep Breath
Breathing deeply oxygenates the blood, helping to relieve stress. So put your hand on your abdomen just below the navel. Inhale slowly through your nose and watch your hand move out as your belly expands. Hold the breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times.

Take a Walk
Before you blow up at your boss, take a trot around the block to clear your head. If you haven't got time, walk to the bathroom or water cooler. Anything counts.

Take a Whiff
Place a few pieces of rock salt in a small vial, then add a couple of drops of aromatherapy oil (made from anise, basil, bay, chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rose, or thyme). Open the vial and inhale the perfumed air for a little breather. Oils and rock salt are often sold in health food stores.

Tea for You
Chamomile tea promotes relaxation and can relieve anxiety. Buy it in ready-to-use tea bags or steep two teaspoons of the dried flowers in one cup of water for five minutes. Drink three cups a day for optimum effect.

Try a Tonic
A study at Duke University in Durham, N.C., found homeopathy effective in quelling anxiety disorders. Look for stress formulas such as Nerve Tonic (from Hyland) or Sedalia (from Boiron) in your health food store.

Try Eye Yoga
Try this yoga eye relaxation technique: Rub your hands together vigorously until they feel warm. Then cup them over your closed eyes for five seconds while you breathe deeply.

Vitamins and Stress Relief
Because many nutrients are crucial to the body’s natural ability to cope, a daily multivitamin and mineral is especially important during times of stress. Take vitamin B complex as well; the extra B vitamins it supplies promote the health of the nervous and immune systems and can counteract fatigue. Calcium and magnesium are worthwhile too, because they can relieve muscle tension and strengthen the heart.

Warm Milk Helps You Sleep
It's a scientific fact that warm milk really does help you sleep. Make sure you drink it approximately one hour before you plan to retire. Cocoa doesn't count. Chocolate is a stimulant.