I think we would all agree that today our lives are more hectic, full and more stressful than ever.  We have our days completely filled with activities, rushing from one place to another and worrying about things such as finances, health, jobs, school, family and more.

Luckily there are many things we can do to reduce the effects of stress in our lives and helps us deal with it more effectively.  I have compiled a list of 10 ways to reduce stress naturally.  If you find you’re having a hard time dealing with the stresses in your life check out this list and try some ideas until you find a few that work for you. It might take a bit of testing but it is so important for your health to have an arsenal of tools to combat stress in our increasingly hectic lives! If you know of someone suffering from a lot of stress in their life, share this article! 

10 Tips For Natural Stress Relief

1. Massage: You don’t have to pay tons of money for an hour long massage at a spa.  You can ask a friend or spouse or purchase a massager at a local store.

2. Exercise: Sometimes when you’re stressed you’re also tired and exercise may not be the first thing on your mind.  Just a slow walk around the neighborhood will help to calm your nerves and release tension as well as boost your mood!

3. Tidy Up Clutter: Studies show that just the sight of clutter can stress us out.  Take inventory of your home. Are there piles of papers and items that aren’t put away?  Find a home for them, organize them or throw them out!  I am a firm believer that we have WAY too many things in our homes so when in doubt, throw it out!

4. Eat Healthy: This is SO important.  Start by reducing the amount of processed foods and sugar that you consume.  Those things alone place unneeded stress on our bodies.  There is a direct correlation between what you put in your body and how you feel and you cannot afford to feed your body junk and expect it to keep performing optimally for you.  One of the first steps I took to begin eating healthy was to start drinking green smoothies for breakfast.  You can click here and here for recipes to some of my favorites! I like to focus on adding good foods rather than taking away all the bad.  People are attached to their favorite foods so I never want people to feel deprived.  Add the good and the bad will slowly work it’s way out.

5. Supplements: I personally love a supplement called Natural Calm which is a magnesium supplement that really helps calm my nerves. Keeping your immune system up with Vitamin D3 or a good quality multivitamin helps boost your immune system which is helpful because it’s easier to get sick when you’re stressed.

6. Aromatherapy: Essential oils can go a long way to help calm stress.  Our sense of smell is directly linked to our brains and our mood.  I use essential oils everyday to help with stress, energy and mood imbalance.  A few helpful essential oils for stress are lavender, bergamot, cedarwood, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, orange, sandalwood, Valor, Tranquil and ylang ylang. You can simply smell them from the bottle, apply them to a non sensitive area like your wrist, or buy a diffuser to spread the aroma in your home.

7. Sleep: Sleep is so important for your body and it is imperative that you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night to keep your hormones balanced and your stress levels low. The benefits of getting more sleep are well documented, it’s imperative for good health.

8. Read A Book: Sometimes just getting your mind off the problem is all you need.  Pick up an enjoyable book and let the story take you to another place, or learn about a topic you want to know more about. This can also help you wind down at night and prepare for sleep.

9. Get Outside: Spending time in nature has many proven benefits in stress reduction.  It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, even a walk in cold weather can boost your mood and dissolve stress.

10. Talk It Out: Calling a friend or loved one to talk is a great way to talk through your problems.  It can be helpful to get another perspective or to just get your mind off of your stress altogether by talking about something totally different!

 

What do you do to reduce your stress naturally?  I’d love to hear what you do to help reduce the stress in your life!  Comment below.  If you know of someone who could benefit from learning these tips to reduce their stress levels share it.