9 Ways to Conquer Stress

9 Ways to Conquer Stress Today

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Stress impacts you, your family, your co-workers, and everyone else you come in contact with – DAILY. Stress doesn’t play favorites and will attack when you least expect it.

Stress creates multiple health problems and we’re often encouraged to take time to meditate. Meditation is known for relieving stress and bringing peace to your well-being.

My problem is actually taking the time to meditate. Sometimes I’m successful, but often I’m unable to sit long enough to quiet my mind.

How successful have you been with meditation?

Don’t get me wrong; practicing meditation is an excellent approach to optimizing your health and overall well-being. I recommend meditation to all of my clients. Meditation is great for relieving and dealing with stress, and all of the issues that come along with it. But it’s not the only way to get there.

The whole purpose of meditating is to calm the mind and emotions and relax our physical body too. Yet, you may find it difficult to sit and relax long enough to meditate. I’m still working on the “calming the mind” in order to take full advantage of meditation. 

Good news: Meditation is not the only way to bring calm into your life. I’ve discovered that I can bring calm to my life using other types of calming techniques and wanted to share them with you. They’re easy enough to fit into your lifestyle and relieve the stress you may be under. 

Choose one of the following to relieve stress and bring calmness to your life….

Journaling

Journaling allows you to express yourself in many different ways. I encourage my clients to keep a daily journal to express their feelings as they begin their journey toward better health.

Spending some time every day writing out your thoughts can help to relieve stress. End your day with a “gratitude” journal and list all the things you’re grateful for today. Are your thoughts going in a hundred different directions? Try a “brain dump” journal to get all of your thoughts and ideas out of your head to soothe your mind. The “now” journal describes your life after you have reach your goals.

Choose to journal in the morning before you begin your day, or at night to reflect on your day.

Reading

What have you read lately? 

Try this for at least a month; turn off your electronics before bedtime and spend a minimum of 15 minutes reading. Choose a book or magazine that interests you, grab a nice cup of hot tea and relax. Taking a minimum of 15 minutes each night will put the day’s chaos to rest and help you sleep better.

Crafts

Are you crafty?

I find enjoyment in all types of crafts and have a craft room to prove it.

Crafts are a wonderful way to de-stress; this is a skill that comes in all levels from beginner to advanced. Find a craft that you enjoy and let your creativity flow. There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting down and creating a wonderful piece of art.

There’s too many crafts to list but start with what interests you. You can choose something quick and easy or something that may take a while to complete. Once you get into the flow of of your creativity you’ll find yourself less stressed and more relaxed.

Gentle Exercise

Gently moving your body is another great way to de-stress. Activities that are slower and less intensive are ideal. Things like walking, yoga, stretching, or tai chi can all be great ways to relax your mind and improve your strength and balance at the same time.

My favorite gentle exercise is walking outdoors. There’s something about walking in nature that brings calmness to my day. 

Sleep In or Take a Nap

Napping is not just for babies and toddlers. You can take naps too. 

The United States may be the only nation that frowns on adults taking a nap. Yet, studies show that you are much more productive when you take a nap.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Our health is suffering due to lack of sleep; which causes an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. Too little sleep and too much stress go hand-in-hand. So, getting enough quality sleep is important to help you break free from the stress of the day. 

Pamper Yourself

Self-Care should be mandatory for everyone.

Our stress levels can reach a point that our health begins to decline and then we find ourselves under more stress. 

Here’s some ideas for pampering yourself:  Schedule yourself a massage or mani/pedi’s;  take a long bath surrounded by lighted candles; add your favorite relaxing music to the mix for a pampering evening.

Spend some time to pamper yourself regularly for your mind, body, and spirit, you’ll be glad you did. 

Spend Time in Nature

You don’t have to head away for vacation to relax in nature. While a calm beautiful beach or cabin in the woods may be amazing, you don’t have to go that far. Spending time on the grass at your local park or playground or walking on a wooded trail in your neighborhood can do the trick. 

Hiking is a wonderful antidote to stress and I enjoy any type of hiking – mountains, state parks and beaches. Here’s a great article on How Hiking Helps Anxiety and Depression, and make it a priority to spend time in nature. 

Make Time for Others

Are you taking time to enjoy the company of others?

It’s so important to spend time with family, friends, and pets whom you love. New research is coming out about the health issues related to loneliness. Reach out and plan to hang out with your besties or offer to take your neighbor’s dog for a walk in the park. You’ll feel much better when you do.

These nine stress relievers are easy to implement into your life. Stress reduction is our goal. How you do it, be it meditation or otherwise, is not that important. What’s important is that you find what works for you.

Share your favorite way to conquer stress in your life. You can join the conversation in our Facebook members group – Healthy Living for Life.

Lavender essential oil can reduce stress and bring a sense a calm to any situation.

Here’s some ways to use Lavender for those stressful moments: 

Instructions to inhale directly

Add up to 6 drops of undiluted essential oil to a handkerchief/tissue and inhale occasionally. Use up to 3 times per day.

Instruction for steam inhalation

Add 3 – 12 drops of undiluted essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Inhale slowly and deeply for 5 – 10 minutes. Use up to 3 times per day.

Tip: Lavender isn’t the only calming essential oil. You can also use angelica, balsam, benzoin, bitter orange, cedarwood, celery, chamomile, cornmint, cumin, curry, frankincense, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper, labdanum, laurel, lemongrass, marjoram, nutmeg, palmarosa, parsley, patchouli, peppermint, rose, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, scotch pine, spearmint, star anise, sweet basil, sweet orange, thyme, or ylang ylang.

Essential oils are a big part of my life and I’m always looking for information on how to use essential oils and wanted to share this Ultimate Guide to Essential Oils from Organic Daily Post.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/getting-control-stress

http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-power-and-prevalence-of-loneliness-2017011310977

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm

https://www.dietvsdisease.org/do-essential-oils-work/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/

http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=aromatherap&lang=eng

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