Reduce Stress With Simple Lifestyle Moderation

One must lead a healthy lifestyle to enhance their stress resistance and general health by having a proper diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, exercising regularly and avoiding too much alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. A substantial body of evidence strongly supports the concept that lifestyle moderation can do wonders in helping you manage your stress.

Exercise: Blunt Those Harmful Effects Of Stress!

• Start slow but be steady, exercise in combination with stress management techniques
• Combine aerobic exercise with strength training
• Find activities that are exciting, satisfying and challenging
• Hit the gym, swimming pool or enroll for yoga classes

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: One Of The Most Effective Ways Of Reducing Stress!

A) Identify Source

• Make a note of activities that take up your energy and time, trigger anger or anxiety, or precipitate a negative physical response. Do note positive experiences to
• Question the source of stress, eg.: “Do these stressful activities meet my goals?”, “Which tasks are under my control and which ones aren't?”, etc.

B) Restructure Priorities

• Always focus on shifting the balance from stress-producing to stress-reducing activities
• Listen to music; research finds that listening to soothing music can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels in heart patients
• Spend time on getting proper sleep
• Own a pet; research finds that pet owners have a lower blood pressure increase in response to stress than people who do not own pets
• Replace unnecessary time-consuming chores with pleasurable or interesting activities
• If the source of stress is in the home, go for a vacation

C) Discuss Feelings

Communicate and let your feelings out; research says feelings of anger or frustration that are not expressed acceptably may lead to hostility, a sense of helplessness, and depression

Therapists suggest expressing feelings does not mean venting frustration; have a healthy talk

Confide in your trusted individual, directly or through writing, SMS, mail etc.

Expressing alone cannot solve the whole problem; be a patient listener, empathise and respond to others with understanding

Use Humor. Research has shown that humour is a very effective mechanism for coping with acute stress

Eat healthy and drink healthy. Foods with rich in diet and nutritional drinks with important nutrients are helpful

Just Relax! Develop A Relaxation Response; Try These Alternative Techniques

• You can’t eliminate stress but develop a natural stress reduction response. Studies say relaxation lowers respiration, pulse rate, blood pressure, releases muscle tension and eases emotional strain
• Go for meditation classes, occasional massage & spa sessions
• Try Acupuncture as it may improve stress-related heart muscle activity. Though, it does not affect stress-related blood pressure or heart rate
• People with severe stress may try Hypnosis. In one study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome, stress reduction from hypnosis led to improvements in many bowel symptoms
• Aromatherapy can be a good option for some. Few people may go for herbal or natural remedies