6 Ways to Reduce Stress

Life is never stress-free. Whether emotional or physical, stress is a normal part of being human. It’s the body’s response to a change or challenge – even exercise puts your body under stress. You often can’t control what causes stress, but you can control how you react to it. And finding ways to relieve stress will help you handle stressful situations.

Regardless of how your body handles stress or how stress manifests for you, it’s important to take time each day to reduce stress so you can find relief and it doesn’t become overwhelming. Without doing so your mental and physical health may suffer.

Practice Self-Care

It’s easy to get caught up in everything that must get done – from work, to school, to house, to spouse – before you know it there’s no time for yourself. While it’s not a bad thing to take care of others, it’s difficult to do so if you’re not filling your own cup. Aim to carve out time each day, or as often as possible, for self-care.

Here are some simple self-care reminders:

• Grab a workout
• Meet up with a friend for coffee
• Get your hair done, nails done, etc.
• Practice mindful breathing
• Take a bath
• Accept an offer of help
• Eat nutritious foods regularly
• Give yourself time between meetings or appointments
• Delegate tasks like grocery shopping, chores, picking up the kids, etc.
• Take a walk
• Play with your kids
• Take a cat nap
• Go to therapy
• Read a book or veg out to your favorite show or movie

Get Moving

Taking part in regular physical activity helps reduce stress and boost mood. Not only that, there’s nothing like accomplishing a workout and feeling like a million bucks afterwards.

You don’t have to be a fitness pro to reap the benefits of exercise and there are many ways to improve your fitness. Start where you’re at on your fitness journey – and if that’s at the beginning, that’s OK too. Find a workout that you enjoy and schedule sessions in your calendar. Aim to include exercise 2-3 times throughout the week. Find a workout partner to help you stick with it.

Always consult with your doctor before beginning a new workout routine.

Try these ways to get moving:

• Go bike riding
• Take up running; sign up for a 5k
• Try weight training, or hire a personal trainer
• Consider a workout class like yoga, cycling, cross-training, or even a dance class
• Get moving as a family – hiking, kayaking, bike riding, and playing a game of basketball are all great ideas

Consider Supplements

Sometimes you need a little assistance on the stress-relief front – supplements are a great way to find it. While there’s no magic pill, some natural ingredients have been shown to help support your everyday stress, while maintaining healthy mood and energy. Here’s what to look for:

• RelaxMedix – a liquid extract combination comprised of Samento, or cat’s claw, and extracts of Valerian root. This powerful combination is the ultimate relaxation support that can support your everyday stress and maintain a healthy mood in difficult or challenging situations.
• Avea – this Turmeric root liquid extract works quickly to balance your mood and support a positive reaction to everyday stressors.
• Babuna and Melatonin – adequate sleep is essential to handle stress. Both babuna and melatonin are fast-acting liquid extracts that help you relax and fall asleep more readily.
• Adrenal and Maca – Maca root has been used since ancient times as an antioxidant support that may support energy and stamina. Adrenal is a complex formulation of four adaptogenic herbs that offer adrenal support to keep your energy levels stable.

Spend Time With Friends and Family

Reaching out to loved ones – both family and friends – when stressed can help improve mood and reduce depression. Whether you have a chance to meet up in person or over a video call, face-to-face communication can work wonders on your mental health and well-being.

If you don’t have time today to get together, set a date to do so soon that way you have something to look forward to.

Get Outside

Studies show that spending time outdoors can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress, while boosting mood and energy levels. Being outside can increase oxygen levels in your brain, increasing serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Plus, the sun has a natural ability to increase energy and mood.

Try these ideas to get outside in nature:

• Pick a spot under a tree and read a book
• Have a picnic
• Sit by the lake
• Talk a walk or hike
• Feed the ducks
• Go fishing

Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries can be stressful in itself – especially if you’re not used to it. Recognizing your own needs and limits is important to setting boundaries with others. If you can make your boundaries clear, the reward will be worth it.

If you’re finding yourself burnt out, resentful, saying yes to things you’d rather not do, or that you’re doing more for others than you do for yourself, it may be time to work on your boundary setting skills.

Remember that you’re not being mean by setting boundaries. In fact, you’re doing the opposite – creating relationships with mutual respect and that meet the needs of everyone involved.

Sometimes saying “no” is necessary to fill your own cup back up.

It may seem like stress is a never-ending problem that will always be two steps ahead of you. Luckily there are ways to reduce stress and help you handle challenging situations more efficiently. Even your breathing, sleeping and food habits have a high impact on your mood. Start by making small adjustments in the way you react to stress and inserting stress-reducing activities into your week. Try supplementing with liquid extracts like RelaxMedix and Avea that can deliver support quickly and give you the upper hand so you can better tackle your day.

References:

1. Childs E, de Wit H. Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. Published 2014 May 1. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161
2. Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L. Physical activity, stress reduction, and mood: insight into immunological mechanisms. Methods Mol Biol. 2012;934:89-102. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-071-7_5. PMID: 22933142.
3. Pearson DG, Craig T. The great outdoors? Exploring the mental health benefits of natural environments. Front Psychol. 2014;5:1178. Published 2014 Oct 21. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01178