Techniques To Reduce Stress

Let’s talk about one of the most common issues a human faces during his early- and late adulthood – stress. Personally, I’ve always used to wonder why people have anxieties, worries and other negative emotions. Once I grew up, I understood that the older you become, the more problems you notice.

Learning how to reduce stress and anxiety is mostly about changing your mindset – and this isn’t as complicated as it sounds. The tricky part is to consciously identify the problem and deal with it in a proper way.

So How Do You Relieve Stress?

1)      If you already know what causes stress, then do your best to avoid these situations. Of course, life isn’t always as simple as I describe, but if a person is the main reason for your concerns, do your best to avoid him.

2)      Listen to music. Scientists from the University of Maryland report that people listening to classical music have reduced feelings of anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate. Keep in mind that not all music will have the same effect on everyone – it’s all up to you to find out what makes you happy.

3)      Try abdominal breathing. Better Health Channel reports that this type of breathing is much more effective than doing it from the upper chest. To find out more, please read this article: Breathing to reduce stress

4)      Eat chocolate. As Live Science reports,  test subjects who consumed 40 g of dark chocolate daily, had lower levels of the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamine.

5)      Try doing yoga. According to the Psychoneuroendocrinology journal, it has been proven that Yoga reduces stress; not only that, in their research they have explained how exactly does it help (sadly, this paper is not available for free)

6)      Do some volunteer works. Self.com writes that helping others reduced the stress level of 73% of volunteers.

7)      Get some lavender candles. An article on Livestrong.com suggests that this aroma reduces the cortisol level.

8)      Listen to your favorite comedians. According To Science Daily, a study conducted by Dr. Lee Berk (Loma Linda University) suggests that anticipating a positive event can decrease stress hormones.

9)      Do some exercises. Harvard Health Publication has published an article (I do recommend you check it out) that confirms that aerobics brings remarkable changes to your body and mind.

10)   Get some sleep. Here is a video that explains the benefits of a good nap.

11)   Don’t do drugs or drink alcohol. Pretty much self-explanatory.

Additional reading materials:
1) 50 Quick Stress Cures: 1-25

2) 8 Unconventional Ways to De-stress and Release Tension

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