5 Ways To Reduce Stress

Stress levels play a huge role in general health and well-being. Stress can trigger conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and fatigue. So it's extremely important to relax and decompress everyday.

Here are five ways to reduce stress in your life

1. Exercise. Fitness is great for blowing off steam. It allows you to focus on something else other than worries, for the duration of the workout. Exercise also releases endorphins that make you feel mellow.

2. Meditation. meditating can be as simple as breathing exercises. You don't necessarily need candles, incense and a gong to feel the effects. Visualization in combination with breathing makes an excellent relaxation exercise. An example would be sitting down and imagining roots or light coming out of your body and in to the ground, "grounding" you on every exhale. Then coming back in, on the inhale.

3. Nutrition. Foods that are high in sugar may leave you feeling strung out. Fatty foods leave you feeling fatigued. Try eating fresh fruit for energy and feeling good. Eating a balanced diet will reduce stress levels overall and give you the mental boost to deal with anything life throws you.

4. Take a Break. Sometimes stress happens because people are too go-go-go for their own good! If you feel like there is always too much to do and you never seem to sit down, teach yourself to rest. Taking just 15 minutes a day to do nothing, is much better for your long term mental health, than how much you can get done in 15 minutes on a day to day basis. If you feel too guilty to take a "nothing break" than indulge in a hobby such as gardening for some well deserved "you time."

5. Reduce all stimulants. If you constantly feel frazzled there is a good chance you are consuming too much caffeine, nicotine or alcohol. Cut back on (or quit) coffee, pop, tea, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. All of these products, are drugs. They increase panic, anxiety and therefore stress.

These are just five of many options for reducing stress. Whether you deal with stress by aromatherapy, massages, sex or even working on time management skills, it's very important for long term health and wellness that you are not only physically fit, but mentally fit as well.

Relax For Health!