Guest Contributor
by Vanessa Roberts
Stress. We all have it, and it can wreak havoc on our bodies, make us look older, haggard, and generally feel exhausted. Sure, you can take vacations and forget about it all but how many times a year can you really afford that? A glass of wine helps temporarily, but drinking every time you’re stressed out isn’t the best habit to get into, right?
So how can we relieve stress without turning to a bottle or an expensive vacation? Luckily, there are natural stress relievers that can help calm you down, chill you out, and let you get on with your day.
1. Breathe, Girlfriend, Breathe
It sounds so simple and natural but you would be surprised at how many people amp up their normal breathing pattern and take more short and shallow breaths when they get stressed. This isn’t healthy for you, because not only does your heart rate go up, but your body also can’t rid itself of the toxins it needs to ensure your general health. Our bodies are programmed to release toxins simply through regular breathing. If you are taking short and shallow breaths, you are not giving your body the proper chance to keep itself healthy.
Next time you’re feeling stressed out, take a minute or two to focus on taking slow, deep breaths. You’ll be surprised at how much it helps!
2. Try Aromatherapy
You might also consider adding some subtle aromatherapy to your day. Paired with good, deep breathing, certain scents can trigger stress relief reactions in your brain, helping your body to relax and calm down. Once you get home after a stressful day try lighting some essential oils or even add some to a hot bath. Some of the most effective scents for stress relief include:
- lavender,
- jasmine,
- rose
- vanilla
- sandalwood
These simple scents can help you beat stress, reduce anxiety, even help you deal with depression. Not a bad reason to have a bath.
3. Work It Baby, Work It
It’s probably the last thing you want to do when you are stressed, but regular exercising and physical activity in general are essential factors to relieve stress. When you work out your heart starts to pump blood more quickly, which causes your brain to release chemicals that make us feel good and help to fight stress more effectively.
If fast-paced cardio or lifting weights isn’t really your thing, consider attending a yoga class a few times a week, giving Pilates a try, or even going for a walk. Each of these are low impact exercises but work to get your heart pumping and get you out of your head and feeling better almost immediately.
Aim for 30 minutes a day and on top of feeling better, with a little exercise, you will start to look better as well . Bonus!
4. Hit The Town
Sleeping might be the first thing you want to do when you’re stressed out, but you may want to re-think stealing some slumber and hit the town with some of your closest friends instead.
It might sound counterproductive, especially if you are stressed over deadlines, work commitments, or at-home tension, but getting out for a couple of hours with your girlfriends to laugh and chat can help you to work through your stress. Connecting with our friends and loved ones helps to release our body’s feel-better mood boosters, which all of us need every now and then, especially when we are stressed.
So pick up the phone, give the girls a call and meet up for tea or a good glass of red and wash your stress away.
While we all have our problems and stresses, there are natural ways to relieve the burden of stress so that you don’t have to turn to unhealthy ways of feeling better. Simply choose which method works best for you, stick to it, and watch your stress become a feeling of the past.
Vanessa is the owner and chief beauty bloggin’ babe for Top Beauty Brands, a site where you can find OPC Factor reviews , as well as various other reviews on the latest beauty products. The biggest perk of her job? She gets to indulge her girly side each and every day!
Image Credit: Relieve Stress photo via Shutterstock
