Have you been feeling especially stressed or anxious lately? We’ve put together some simple tips for naturally relieving feelings of stress or anxiety

 

1. Laugh More

Laughter is one of the best ways to relax your muscles, ease tension, and boost your mood, all of which can help lead to a reduction in anxiety and stress levels.

If you need a laugh, try hanging out with friends who always have you laughing or watching your favorite comedy.

 

2. Exercise Regularly

If you need to bust some stress, get moving with some physical activity. Exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress levels and reduce anxiety.

Although it may seem contradictory, the physical stress exercise places on your body can help reduce mental stress. Consistent exercise is best for keeping anxiety at bay.

Exercise can help reduce anxiety and stress levels by:

• Lowering the body’s stress hormones such as cortisol
• Releasing endorphins, feel-good chemicals that act as natural painkillers and mood boosters
• Improving sleep quality
• Boosting self-confidence

To further increase exercise’s ability to reduce anxiety and stress, find a workout you enjoy and look forward to. Think outside the box and try group dancing workouts, running or hiking with a friend, a new cardio class, walking, rock climbing, mountain biking — whatever sounds fun!

Jogging or walking — activities with repetitive movements that work for large muscle groups — can be especially relaxing and almost feel like a form of meditation. Yoga is also an especially effective exercise for reducing anxiety and stress.

 

3. Consider A CBD Oil Supplement

Certain natural supplements can help promote a state of calm and relaxation and fight off anxious feelings. One of the most notorious calming supplements is CBD oil.

Along with various health benefits, high-quality CBD oil supplements may work on multiple brain pathways that deal with neurotransmitters such as serotonin, a hormone that helps promote a natural mood boost.

 

4. Light Your Favorite Scented Candle

Using certain scents to produce a positive effect on your mood is known as aromatherapy. Burning a scented candle is a popular way to use aromatherapy to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and promote a calm, relaxed environment.

Soothing scents to consider include:

• Lavender
• Neroli
• Rose
• Vetiver
• Sandalwood
• Geranium
• Bergamot
• Frankincense
• Orange blossom
• Ylang ylang

 

5. Diffuse Calming Essential Oils

Diffusing your favorite essential oil can be an amazing, natural way to feel calmer and more relaxed.

While lavender essential oil is notorious for its calming properties, you may also want to consider other calming essential oils such as frankincense or a specially formulated blend of calming essential oils.

 

6. Keep A Gratitude Journal

If you want to replace anxious feelings with positive ones, try starting a gratitude journal. Writing down how you are feeling, what you are grateful for, or stressors in your life is a wonderful way to connect with yourself, understand your situation better, and feel grounded.

Focusing on what you are thankful for is a great way to shift away from stress, anxious thoughts and toward calmer, more relaxed, positive feelings.

 

7. Cut Back on the Amount of Caffeine You Consume

Caffeine, commonly found in energy drinks, certain teas, and coffee, is a stimulant that can increase anxiety in high doses.

Every individual has a specific threshold for how much caffeine they can tolerate without becoming anxious or jittery. While coffee can be healthy in moderation, be careful to pay attention to how you feel after drinking it. If you notice an increase in anxiety or the jitters after drinking it, consider cutting back on your intake.

If you’re looking to wind down after a long day, try caffeine-free stress & mood herbal teas that can help you stay calm and maintain your health.

 

8. Cuddle More

Need a serious mood boost and reduction in stress and anxiety? Look no further than oxytocin. This hormone, sometimes known as the love drug, is released by the body during positive physical contact such as hugging, kissing, and cuddling. This powerful hormone can help provide a natural mood boost while also lowering blood pressure.

 

9. Spend Time With Family and Friends

The support of family and friends is crucial during times of stress. Having a strong network of friends or family members you can count on contributes to a sense of self-worth and can help you better manage anxious feelings and stressful times. Positive interactions with family and friends may also release oxytocin and its powerful stress-fighting effects.

 

10. Learn To Say No More Often

You can’t avoid all stressors in life, but there are many areas of life you do have control over. If needed, practice saying “no” to things that will leave you overwhelmed or increase your stress levels.

Be selective about what you are willing to take on and work on limiting what you say ‘yes’ to.

 

11. Stop Procrastinating

Have you ever put off a project until the very last minute? You probably spent a great deal of time being anxious and stressed over it rather than setting realistic deadlines and sticking to them.

Take control of your priorities and start taking steps to stop procrastinating. Work on projects and tasks that are most important and set aside uninterrupted time to get through them. You can designate chunks of time to tackle certain tasks and stick to the schedule. This can eliminate the stress and anxiety that comes from leaving projects until the last minute.

 

12. Listen To Calming Music

Music can have powerful effects on the body. Calming instrumental music can create a calming response in the body and may even reduce stress hormones, blood pressure, and heart rate. Listening to music can have a very relaxing effect on the body.

Nature sounds can also be effective at producing a calm, relaxed response in the body. Find music or nature sounds you enjoy and see what kind of effect it has on your anxiety and stress levels.

 

13. Spend More Time With Your Pet

Spending time interacting with your pet is a wonderful, enjoyable way to enjoy a boost of oxytocin and a natural lift in mood. Being with your pet can also help reduce stress by keeping you more active, reducing stress, and providing meaningful companionship.

 

14. Practice Deep Breathing

Mental stress activates your body’s sympathetic nervous system and signals your body to enter the state of “fight-or-flight”. This reaction leads to faster breathing, constricted blood vessels, and a faster heartbeat.

Deep breathing methods focus on breath awareness and can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system and induce a relaxation response instead.

Look into the different methods of breathing exercises (belly breathing, abdominal breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, pace respiration) and experiment to find the technique you enjoy most.

 

15. Practice Being Mindful

Mindfulness involves being anchored in the present moment. This method of thinking can help fight off anxiety and negative thoughts. You can practice mindfulness through meditation, a journal, yoga, and more. Practice different mindfulness methods to find the one that works best for you.

 

Final Thoughts

While stress and anxiety are inevitable parts of life, there are a variety of natural methods that can be used to help you feel calmer and more in control of the situations around you.

Do you practice any of the natural anxiety-reducing tips we mentioned? Are there any techniques we missed? As always, we would love to hear from you in the comments or you can contact us directly. Our team of professionals would be happy to talk with you about your wellness journey, recommend supplements to promote natural relaxation and help you achieve your strongest, healthiest self.