Natural Ways to Relieve Stress

Last Updated on September 23, 2020 by Ellen Christian

This month has literally been one of the worst that I’ve had in a long time. Between home repairs, a broken computer, my son getting in trouble at school and an upcoming business trip, I feel like my stress level couldn’t possibly get any higher without me exploding. I know these are all things that will pass and that I’m capable of dealing with but I need to find some natural ways to relieve stress to make it through.

Natural Ways to Relieve Stress

Basically, stress is the emotional and physical ways that we respond to pressure or things that disrupt our normal routines. It can include irritability, depression, anxiety, fatigue, loss of appetite, trouble concentrating and several other symptoms. We each respond to stress in different ways.

My preference in dealing with stress is to find natural ways to handle it.  There are many natural ways to relieve stress but these are the ones that work best for me.

• Essential oils. One of my favorite ways to deal with stress is with lavender essential oil.  Sometimes, I put a bit on a cotton ball and set it on the corner of my desk. Sometimes I add a bit to epsom salts and have a relaxing soak and sometimes I light a candle made with essential oils. It all depends on  my mood.
• Remove yourself from the situation.  When possible, a change of scenery is a huge help. If I’m frustrated by something at home I go for a walk. If I’m frustrated with my computer or blog related work, I step away from the computer and do something else for a while.
• Herbal tea is very soothing. Chamomile is one of my favorite herbal teas to drink when I’m stressed out. Chamomile has calming properties and I’m never without it in the pantry for those stressful times.
• Take a bubble bath. Really, there is nothing more calming than a hot bath full of bubbles. Get more stress relief by adding some lavender scented epsom salts to the tub.
• Breathe deeply. I have a friend who does yoga when she’s stressed out. If that’s not your thing, you can still benefit from some deep breathing in a quiet place.
• Exercise it off. Go for a run. Ride your bike. Hit the gym. Put on a dance game and take a break with the kids. Either way, exercise is a great way to break the cycle of stress.

Finding natural ways to deal with stress is just one way to get healthier. There are a lot of ways to make healthier choices in your life. United Health Care has a new website called We Dare You to make this easier (and more fun). Just take small steps to live a little bit healthier every day, whether that is by eating healthier, or practicing healthier activities. You can