Six Free Ways to Natural Stress Relief

Natural stress relief is free, safe, and incredibly effective. You don't need expensive therapy or prescription drugs to reduce stress. In fact, there are plenty of ways to relax and defeat stress naturally without spending a dime. Not only do these techniques provide immediate relief, but when practiced consistently, they also lead to a reduction in overall stress levels, helping you become a calmer, more relaxed person in the long-term.

Self-Massage

There's a reason why we rub our temples when we're stressed: scalp massage is a great way to relax without leaving our desks. But don't stop at your temples. Here's a couple other ways to massage your stress troubles away:

Place your fingertips at the bridge of your nose and slowly slide your fingers down your nose and across the top of your cheekbones to the outside of your eyes.
Place your thumbs behind your ears and spread your fingers on top of your head. Move your scalp back and forth by making circles with your fingertips. Repeat for 15-20 seconds.

Deep Breathing

Oxygen has an amazing effect on our health and mood. Deep breathing is a great way to flood the body with oxygen and provide natural stress relief. The key is to breath through your abdomen.

Start by sitting comfortably with your back straight, then breath in through your nose. Try to suck in enough air so that your lower abdomen rises and falls.
Exhale slowly through your mouth, pushing as much air out of your lungs as you can.
Continue this for as long as you feel.

Meditation

Meditation relieves stress by slowing down your heart rate, normalizing your blood pressure, and helping your body use oxygen more efficiently. Better still, it's simple, always available and totally free.

Find a quiet space and get into a comfortable sitting position.
Close your eyes and choose a point of focus, such as a sound, word, or your breath. If something else enters your mind, try to turn your thoughts back to this focus point.
Give yourself at least five minutes, and work up to longer sessions as you develop your concentration skills.

Guided Imagery

Guided imagery works much like meditation. But instead of focusing on a word or sound, you focus on a setting in which you feel at peace to remove stress from your mind.

To practice guided imagery, simply close your eyes and imagine a calm setting. Picture it as vividly as you can and try to incorporate as many sensations as possible. For example, SEE the waves falling on the beach, HEAR the sound of the water retreating from the sand, FEEL the warm sand under your feet, and TASTE the fresh air.

Yoga

Yoga is one of the best ways to provide your body with natural stress relief because it combines many other stress-management techniques, such as breathing and meditation. The best way to learn yoga is to take a class, but there are simple yoga poses you can do without an instructor that will help put your body at ease and aid in stress management. One easy pose is Legs Up the Wall.

Imagine sitting on the floor, straight-backed with your legs straight in front of you. Now do this, but put your back on the floor and your legs up against the wall.
Put your hands anywhere that's comfortable, close your eyes, and breath.
Stay in this position for as long as you feel and focus on the breath.

Music Therapy

Music can have a profound effect on the mind and body. Just as music inspires dancing and singing, it can also promote relaxation and natural stress relief. Research shows that music simulates brain waves, and a slower tempo promotes a calm, meditative state. This alternation in brain waves also changes other bodily functions, such as breathing and heart rate, which further aids relaxation and stress relief.

Music is a personal choice, so it's best to choose music that calms you down. Classical, New Age, or "natural sounds" like water or birds are most often helpful for natural stress busting. Music can be used on its own, or in conjunction with yoga, meditation or any other relaxation technique. In that way, music can take all of the above stress relievers and make them even more effective!

For more information on natural stress relief and beating stress, check out the Stress Management Channel!

Self -Improvement-Advice.org has a great deal of resources dedicated to managing stress and improving your lifestyle, one step at a time.

Have trouble with anger? Check out this Anger Management Resource!

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