Stress Be Gone: Part Two

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. – Chinese Prover

Some great tips to deal with unwanted stress from daily life.

Herbal Teas:

Brewing up a soothing cup of tea is a calming, peace-inducing ritual in itself. If you can, find loose leaves, that are organic, but ready made tea bags in various blends of the herbs listed here are just fine.

Mint: Herbs in the mint family, especially spearmint and peppermint, add a refreshing flavor and mild sedative action to herbal teas. They are especially soothing to an upset stomach.

Skullcap: The whole plant can be used as tea to help relieve a variety of symptoms. Skullcap is a relaxing herb that you can use for insomnia, headache, nervous exhaustion, muscle spasms, and the nervous tension and irritability associated with premenstrual syndrome.

Ginseng: The dried roots of ginseng are used in cases of insomnia, nervous exhaustion, and stress.

Chamomile: The delicate apple-like scented flowers of chamomile are useful for people suffering fromhyperactivity, indigestion, insomnia, and nausea

Lavender: Its benefits include anxiety, indigestion, irritability, nervous exhaustion and tension headaches

Lemon verbena: the very essence of “lemonness”, this beautiful smelling herb is used to help alleviate indigestion, insomnia, and nausea.

Linden: The aromatic flowers of this herb help relieve anxiety, headaches, indigestion, and nervous tension.

Passionflower vine: are utilized in teas by persons suffering from anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nervous tension, PMS & menstrual problems, and tension headaches.

Valerian: useful in relieving anxiety, insomnia, and tension. Actual clinical trials show that valerian can help users fall asleep faster and have a deeper, more refreshing night’s sleep.

Catnip has a variety of medicinal uses including insomnia, excitability, palpitations, nervous indigestion, stomach upsets, and digestion-related headaches. Interestingly, although catnip causes quite a bit of excitement in cats, it is believed to have exactly the opposite effect on humans. Catnip tea has a long history of use as a calming brew, to soothe the stomach and quiet the mind.

Vitamin And Mineral Therapy

To help offset some of the damage caused by stress, try the following daily supplements:

200 to 400 milligrams of magnesium,
10 to 100 milligrams of B- complex vitamins
500 to 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C.

The magnesium blocks the damaging effects of excess adrenaline. Studies have shown the physical damage caused by stress is minimized with B-complex and Vitamin C.

Here are some other things to help prevent stress:

Yoga – try very easy beginner’s classes to really understand why this 3000 year old system of health and wellbeing is so relevant to our modern age.

Mindfulness Meditation – Be Here Now; stress and anxiety come from either dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. The mind that is in the present moment is much more peaceful,

Deep Breathing – Ten minutes of deep-breathing-a-day keeps the doctor away.

Guided Imagery – many, many audio cds exist to help you visualize peaceful journeys.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation – first relax your toes, then your ankles, then your shins….

Massage Therapy – owers blood pressure and assists in the movement of lymph through the lymph system. Our lymph system carries cellular debris and toxins out of the body.

Exercise In Nature – long walks, biking, hiking, swimming in the ocean,

Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it. – Jane Wagner

Laugh:

Finally, here is one of my favorite remedies for stress (and you may laugh at this, but it really works): Laughter Therapy. A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:

Stimulate your organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart,lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
Soothe tension and stomachaches. Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation, which helps reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long haul. Laughter may:

Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can impact your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural
painkillers.
Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make difficult situations a little bit easier.

While we are all works in progress, and the most certain thing about life it that it will be filled with uncertainties, there is only one life that we are given. Use it wisely.

Stress Be Gone: Part Two