Fitness and Muscle

Stress relief can be hard to find in today’s society. Everyone suffers from stress at some stage as the pressures of modern living become too much to handle. Dealing with stress can be a difficult thing but it’s important that we do, as brushing it aside can lead to more severe problems. Here’s a few stress relief tips that will have you feeling relaxed and ready for anything life has to throw at you.

1. Exercise

Exercising is a great way to relieve stress. Working out for half an hour at high intensity will release feel good endorphins in your body, and you’ll feel relaxed and calm after a good workout. There’s nothing better than taking your emotion out on the punch bag!

2. Listen to Music

It doesn’t matter if its at work or at home, listening to music is great for stress relief. At work it can increase productivity and help you process your thoughts. Taking half an hour at home to lie down and listen to music will leave you feeling refreshed. However it might be wiser to put away that Led Zeppelin record if it’s rest and relaxation you’re after!

3. Stretch

Take five minutes out of your day to stretch if you’re feeling stressed. Stretching will release tightness in the muscles caused by stress. Stand on your tip toes and reach for the sky. This will stretch the muscles in your back and legs and allows your lungs to take in more air, helping you to relax.

4. Drink Orange Juice

Drinking orange juice twice a day has been scientifically proven to combat stress. The vitamin C helps to prevent the secretion of stress hormones, which makes it great for stress relief.

5. Cut Down on Alcohol

Many people see drinking alcohol as a way to relax and relieve stress. However alcohol can make stress worse. Alcohol disrupts sleep, leaving you irritable and tired. Drinking to relax can make you dependent on alcohol, and the knowledge that you may be over indulging is stressful in itself.

6. Sex

Whether it’s on your own or with someone else, sex is great for stress relief! It releases endorphins which improve your mood and leave you feeling calm and relaxed. It may be a good idea to do it at home as it could be frowned upon in the workplace!

7. Meditation

Spending ten minutes everyday on meditation is a proven way to combat stress. Find somewhere quiet and focus on your breathing. Go through each body part, starting with your feet, concentrating on relaxing each one. There are plenty of great resources on the web to teach you the basics of meditation.

8. Read a Book

Taking time to out of your hectic lifestyle to read is great for stress relief. It’ll help you forget the problems that are causing the stress and the fact that you’re giving your brain some exercise, may help you work out the problems that are bringing you down.

9. Ask Why?

Ask yourself what it is exactly that is making you stressed. When you have established the answer to this, then you’ll be better equipped to tackle the problem. Sometimes it’s best to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. It’ll help to put the problem in perspective and you might realize that you’ve been stressed over nothing.

10. Talk About It

If it’s a bigger problem that’s making you stressed and not just the bad driver in front, it may be a good idea to talk about it with friends or family. People close to you will always want to help you in any way they can and they may put forward some ideas or reassurances that you hadn’t thought of. The old saying really is true, a problem shared is a problem halved.

11. Be Realistic

Be realistic with goals you set yourself and others. Failure to meet these goals can make you stressed. Understand that other people won’t always live up to your standards and vice versa. By allowing yourself this emotional leeway you can prevent yourself from stressing out when things don’t go the way you would like.