5 Stress Relief Techniques To Implement Today

When you feel anxious the majority of the time, it is important to find ways to relieve your stress. The feelings from stress can become overwhelming, leading to additional health problems such as high blood pressure or insomnia. When you don’t try to relieve your stress in the earliest stages, you risk having serious complications such as a stroke or heart attack. There are new medical studies that reveal that constant stress can damage your brain’s synapses, leading to Alzheimer’s disease. Fortunately, you can begin using these five stress relief tips today to reduce your anxious feelings. 

Stress Relieving Tip 1: Get Enough Sleep

If you aren’t getting enough sleep on a nightly basis, then it can lead to more stress. While you are sleeping, your body releases hormones that heal your body and soothe your brain. When you aren’t sleeping because you feel too anxious at night, then you can visit a physician to learn if there are medications that you can use for a few weeks to help you sleep better. After you develop a normal sleeping pattern, your brain can cope better with stressful events. 

Stress Relieving Tip 2: Engage In Physical Activity 

By exercising as much as possible, you can reduce your stress levels. Experts recommend exercising three times a week for at least 30 minutes, but if you can exercise more than that, then you will feel better. When you engage in physical activity, it increases the blood flow throughout your body and brain. With additional blood circulation, your entire body is getting more oxygen that will help to lift your mood while eliminating stressful thoughts. 

Stress Relieving Tip 3: Learn How To Meditate

It is important to learn how to meditate because this practice will help to reduce your stress. By meditating for only a few minutes each day, you can clear the troubling thoughts from your mind. While you are meditating, your breathing also becomes more relaxed, helping to eliminate your anxious thoughts. If you don’t understand how to meditate, then look for a training CD or book on the subject at your local library. 

Stress Relieving Tip 4: Find a Support Team

In addition to asking for occasional help from relatives, create a support team of friends who you can turn to during a time of crisis. For many individuals without nearby extended family, joining a religious institution is an important way to have a support team. By having a support team, you can call to ask for help when an emergency occurs, or you can talk to a friend each week to overcome your anxious thoughts. 

Stress Relieving Tip 5: Take a Break 

If you are working all of the time, then it can lead to stress. To protect your mental well-being, you should take frequent breaks to enjoy activities such as watching sports or participating in hobbies. For additional stress relief, you should also socialize occasionally by going to a movie with a friend or attending a dance. Schedule a fun activity several times a week to relieve your stress. 

Do Some Herbs and Spices Help With Arthritis Relief?

Many well known drugs that have been proven effective as medicines come from plants, such as aspirin and quinine. So it really shouldn't be a surprise that the long tradition of using herbs and spices to treat medical conditions is actually effective. 

Below are seven that are well established as anti-inflammatories and can play a role in helping to control inflammatory conditions, like arthritis. Bonus, they have been chosen for this list because you are probably familiar with them already.

1. Turmeric
Many people swear by the anti-inflammatory properties of this bright yellow spice commonly found in Indian cuisine and readily available at your local grocer. Although studies have shown that curcumin, the active ingredient in this spice, does combat inflammation, results vary. You can give it a try and see if it seems to help you. If you it does, skewing your diet towards Indian cuisine may be a relatively easy way to help keep your condition under control.

2. Ginger
Although ginger is probably best known for its ability to combat nausea, it also has anti-inflammatory properties. This fact has been backed up by studies. This zesty spice is used in many Asian dishes, but it is also readily available in most brands of ginger ale. Just look at the bottle. Most of them say "contains real ginger" somewhere on the packaging. If you need to limit your consumption of sugar, you can get diet ginger ale. 

3. Cinnamon
Studies have proven the anti-inflammatory properties of cinnamon. Although many of the items on this list get used in savory dishes, this one is often used in deserts. However, it also acts as a blood thinner, so may be contra-indicated if you are on certain medications or have certain conditions.

4. Garlic
Garlic also has anti-inflammatory properties. For the best medicinal effect, use fresh garlic, not garlic powder. If you really do not like the flavor of it, it can also be found in supplement form.

5. Cayenne
The active ingredient in cayenne and other hot peppers is capsaicin. It has anti-inflammatory properties and also gets used in some medications as a topical pain killer. It has been proven in studies to ease arthritis pain. 

6. Black Pepper
Although the active ingredient in pepper is piperine, not capsaicin, it has similar effects. So if hot peppers are too hot for you, you can go for black pepper as a milder flavor with similar health benefits. 

7. Licorice
Licorice not only reduces inflammation, it helps support the adrenals. Not only can you get it as a supplement or in tea, if you read the packaging, you can sometimes find actual licorice in the candy of the same name. However, it is contra-indicated for people with high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney problems. 

Many herbs and spices have medicinal effects that help you control arthritis pain. This includes licorice, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, cinnamon and ginger.