I remember when I was a child.  Days seemed to go on forever, there was always something to do and I was always getting up to some sort of mischief.

As I grew up, things definitely change.  I took on extra responsibilities, got a job, strived for direction in life and more of my life became about time, money and relationships. Everything starts to speed up and I seemed to have less time than before.

The stress monster can easily creep up on you and you can begin to feel the pressure of everyday life with deadlines, responsibilities, family pressures and stress at work. 

You know stress is always there though, in everyone’s life, but it’s a question of how you handle it.  Some of us deal with it by becoming aggressive and snappy at those around them or other negative responses.  If you handle it this way then your stress will continue to build up with really bad side effects.

There is another way.  By investing just 20 minutes a day using Natural stress relief techniques like Meditation, stress relief CD’s, relaxation breathing techniques, Yoga and Relaxation Programs will offer natural relief from any stress that builds up in your day.  The benefits of using different natural stress relief techniques are countless.  Some of the immediate benefits include:

—> Feeling happier

—> Improvement in Immune system

—> Lowering of blood pressure

—> Release of built up stress

—> Improved concentration

—> Feeling calmer and more energetic

—> Enjoying a more restful sleep

Natural Stress Relief has no negative side effects and makes you feel good.  Remember, there are different stressors in everybody’s life (in other words, things that push your buttons) but by using natural stress relief for 20 minutes a day they won’t affect you the same way and you’ll be able to tackle them head on.

The person that created the saying – “There’s only a few things to be sure of in life; death and taxes” needs to add traffic to it.   With roads filling up more and more, traveling to and from work can be really stressful. Many of us need some sort of stress relief just to cope.

Being late, feeling claustrophobic, or simply frustrated being stuck in traffic means some of us aren’t the most polite people to be around.  Have you ever been guilty of cursing at another person, cutting someone off or making impolite gestures? From impolite behavior right up to physical aggression, road rage works at several different levels which result in stress, anxiety and often poses a significant threat to the health and safety of everyone on the road. 

If you’re driving to work in the morning and you experience road rage on your way it can have an impact on your work and cause unnecessary stress at work.  If you experience road rage on the way home you may end up taking it out on your family and create a stressful environment in your home.

It may surprise many people but if you use effective relaxation techniques you can overcome the road rage associated with stress and anxiety which will help you to become a more polite and defensive driver.

Here are a few relaxation techniques to help make that drive bearable:

—> Listen to a Stress Relief CD – Listening to a good stress relief CD everyday will help you to stay calm and focused when you would normally feel quite stressed.  It will help you to release your stress in a safe manner.

—> Listen to Music, audio books or talk back radio – This helps you to take your mind off the congestion and frustration of traffic and makes it a little more bearable

—> Relaxation Breathing Techniques – This will help you to become more focused and centered when you are experiencing stress or frustration in traffic.

—> Time Management – If you find one of the reasons you’re experiencing frustration in traffic is because you’re late then focus on methods to improve time management

It’s important to find stress management techniques that provide natural stress relief before, during and after your stressful drive in traffic. You can do this by investing about 20 minutes a day to release and de-stress. After all, with our ever increasing population, traffic is here to stay.  How you handle it is up to you. As I said in the beginning – “There’s only a few things to be sure of in life; death, taxes and traffic.”

A great new trend is beginning to form in forward thinking companies in an effort to tackle stress at work head on.  Several independent studies showed when people followed another passion other than work that they were more focused, handled work pressure better, were more balanced and had less time off sick.  This was first targeted by several H.R. Departments looking for strategies to reduce stress related illnesses in the workplace. They discovered by encouraging people to have a secondary focus other than work not only improved productivity but also gave their workers a way of venting stress.

It’s understandable when you understand the concept of a hobby as a relaxation technique.  With so much pressure everyday to perform and with work related stress on the rise it can be really hard to switch off at the end of each day. A hobby helps you to take your mind elsewhere, where you can focus on something different for a while.  There are many different hobbies you can try from dancing to writing in a journal.  The key is in finding one that you feel passion for.  Combined with other strategies like stress relief CD’s, relaxation breathing techniques and stress relaxation techniques will ensure you will have a happy less stressful lifestyle.

With strong focus on working, making money and taking care of your family there can be very little time left for you at the end of each day.

Let me ask …How often in your day do you stop to do something just for the fun of it? Unless you find fun in activities like; ‘changing the paper in the photocopier’ than you’re probably like most people that simply don’t take time out for fun. But fun is an important part of life. It’s an excellent stress relief technique, it helps you to relax, and it means taking time out for you. If your searching for fun you too can be like many other forward thinkers and take up a hobby.

But what makes a Hobby so appealing and why is it a great Relaxation Technique?

To answer that question I need to discuss a few different hobbies and their benefits.

—> Gardening – Gardening is a great relaxation technique for many reasons. Your under natural light, your surrounded by fresh air, you can reflect quietly while weeding, planting or maintaining your garden and at the end you’re rewarded with a beautiful result you can admire.

—> Scrap booking – Scrap booking is a great hobby that combines artistry and writing to create a unique way of recording memories to pass on. Scrap booking is also very social (classes and gatherings) which is a great way to take a break from the usual daily grind.

—> Buy an aquarium – Aquariums do require a little bit of regular attention, but it has been found scientifically that people experience stress relief when watching fish swimming in a tank. This type of hobby can also be very social.

—> Keep a Journal – Write your thoughts, reflect on your day and record life goals you would like to accomplish. It is always interesting how thoughts can change by simply recording and reflecting on them in a journal.

—> Learn a musical instrument – People that have learnt to play a musical instrument may disagree and say it’s really stressful when you first begin learning. But in reality a musical instrument is the ultimate way to express yourself artistically and is an excellent relaxation technique.

—> Collect something – Stamps, coins, rocks, collecting can be a great way of taking a break. There are many different things you can collect and many different ways you can collect them.

They key focus is for you to take a break from your usual daily routine to socialize with others, or sit quietly reflecting on your day while you’re keeping yourself occupied. In other words … Your own time.

All of the hobbies mentioned are excellent natural stress relief techniques and just a few of the many available.

There are even some forward thinking workplaces around today that encourage their employees to take up a hobby to deal with stress at work and to help their people become more focused on the job.

Work related stress is constantly on the rise.  Our big planet is not so big anymore and the amount of pressure to perform is always going up.  Although we have had so many technological advances to make our life easier, in actual fact some of them are the root cause for Stress and Anxiety.

Take for instance E-mail.  Email is a great way of staying in touch with people anywhere around the world, yet at the same time it means you can work from home late at night, on weekends, literally anywhere.

With another weekend coming up, I think it’s time to de-stress and take a break.  What can you do to take a break? 

Well I’ve prepared my ten tips you use to relax, rejuvenate and have a good weekend.  Please note, these are all natural stress relief exercises and have been approved by the Great Life and Health Foundation, in other words, US.

Here they are: 

1.      Read a good book – Sit, relax in bed and find yourself a good book to read.  This is a great relaxation technique as it gives your mind a break and helps it to focus on something different for a while.

2.      Take a long, hot bath – The benefits of a hot bath are endless.  It’s great for your body and your mind.  Try combining this tip with some music and relaxation breathing techniques to gain the maximum benefits.

3.      Visit friends – Social Interaction is a great way to relieve stress.  Talking with others about your week can help you to get it off your chest rather than letting it build up.

4.      Listen to a good Stress Relief CD – This Stress Relief Technique will help you to address and get rid of your stress instantly rather than letting it build up.  If you combine it with a hot bath you can sit and let you troubles float away.

5.      Do some stress relief exercises – Similar to a Stress Relief CD, Stress relief exercises will help you to get rid of any built up stress.  This is a great way to ensure you keep your stress levels down.

6.      Pamper yourself – Try a massage, a pedicure, manicure or some aromatherapy.  Take some time for you to do what you want.

7.      Go for a long walk – Walking is great for the body and it’s great for your health.  It can help you manage your weight, lower your cholesterol, lengthen your life, strengthen muscles and of course, it lowers stress.

8.      Do Some Relaxation breathing techniques – Take out a few minutes to do some simple relaxation breathing exercises. It’s a great way to release that tension from your week and help you to start your weekend fresh and relaxed.

9.      Start a hobby or put aside time for your hobby – Hobbies help us to express ourselves in ways we normally can’t.  They are a great way to release tension and do something we really enjoy.

10. Play some sport – Team sports are very social and are an excellent method of stress relief.  Choose a sport you are passionate about.  Join a club or form a team.  The good thing about sport is you’re being social and getting fit.  Just stay away from the after game drinks

So that concludes the list.  Remember the weekend is a time away from work where you can relax and take time for you before you get back into it next week.

A recent article by CBS News shows the better you cope with stress and more often you use stress relief techniques, the better your cholesterol level is likely to be.

The Study was released at the 115^th annual convention of the American Psychological Association and discussed the 716 men that took part in the Normative Aging Study.  The average age of most participants were 65 and were evenly spilt between white collar and blue collar workers.

The study asked them to rate 26 different coping strategies they used as stress relief techniques.  Some were unhealthy like blaming themselves for stress or isolating themselves from others.  But there were also other positive stress relief strategies like planning how to overcome it and seeking help.

It has been known for years that stress affects your cholesterol levels and the more you experience stress the worse bad cholesterol (LDL) is present.  Stress basically raises total cholesterol and also raises LDL Levels. 

What does LDL have to do with Cholesterol and Stress Relief? To give you the really short version of a long story there are two different types of Cholesterol, HDL (High-density lipoproteins) and LDL (Low-density lipoproteins).  HDL is composed mainly of proteins and only a small amount of cholesterol and is known as good protein .  LDL is mainly composed of cholesterol, has very little protein and is known as bad cholesterol. LDL is primarily responsible for depositing cholesterol within arteries that can cause heart disease.

So you now understand the importance of reducing your LDL levels but how does that stop stress?

We all experience stress everyday, and it’s about eliminating stress but more important it’s about is your ability to handle stress.  If you use effective stress relaxation techniques like a stress relief CD, stress relief program or other stress relief exercises you can change how you’re body handles the stress.  Interesting the strategies that show the greatest result are generally forms of natural stress relief The key is to find positive ways to reduce and handle your stress at work, with your family and other areas of your life.  If left unattended you may suffer a heart attack or even worse. 

Without a doubt one of the biggest time and energy killers is anger. The more time you spend indulging in it the less time you have to live a happy, productive and enjoyable life.   Learning simple anger management techniques to become instantly calm and centred is a skill worth investing time in building. There are two sides to anger. On one hand it can be the cause of tremendous pain and suffering. It can turn into hatred or violence in the blink of an eye and destroy everything we love and care about, or it can turn inward and become bitterness and despair. 

More on Anger Management Made Easy

Ok, I’m going to try to stay off my soap box over this one.  I understand as a reformed smoker it’s important to keep an open mind on the subject.  So does smoking actually help with Stress Relief?  When I think back I remember when I felt stressed and wanted to calm down my first thought was generally to light up a cigarette. 

The right answer on getting rid of stress may be some type of Natural Stress Relief, but for a smoker it isn’t always that easy, especially since smoking is an addiction.  So what actually happens to make you feel so good?  Nicotine is a type of stimulant and one of the main ingredients in Cigarettes.  It releases a chemical in the brain called Neurotransmitters that regulate your moods and help to make you feel better after every cigarette.  But the down side is after a period of time the good mood disappears and you must have another cigarette to replace that feeling.

So, smoking in affect causes stress, simply because you experience stress if you don’t have one, and places you in a position where you need to constantly top-up your nicotine levels to continue feeling good.  In other words, you become addicted.

Here are 3 reasons smoking causes stress:

—> Stress Relief is only temporary: You will need to smoke another cigarette after a while to stop your body from experiencing withdrawal stress,

—> Smoking doesn’t actually solve your problems: They’ll still be there until you deal with them,

—> Smoking actually causes stress on your body – Studies have shown once you give up smoking your level of stress actually decreases.

It also appears work related stress has an impact on smoking … A recent article release by ninemsn in Australia shows 70% of smokers start smoking when they start in the workforce.  Also, men working over 50 hours per week are twice as likely to smoke then other workers.  In this article Dr Tony LaMontagne found smoking rates were closely linked to Stress. 

What’s the answer?  There’s no simple answer.  Obviously governments, employers and unions need to find ways to offer stress relief techniques other than smoking for their employees. 

But if you’re an individual looking at giving up there are always a number of different options.  You can use patches or gum, or you could be a hero like me and just go cold turkey.  If you use the cold turkey approach you will need different natural stress relief techniques to help your body’s withdrawal symptoms and to control the existing stress in your lifestyle.  You could try a good stress relief CD, exercise, relaxation breathing techniques or many other different stress management techniques.  By making your environment smoke free you’ll reduce your stress at work and will over all feel better for it, I know I did.

Did you know that one of the biggest stressors in the world that I've come across during 15+ years of coaching individuals, groups and couples is the stress that happens in relationships.

From broken hearts and homes to not wanting to go to work just to avoid facing that person whom you'd rather choke than work things out with learning simple stress management skills is vital if you want to stay happy, healthy and productive.

Healthy relationships begin and end with you setting the ground rules for how others treat you. Here are some handy stress management tips to get you started: 

Set Boundaries.

Many people will walk all over you if you let them. Setting boundaries means deciding what’s ok and what’s not ok when it comes to how people treat you.One of the easiest ways to do this is to practice using the word ‘no’.  All too often we say ‘yes’ when we mean ‘no’. Just by letting others know that you have limitations on what’s ok or not ok will send them a powerful message that you are in control of your life. 

Take Back Your Power.

You are either in control of your life or you’re not, there is no in-between. This means that no-one has the power to make your life a misery unless you allow them to.  Start taking back your power today by affirming to yourself in the mirror each morning upon awakening and each night before retiring to bed, “I love and approve of myself”. Just this action alone will make a huge difference. More on Stress Management Techniques for Healthy Relationships

After a really stressful day there’s something strangely appealing to running a hot bath and soaking your troubles away.  But few people understand the true benefits on your body of this simple yet satisfying Stress Relief Technique. 

Water after all, is nature’s healer as it has positive effects on your skin and muscles. It helps to stimulate nerve reflexes and it calms your internal organs.

Combined with a stress relief CD a hot bath is the perfect Natural Stress Relief technique to release that built up tension.

But wait there’s more. A recent study from the Mayo Clinic found soaking in a hot bath provides similar benefits to exercising without all the extra strain on the heart.  Soaking in a hot bath increases your heart rate while it lowers your blood pressure. How does this work?  When you first get into a hot bath it speeds up your heart to send blood to the surface and disperse extra body heat into the air.  After a couple of minutes the warm blood causes your blood vessels to dilate, which decreases the resistance to blood flow and lowers your blood pressure.

A few other benefits of a hot bath include:

—> Overcoming Insomnia

—> It stimulates sweating and the release of toxins

—> With the addition of Epsom salts it helps arthritis and rheumatism

—> With sea salt it promotes healing and prevents infection

—> Promotes Stress Relief and Relaxation

When you’re feeling really stressed give a hot bath a go. It will release your built up tension.  While soaking you can read a book, meditate to a stress relief CD, listen to music, or simply just sit and relax.