A Journal (or Stress Diary) is a great Stress Relaxation Technique that many people had amazing success with.  It is a set method to record the thoughts and situations that stress you and is a way of putting your stress into perspective. 

It is used to identify, record and resolve any parts of your life that you feel stress. 

More about that in a moment.

Here are a few reasons a journal is a great Relaxation Technique:

—> It helps you to put your thoughts into perspective

—> You may see the things that were worrying you aren’t as big as what you thought

—> It can be used in the future for you to look back on

—> It transfers the stress from your mind to another place for you to reflect on

—> You can use it as a way to identify solutions to your problems

—> It is major step to stop your stress controlling you.

As a big fan of Natural Stress Relief keeping a journal is designed for you to record the areas of your life that stress you and to establish a plan going forward. 

A few of the points you should record in your journal include: 

—> A list of situations where you feel stress in your life (eg. Moving home, person you work with, driving home in the afternoon, high demand in one area of your life, etc.).  Be as specific as possible.

—> List how you handle the stressful situation/s

—> Evaluate whether these responses are healthy, unhealthy, appropriate or inappropriate.

—> List plan of resolution.  You would normally find this by exploring different Stress Management Techniques or Relaxation Techniques.

Used in combination with a Stress Relief CD and other Stress Relief Techniques  can give great results.  For instance after you listen to the Stress Relief CD or learn a new Stress Relief Technique you can record your thoughts in your journal.  Remember, it’s your own personal space so keep it in a safe place.  Finally, be honest with yourself and it can become useful to overcoming the different areas of your life you experience stress.

A study released by the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows the meditation produces long term lasting benefits including changes in the immune-system function as well as changes in the brains electrical activity.  Meditation has been used as a stress relaxation technique for many years now but the long term benefits for your brain and body are truly amazing.

The study looked at 25 employees where they underwent an 8 week meditation training program.  At the end of 8 weeks, flu shots were given to each participant and 16 other employees.  When they measured the level of antibodies still present in the meditators they found them to be significantly higher than the non-meditatiors.

When they measured the level of brain activity they found it to be 50 percent higher in the left frontal regions of the brain.  The left frontal region of the brain is associated with positive emotions, stress relief and reduction in anxiety panic attacks.

This form of natural stress relief should be practiced around 20 mins a day to gain maximum benefits.  The long term benefits include: improved clarity of thought, ability to handle stressful situations better, improved immunity to sickness improved health and an increase in the electrical activity in the brain.

Control.  We all like to feel we have it in certain parts of our lives.  But is there such a thing as control.  Does it really exist? 

After all … when we begin to loose control we react in many different ways, most of which are linked directly to stress. Consider for one moment the symptoms of an anxiety attack.  Sure there’s the sweaty palms, increased heart rate, dizziness, short rapid breaths, and many other symptoms.  But what would be the cause?  It is loss of control.

If you’re a sufferer of anxiety panic attacks you know they begin when you feel like you’re loosing control.  This is understandable.  We all like to feel comfort or certainty over the outcome of certain situations.

Even 9 out of 10 cases of work related stress are from people feeling like they’ve lost control of their desired result.    

But in reality, control is just perception.  The world is spinning out of control, there’s no certainty you will wake up in the morning and you never really know what’s around the next corner.  So what am I saying?  Well one things for sure, I’m not trying to freak you out!  What I’m saying is when you try to control your life and things don’t go well the best way to handle it to relax. 

A good relaxation technique to use when things aren’t going the way you expected is to take a few quick breaths, count to ten and think of the best way to fix it.  Things do happen and it’s up to you how you react.  A level head and a level mind will achieve great things. 

One of the greatest stress management tips someone told me was to just let go every once in a while, especially when the pressure is building.  If you feel like it’s all building up try some stress relief techniques like listening to a stress relief CD or stress relief exercises.  This will make sure you releasing the tension and will prevent any long term build-up. 

There are some simple anger management techniques that you could be using right now to make your life easier when confronted with other people’s anger. Imagine how much more enjoyable your life would be if you knew how to effectively handle people whose behavior is unacceptable to you.   

Even better than that, what if you knew how to stay calm while everyone else around you was losing their cool, how would that be? Here are 5 simple anger management tips to get you started  

1. Use Positive Self Talk There are things that you can say to yourself quietly in your mind when faced with another person’s anger. This kind of talk is called self talk.  

The most important person you will talk to every day is yourself. It is from this talk that you can begin to take charge of your physical and emotional responses.    More on How to Deal with Other People’s Anger

Yes a pretty simple title and, yes it’s true … In a world of constant change and innovation we’re putting too much pressure on ourselves and our colleagues to perform. A lunch break may not seem too important, but this form of Natural Stress Relief can ensure you take a break to rejuvenate and come back focused on the task at hand. 

Why should I take a break?  Stress at work and work related stress are on the rise.  The numbers of people experiencing stress because of the length of hours they work is going up.  For instance take a look at this article on Japanese workers.  The article showed that 355 workers became so sick from overworking they dropped dead. This is an increase of 30% over the last year. Now I understand this is an extreme example yet it shows the importance of taking a break.

What do I mean when I say take a break?  Well for starters, it doesn’t mean sitting at your desk eating your lunch while working or even surfing the net.  You have to sit somewhere other than where you work.

Here are a few suggestions on what you could do in your lunch break:

1.      Go for a walk

2.      Talk with some friends

3.      Listen to a stress relief CD

4.      Complete a puzzle

5.      Read a Magazine or book

6.      Go to the Gym for a quick workout

7.      Listen to some music

These are just a few of many things you could do.  I enjoy playing a game of table tennis, or going out for lunch with friends.  For some this may seem insignificant but these stress management techniques are an excellent way of taking a break. By the way, a break does not include going to the pub

The key here is to allow your mind and body to relax and rejuvenate.  After your break you will come back focused and ready to tackle the task at hand.  This combined with other stress relaxation techniques will guarantee a more happy and healthy YOU!

Is your child stressed out? Some people think only adults experience stress, but it affects our children too. Helping your child to get through the tough times is easier when you have some targeted stress management tips to fall back on.

We often view our kids as happy-go-lucky beings without a care. But children can also experience stress with no idea of how to get immediate stress relief . Not only do they get anxious about things in their own young world– school, friends, peer pressure–but they also can be deeply affected by outside factors such as war, natural disasters and other unsettling world events.

In fact, the list of contributors to childhood stress can be quite long. Many stressors are the result of family problems, like divorce, a death or a parent's job loss but there are also less obvious triggers such as moving to a new city or the birth of a new sibling.

More on 5 Easy Stress Management Tips for Children

The benefits of exercise are endless.  Exercise helps you stay fit, healthy, gives you more energy and makes you feel more balanced. 

It’s of no surprise that exercise is also an excellent method for Stress Relief.  An article recently shown in the daily tribune explains why. 

This article discusses Therapist Clarence Wardell Jnr, where he mentions the many patients he treats for depression and anxiety. 

"Research shows that regular exercise reduces stress and anxiety symptoms," Wardell said.  He explained the release of endorphins triggered by exercise acts like an anti-depressant, what some people call "runner's high." There are many specific types of exercises that are even used as relaxation techniques for athletes.

What types of exercise are best for Stress Relief? 

There is many a stress relief exercise dependant on your level of fitness.  The key here is not so much in the physical activity, it more about the intensity and the consistency.  You must exercise at least 3 times a week to really experience the benefits.  If you are in doubt of your level of physical fitness you should consult you local doctor before attempting any type of physical activity.

If you were looking for tips on how to avoid stress at work than this is definitely one of them.

If you feel really pressed for time how about you duck off to your local gym during your lunch break for a quick work-out?  This can be used as a great stress management tip as it gives you an opportunity to release any built up stress you may experience during the day to prevent any long term stress build up and anxiety panic attacks. 

Remember, the benefits of exercise are really endless and can assist with depression, stress and anxiety.

Don’t you hate those days where you feel like everything is totally out of control? You’ve over committed yourself and you’re wondering how you can squeeze everything into 24 hours.

It can feel really stressful especially if you flying by the seat of your pants. But you know, you don’t have to feel like you’re about to have an anxiety panic attack if you use a little effective time management.

Effective time management is a type of stress management technique that can help you to prioritize and schedule your day to get the most out of it. I would even go so far to say a lot of work related stress or stress at work could be totally avoided if you used time management to plan your day a little more effectively.

7 benefits of Effective Time Management:

—> You can prioritize your day

—> It will help you to remember what needs to get done

—> Reduce Frustration

—> Experience a sense of achievement

—> Get more quality time

—> Improve your focus

—> Stress Relief

But it does take discipline and you’ll find by using effective time management will assist in identifying the tasks you perform every day that aren’t really a priority. Overall, I would rate effective time management as one of the great Stress Relaxation Techniques where you can experience a more balanced day and achieve much, much more.

With so many different methods of Natural Stress Relief available, why does meditation stand out from the crowd? 

Still incredibly underutilized, Meditation is an excellent stress management technique for centering your mind and body.  It helps reduce high blood pressure, anxiety attacks, Stress Levels, Hypertension and in some cases is an excellent source of preventative medicine.

So what is Meditation?  The short version of a potentially really long explanation would be to say – it is a mind body practice using breathing and focusing techniques to create a ‘Relaxation Response”. 

If used appropriately and frequently meditation is an excellent way of reducing your stress levels.  Using a guided meditation in the form of a Stress Relief CD can help improve the focus and benefits of the meditation.  Many Stress based meditations lead you through a series of relaxation breathing techniques and include some handy tips for relaxation techniques for anxiety. 

How often should you meditate?  There are a few factors that determine how often you should meditate; the level of pressure in your job, how often you use other methods to release built up tension, your level of health and the amount of time you have available.  If you feel as if your life is out of control, or you’re under massive amounts of pressure, I find taking out about 30mins a day for at least a month to assist in the refocusing of the mind.

There are many Stress Management Articles available to provide you with more information and benefits of meditation on the Internet.  I recommend using a type of relaxation program to guide you through a set process of Stress Relief.

Not getting enough sleep is not only annoying it can have a massive impact on your health, relationships and overall well-being. From mood swings to depression, making mistakes to loss of productivity, sleep deprivation is definitely not fun.   

9 Stress Relaxation Techniques to Enjoy a Good Nights Sleep!

1. Go to bed and get up at the same times each day.

If you find that your sleep patterns are not consistent, then set a time each day that you can consistently get into the habit of going to bed and getting up. Of course there will be times that you don’t stick to this pattern but make sure that you only break it for exceptions, rather than as a rule.
 

2. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, beer, wine and alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime.

In fact, avoid any chemicals that may act as a stimulant a few hour prior to bedtime.

3. Don’t exercise within two hours of bedtime.

Unless of course you are doing some activity like yoga or tai-chi that is going to slow down your mind and body. Ideally exercise in the morning after awakening or in the evening after work.

4. Don’t eat large meals within two hours of bedtime.

It’s hard to fall asleep when your body feels bloated or uncomfortable from eating too much. Stick to light snacks before bed such as fruit or salad.

5. Don’t take a nap later than 3pm.

Taking an afternoon nap is okay as long as it’s only for about an hour and that you take it before 3pm. The later you nap, the harder it will be to go to sleep at night.

6. Sleep in a dark, quiet room that isn’t too hot or cold for you.

Unless you have issues with sleeping in the dark, make your room as dark and quiet as you can handle. The less light or sounds you have to distract you or annoy you, the easier it will be to fall asleep.

7. If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet or read a dull book.

There’s nothing worse than laying in bed at night listen to the sound of your own thoughts rambling on or watching the same spot on the roof you’ve been looking at for what feel like forever. Instead, get up and do something boring or read a book that you’ve been putting off reading because it bores you. You’ll be surprised just how quick you get tired.

8. Enjoy a relaxing bath.

There’s nothing better than laying in a warm bath to slow down your mind and relax your body in preparation for sleep. Add in several drops of lavender oil and you’ll have the perfect recipe for a good nights sleep. The best time to do this is about 30 minutes before bedtime.

 9. Try a simple open eye meditation like gazing at a candle flame with your eyes open for a few minutes.

This is guaranteed to slow your mind down. Here’s something interesting I learnt in meditation – blinking means thinking. So the moment you stop blinking, you’re setting yourself up to turn off your thoughts so your mind and body can start to slow down and relax.  

Open eye meditations are a simple way to gaze at something for a few minutes before going to bed. This allows your brainwaves to start to slow down and send messages to your body to prepare for sleep. 

Natural Stress Relief Begins With You  To give yourself the best shot at changing your sleep patterns, start with a firm resolve to make it a priority. Your body wants to sleep, that’s what it’s designed to do. It’s not natural to stay awake longer than is required to perform your daily functions.  

Sleep will come when your body returns to its naturally balanced state. Find out what’s causing the disturbance and then do whatever it takes to change or remove it. Then sleep will descend upon you like leaves falling out of a tree in autumn. 

To your great life and health…