I am a solid supporter of many great relaxation techniques and stress relief techniques.  A good Relaxation Technique can go a long way to repair any damage caused by long term stress.  But you can imagine how amazed I was when I discovered of all things Chocolate actually helps in lowering stress in the body.

Further more, chocolate has received some bum reviews in the past about its effects on things like acne and tooth decay.  But scientists are now discovering although Chocolate does contain sugar it also contains properties that work against the sugars tendency to produce tooth decay.  It has also been proven that chocolate neither causes or worsens acne.

But wait there’s more! Why does chocolate taste so good?  There are a lot of chemical reactions going on in your brain every time you pop some choc in your gob.  Chocolate contains endorphins and polypeptides, which bind the neuro-receptors in the brain to give relief from pain. Chocolate also contains several vitamins – B1, B2, D, E and is high in magnesium and potassium. 

Just like anything you eat that tastes damn good there are a few conditions.  Although Chocolate is a form of Natural Stress Relief the benefits are more noticeable in dark chocolate, and you must enjoy chocolate in moderation.  In other words, don’t go to the shop and buy a 1kg block of chocolate, go home and devour it all expecting to feel complete stress relief.  If anything, it will have a negative impact on your waistline.

Ok, here comes the party pooper!  Why not try combining some chocolate with a well balanced exercise program, a few stress management techniques or even a few relaxation breathing techniques. 

I can imagine some of you visualizing your relaxation breathing technique combined with chocolate … breath in gently and hold 1,2,3 … breath out slowly 1,2,3 … take a piece of chocolate 1,2,3 and EAT!  Remember, Moderation.

So for all you fans out there who feel the need for a little Stress Relief, crack open a bar of chocolate (dark chocolate preferably) and celebrate with me in a toast to, Chocolate.

The weekend is a time of recovery and relaxation. It is the time where you should rebuild your energy in waiting for what the next week will bring.  With that in mind here are 7 quick Stress Relief techniques to ensure you have a great weekend.  All of these techniques are forms of natural stress relief and can be used and time and any where.  So here they are:

1.      Use breathing exercises – When you’re feeling stressed it’s important to stop for a minute and take a breath.  Effective Relaxation Breathing Techniques have proven to promote relaxation and stress relief.

2.                  Physical Exercise – What better way to release built up tension than to sweat it out.  This Natural Stress Relief technique is a great way to use physical activity to express any frustration you may have experienced during the week. 

3.                  Yoga – A controlled meditative method, Yoga and Stress Relief have always been closely linked.  Yoga is also a really good way of improving your general health with other valuable benefits.

4.                  Stress Management Articles – You can always learn new valuable information from articles, e-zines and magazines specifically related to stress relief.  Always keep an open mind and understand you only need to learn one new tip for the whole article to be beneficial.

5.                  Socialize with Friends – It is very important to have friends and people you can relax with and just talk.  There is no better way to relief stress than to sit and chat about your week and listen to your friends talk about their week.

6.                  Learn new Relaxation Techniques – New stress relaxation techniques are an excellent way to discover new methods to experience Stress Relief.  There are always new methods bought to light and the discovery of old proven methods.  Always keep an eye out for a new technique that could make the world of difference.

7.                  Stress Relief CD / Relaxation CD – Experiencing a guided relaxation can help to release built up tension and repair any previous damage done by stressful situations in the past.

Whatever relaxation technique you use make sure you invest the time to relax over your weekend.  If you haven’t taken a break in a while, then do it this weekend.  I have always found I am more focussed after I take a break.

By now most people are aware that men and women handle stress in different ways and they both seek different Stress Relaxation Techniques to deal with stress. To understand the reasons why men and women handle stress differently we need to pull out the scientific hat for a moment to look at the physiological differences between men and women.

One of the differences is in hormones. There are 3 hormones that men and women produce when under pressure or stress called – cortisol, epinephrine and oxytocin. When we are stressed the cortisol and epinephrine together raise a person’s blood pressure. The amount of cortisol and epinephrine produced by both men and women are about the same. It’s the 3^rd hormone oxytocin that plays the big part. When women are stressed they produce a greater quantity of oxytocin that counteracts the effects of the cortisol and epinephrine and promotes nurturing and relaxing emotions. Men do not produce as much of the hormone oxytocin and as a result they handle their stress differently.

A method women use to find stress relief is open talking and communication. Women just want to talk about their stress, examine their stress and cry about it (if they need to) to release the stress. Men on the other hand will either fight back or bottle it up. Relaxation Techniques for men are usually some form of sport of physical method to release the stress.

This puts a whole different slant on work related stress and methods you may offer both men and women as effective Stress Relief Techniques. Even though work related stress affects men and women differently it can be harder for a woman working in an all man environment and vice-versa for them to truly experience Stress Relief. This is an area where it is important for an employer to offer different methods of support and stress relief techniques to ensure a happy, healthy and productive workplace.

It is always very interesting to watch a couple go through a relaxation program together. There are certain relaxation breathing techniques that will work for women that aren’t as effective for men, and there are visualization techniques for relaxation that won’t work as well for women. Whichever program a couple chooses it is always important to ensure the program is structured for stress management activities for both men and women.

There aren’t many things that test my patience nowadays, but I have to admit sitting in traffic drives me bonkers! All the relaxation techniques I have learned in my lifetime seem to go out the window when I am stuck in traffic. Which tells me learning how to remain calm in a car would have to be one of the best stress relaxation techniques available.

Of course we all handle things differently, and certain things push our buttons that would never affect the next person. But driving seems to push more people’s buttons that many other areas of Stress. I mean some people are scared of driving and therefore would benefit from some sort of relaxation techniques for anxiety to calm their nerves. One suggestion I’ve heard is relaxation breathing techniques. You can use this breathing exercise when driving to calm themselves yourself from the lunatics around you. This may help you feel truly calm.

Another suggestion is to use visualization techniques for relaxation. You have to be really careful when using this technique as you are driving, you know what I mean. It can even be as simple as occupying your mind.

If you are travelling with someone else try a few car games. Simple games like creating words from each letter of a number plate, playing eye spy, or thinking of the number of countries and cities you can think of that start with each letter of the alphabet.

Whatever method you use I have always found any form of relaxation technique good. I mean, it’s better than sitting there building up your anger and bursting.

When you learn it you’re going to think, this is too simple to have any real impact, but I’m telling you, this is cheaper than any Relaxation CD you’ll ever find, and is commonly used in relaxation techniques for anxiety. What is it? I like to call it – not taking life so seriously. Yes, I am telling the truth. You see, so many benefit from Relaxation Breathing Techniques and so many other techniques, but have you ever noticed the people that look really relaxed are the happy go lucky people that smile and don’t take life so seriously? When you think of Relaxation Techniques for Kids, you’ll find the reason they are normally stressed in the first place is as a result of something in life that has made them think like a grown up. Not taking life too seriously is one of the greatest Relaxation Techniques to living longer, having more friends and being happier, Dammit!