Natural Remedies for Stress

Changing your diet to include more fresh vegetables and fruits and less sugars, salt, and refined carbohydrates can be helpful. Obviously decreasing your caffeine intake would help as well. Caffeine can aggravate some of the symptoms of stress. Lemon balm tea is a good substitute for coffee as it has calming properties.

Increasing the level of vitamin C, an antioxidant, boosts the immune system and has been shown to decrease stress related infections. Other antioxidants you might consider are Vitamin A and E.

Aromatherapy is another alternative to bring down stress levels. Aromatherapy relies on the use of essential oils. Essential oils are derived from plants, herbs, flowers, woods and citrus fruit peel. Lavender. Clary Sage, Rosemary, Sandalwood, and Tangerine are a few essential oils that have a calming soothing effect. Lavender is used in some baby bath products to help them drift calmly off to sleep.

The oil can be added to a non scented candle and burned. Light the candle and let it develop a pool of melted wax around the wick. Blow out the candle and add the essential oil to the melted wax and then relight. If you just add the oil to the melted wax while the candle is lit, the oil floats on top and is burnt off immediately.

The oils can be added to a warm bath, ¼ teaspoon to a teaspoon. The warm bath itself reduces stress by increasing blood circulation and relaxing muscles. Epsom salt and sea salt (1 to 2 cups) added to a bath tub in addition to the essential oils soothes sore muscles and adds a sense of buoyancy.

Exercise is a time tested method of reducing stress levels. Just make sure that the exercise is completed at least four hours before bed time. Exercising closer to bedtime might make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Massage, especially of the neck and shoulders reduces stress, and helps alleviate the headaches that some people experience with stress. Self massage can be performed on the temples, and back of the neck.

Yoga and Pilates (an exercise discipline) include stretching movements which releases tension within the muscles and aids in blood flow, thereby reducing stress.

Meditation is well known for its ability to decrease stress. Meditation can be combined with aromatherapy and gentle stretches after the session is completed.

You don't have to rely on drugs and medications to reduce your stress levels and uplift your mood.

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