Reduce Stress with Simple Lifestyle Moderation

One must lead a healthy lifestyle to enhance their stress resistance and general health by having a proper diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, exercising regularly and avoiding too much alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. A substantial body of evidence strongly supports the concept that lifestyle moderation can do wonders in helping you manage your stress.

Exercise: Blunt those harmful effects of Stress!

Start slow but be steady, exercise in combination with stress management techniques
Combine aerobic exercise with strength training
Find activities that are exciting, satisfying and challenging
Hit the gym, swimming pool or enroll for yoga classes

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: One Of The Most Effective Ways Of Reducing Stress!

A) Identify Source

Make a note of activities that take up your energy and time, trigger anger or anxiety, or precipitate a negative physical response. Do note positive experiences to
Question the source of stress, eg.: “Do these stressful activities meet my goals?”, “Which tasks are under my control and which ones aren't?”, etc.

B) Restructure Priorities

Always focus on shifting the balance from stress-producing to stress-reducing activities
Listen to music; research finds that listening to soothing music can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels in heart patients
Spend time on getting proper sleep
Own a pet; research finds that pet owners have a lower blood pressure increase in response to stress than people who do not own pets
Replace unnecessary time-consuming chores with pleasurable or interesting activities
If the source of stress is in the home, go for a vacation

C) Discuss Feelings

Communicate and let your feelings out; research says feelings of anger or frustration that are not expressed acceptably may lead to hostility, a sense of helplessness, and depression

Therapists suggest expressing feelings does not mean venting frustration; have a healthy talk

Confide in your trusted individual, directly or through writing, SMS, mail etc.

Expressing alone cannot solve the whole problem; be a patient listener, empathise and respond to others with understanding

Use Humor. Research has shown that humour is a very effective mechanism for coping with acute stress

Eat healthy and drink healthy. Foods with rich in diet and health drinks with important nutrients are helpful

Just Relax! Develop A Relaxation Response; Try These Alternative Techniques

You can’t eliminate stress but develop a natural stress reduction response. Studies say relaxation lowers respiration, pulse rate, blood pressure, releases muscle tension and eases emotional strain
Go for meditation classes, occasional massage & spa sessions
Try Acupuncture as it may improve stress-related heart muscle activity. Though, it does not affect stress-related blood pressure or heart rate
People with severe stress may try Hypnosis. In one study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome, stress reduction from hypnosis led to improvements in many bowel symptoms
Aromatherapy can be a good option for some. Few people may go for herbal or natural remedies