For many of us living with chronic pain and chronic illnesses, our symptoms can flare up, or get worse, when we are stressed. Even those not living with long-term conditions can feel the side effects of stress and as we come away from the busy holiday season, many are looking for ways to get back to a sense of calm and get into the rhythm of living. Below are 11 easy ways to decrease stress, manage anxiety, and start your new year right.
1. Drink Ashwagandha tea. Ashwagandha is a herb, native to Southeast Asia that is well known for its stress relieving properties. It reduces the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a system in your body that regulates the stress response. Drinking 3 cups of ashwagandha a day for a month can reduce stress, increase concentration and alleviate anxiety. Ashwaganha is also know as “Indian ginseng” and “winter cherry.”
2. Do breathing exercises You can reduce stress, and relax, by using a breathing guidance machine to help you meditate and do breathing exercises. These types of machines use preset color patterns and white noise to help you to become more mindful of breathing. This in turn can help to relief stress and anxiety.
3. Burn eucalyptus scented candles Eucalyptus oil is a powerful essential oil that do another things such ease headaches, treat wounds and relieve stress. One study has shown that eucalyptus can reduce the activity of your sympathetic nervous system. Another study demonstrated how it can increase focus. An easy way to get the benefits of this essential oil is by burning scented candles.
4. Add shower steamers to your morning or evening ritual. Shower steamers have become a very popular method of enjoying aromatherapy during one’s shower. They are often thought to be more economical and practical than placing essential oils on the shower floor because they release their scent more slowly and their scent lasts longer.
5. Paint your stress away with a zen board. If you’re the creative type, then you may already know that drawing, colouring or painting is a great ways to destress. A zen board is great tool to have in your creative kit to help you unwind. While there are different types, most let you paint with water using a small brush. The painting fades as the water dries. Zen boards can last for years and are often portable, so you can bring it with you on the go.
6. Use a Sensate Relaxation Device to manage stress. A sensate device uses patented infrasonic resonance technology to help you build stress resilience while also calming your fight-flight response. This is done by using infrasound relayed via bone conduction on the chest bone to stimulate the response of the vagus nerve.
7. Try a fidget ring for a discrete form of stress relief. Fidget rings are a popular way to provide a sensory input to help calm and relax people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, ADHD, ASD, anxiety issues and more.
8. Add a breathing necklace to your style. A breathing necklace is a simple stylish way to practice mindful breathing. The whistle is silent but allows you to focus on breathing soothing breathes to help you relax.
9. Calm your mind with a lava lamp. Mental health experts sometimes recommend giving yourself a point of focus when you feel anxious. The constantly moving shapes in lave lamps provide a point of focus that can encourage relaxation.
10. Keep a sensory kit close by. A sensory kit has a variety of stress management tools in one easy to carry kit.
11. Practice positive thinking with messages in a bottle. Positive messages in a bottle are great way to destress and boost your mood. These little messages of affirmations and inspiration are crafted to help you with your self care journey.
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Shower steamer: https://www.cleverfybeauty.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions
Zen board: https://mudkitchen.com.au/products/zen-water-art-canvas