Stress? What Stress?

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Are you sick of finding you can’t relax?  Feeling wound up and stressed even when you should be relaxing?  Everywhere we look, be it in magazines on TV or even on billboards, we’re being bombarded all day every day with images of perfect skin, glowing hair and skinny figures.  We spend hours in the office worrying over emails, meetings and phone calls.  Even our families pile on the pressure without necessarily meaning too…then there’s the housework, bills, working out what to wear on that all important date.

Have no fear, our tips and tricks can have you feeling up up and away in no time…no pressure, of course.

-It sounds annoyingly obvious but learn to relax.  When you first step into your home take a couple of deep breaths and forget what happened in the office.  Switch on the radio to distract your mind, it may be hard to switch off at first but keep on trucking and it’ll soon divert your attention from stressful situations. 

-Learn to think positive.  Try and change negative thoughts like ‘It’ll never work’ into proactive thoughts like ‘Lets see what will work instead’.

-As most of our stress comes from low self esteem, feeling better about the way you look can combat stress.  Society is so fixed upon body image that it can bring everyone down in one way or another.  But remember the supermodels you see in pictures don’t actually look that good – if we all had the right lighting and a team of airbrush experts we could all be on the cover of Vogue. 

-Quietening your mind and shutting out any negative thoughts using deep breathing exercises can work wonders.  Sit comfortably, close your eyes and let your mind think of peaceful and balanced thoughts in your life, this meditation will calm you down as well as reduce pulse rate and adrenaline.

-When we are feeling stressed or run down we often are more prone to illness.  So head for your local herbalist and try such tinctures as Echinacea which is a great herb that fights against the early signs of colds and the flu, Ginseng, which is ideal for energy stimulation or Kava Kava, an anti anxiety herbal remedy which creates a positive sense of relaxation (a better choice than a glass of wine because there’s no hangover!).  In addition, Vervain is an herb which helps you to relax and de-stress.

-Don’t just go running to the fridge for a quick chocolate fix – high sugar foods can cause you to become more anxious, so grab a carrot or an apple to munch on.  All raw fruits and vegetables as well as seeds and nuts (especially Brazil nuts) are great for your health and boost energy levels too…all that goodness should have you smiling in no time.
 
-Always try and drink at least eight glasses of water a day.  When dehydration kicks in it can cause you to become grouchy and stressed.  For something a little sweeter, homemade smoothies are great stress reducers, but coffee, tea and caffeinated drinks will send stress levels through the roof, so try to cut them out.

Max Igbon, MyVillage: , 06th August