5 Natural Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Despite living in an advanced society with virtually unlimited access to basic necessities as well as other perks, many people struggle with mental health issues such as stress and anxiety. In many cases, these are relatively mild and manageable, yet more severe instances can be debilitating, urging people to seek help.

Sadly, in many instances, people have prescribed medication, which can make their condition even worse or result in unpleasant side effects. In the meantime, other treatment methods like therapy may not be accessible or affordable to everyone.

Due to that, a rapidly growing number of people seek natural ways to alleviate the stress and anxiety that is crippling their lives.

Let’s explore some alternative ways of managing stress and anxiety naturally.

How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety Naturally?

1. Meditation

A practice that has been popular and widespread in the East for thousands of years, meditation is now gaining increasing popularity in America and other Western countries. Yet, there is still plenty of misunderstanding about what meditation is and how to do it.

Meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves stilling the body and focusing the attention on a specific object, thought, action, or similar. While many believe that meditation is just sitting still and not thinking of anything, that’s not entirely accurate.

There are many distinct forms of meditation, such as movement meditation, walking meditation, guided mediation, focusing on a word or mantra, and more.

Since stress and anxiety involve lots of racing thoughts, meditation aims to calm the mind down. Being able to control thoughts helps one to be less susceptible to worries, overthinking, and giving in to emotions.

Despite being seemingly simple, meditation can be difficult for those who suffer from stress and anxiety. However, with continuous practice, it gets easier, and benefits become more prominent.

2. Exercise and Yoga

Yoga and meditation go hand in hand. In fact, yoga practice actually originated as a means of preparing the body for meditation.

The practice of yoga involves deep breathing exercises and movements that are synchronized with the breath. Focusing on deep berating and movement helps individuals with stress and anxiety gain better control of their thoughts and emotions.

In addition to the above, yoga poses can help relieve pain and tension that may result from stress and anxiety. For instance, if a person spends a long time sitting down and has accumulated tension in the neck and upper back, yoga can counter that.

Exercise is another beneficial way of improving mood and wellbeing. While it may not happen during your first workout session, as the body gets used to exercising, it helps the brain to release endorphins, also known as feel-good hormones. Just as little as 30 minutes a day can have a significant impact on stress and wellbeing.

There are numerous free yoga classes and workout videos online as well as countless personalized paid programs, allowing you to practice yoga and exercise from the comfort of your home.

3. Lavander

Lavender is one of the most widely-known plants that can relieve stress and anxiety naturally and almost instantaneously. Moreover, numerous studies prove this.

There are several different options in which you can benefit from the relaxing properties of lavender without needing to grow your own plant. For instance, you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to bathwater or diffuse them using an essential oil diffuser. You can also purchase lavender skin care products or simply add a few drops of lavender oil to the products you already have.

Regardless of what lavender product you choose, make sure it’s natural and organic. While picking up a lavender air freshener at your local supermarket may be convenient, it may contain added chemicals that can do more harm than good.

4. Valerian Root

Valerian root is a herbal product that has been historically used across the world to find stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Nowadays, you can purchase a variety of goods such as capsules and teas that contain valerian.

Since stress and anxiety frequently cause sleep issues, adding valerian tea or supplement to your nighttime routine can help you get a better night’s rest and be better equipped to handle another stressful day.

5. Kratom

A lesser-known herb, kratom is rapidly growing in popularity in the west. Native to Southeast Asia, kratom is a tree with large leaves that are rich in alkaloids. One of the most prominent properties of kratom is its powerful pain relief. As a matter of fact, one of the alkaloids in the herb beats morphine by a long shot. Studies have demonstrated that it is 13 times stronger than morphine.

As a result, around 5 million Americans rely on kratom for pain relief and other benefits, which also include natural stress and anxiety relief.

There are different types of kratom, which can be more suitable for different types of the day. Red vein kratom has relaxing and soothing properties. So, it can be helpful for the evening or nighttime.

Meanwhile, green vein kratom has properties similar to coffee. It is mildly energizing and analgesic. Yet, unlike coffee, it creates a calm and steady focus, which has a positive effect on stress and anxiety. It helps one to remain productive and have better control over their thoughts as well as improves the mood. People with social anxiety can benefit from this type too.

If you choose to try kratom for stress and anxiety, make sure to select a trustworthy vendor who lab tests their kratom products. This will increase your chances of buying kratom that is fresh, pure, and high-quality.

In Conclusion

While all of these natural ways to relieve stress and anxiety are beneficial, you may benefit from a combination of a few. Experiment with different combinations to find which has the best impact on your well-being.

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