Alleviating and Controlling Stress through Traditional and Non-Traditional Means

You'll find a lot of information written about the different ways for controlling stress - which is fine. However it's always preferable to learn how to reduce it or eliminate it altogether instead. Managing stress is a way to maintain its effects, but we want to get rid of those effects. So, here are some traditional and some not-so-traditional ways to do that.

Controlling stress through natural Asian stress relieving exercises

The Asian culture has always been known for its unique and natural stress relieving exercises and they include Yoga and Tai-Chi. These techniques are known to relax the muscles and gently send the mind into a relaxed state.

From Asia and numerous other cultures, we also have meditation. Meditation is easy to learn and it has multiple benefits. It only takes as little as a few minutes per day (though 15-20 minutes are preferable) and its effects can go a long way toward relieving stress symptoms. The practice of focusing on a single thing helps move the mind away from the stressor and onto something else - something more peaceful and calmer. There's plenty of evidence that proves, if practiced properly, meditation can also have beneficial physical effects as well.

The first step toward controlling the symptoms of stress through meditation is learning deep breathing exercises. Controlling and lessening the symptoms is often a good first step toward curing the longer-term effects. Try it and see: lie face down on the floor on a large towel, elbows bent with your hands flat on the floor. The backs of your hands should be under your chest. Now breathe deeply, three or four times. From that simple exercise, you should begin to feel relaxed already.

Controlling stress with vitamins

Vitamin and mineral supplements will also alleviate the symptoms of stress. The difficulty with vitamins and minerals is that there are so many different kinds and so many that are useless, that recommending specific ones is prone to error. Look for supplements that help elevate serotonin levels, as those are more likely to help than all the others. Whatever you do, avoid those that promise miracle cures.

Alleviating stress with a nap

The occasional sleeping aid may be helpful, however it doesn't come recommended without risk. The risk is becoming dependent on them -- not in the narcotic sense -- but simply as a crutch to avoid dealing with underlying problems. Prone to lead to or initiate drug-abusing behavior, sleeping aids could produce a "high" or temporary escape from real-world problems. And if overdosed, they can result in death. Only as part of a well-rounded program of stress relief they can be very beneficial since a proper amount of sleep is essential to lowering stress.

New techniques for alleviating stress

Other newly developed techniques have proved just as helpful and stress relieving. Aromatherapy, often combined with 'mood music' does actually work in a lot of cases. There's little scientific evidence that aromatherapy has any sort of deep significance, but memories are often associated with certain smells. And the more pleasurable the memory, the less stressful the mind and/or body will feel. At the least, it can certainly do no harm.

Lowering stress with music

Even music can help to relieve stress. Born from a musician's heart, music tends to resonate with our own emotions and its soothing sounds can have quite a calming effect. While the effect shouldn't be exaggerated, it's true that the right kind of music can help shift the mood -- any mood. Both because of memory associations with pleasant events and because of the way that music vibrates through our bodies and creates a "feel good" vibe. Music can alter feelings and help to alleviate stress.

A good massage can also help alleviating stress

Of course a good massage (often used in conjunction with soothing music) will enhance any stress relief program. One of the most common effects of stress is severe muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders and calves. Massage is a direct, hand-on approach to relieving the tension that stress creates while it helps to re-circulate the blood and increase oxygen flow at the same time.

If the methods above for controlling stress don't seem feasible or they just don't work, then psychotherapy may be an option. It isn't easy to find the perfect therapist and there are so many different kinds that it can be difficult to select the right one. Fortunately, consulting family and friends for quality references can help.

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