Top 10 Natural Tips for Stress Management

Nowadays, all the changes around you make it easy to get stressed. This might make you feel overwhelmed and wonder how to manage it better. That is normal! Life can be very stressful sometimes. The pace of work is increasingly fast, and technology touches every aspect of our lives. This can be too much to handle at times.

The good news is that we can help you! Keep reading to learn the ten best tips to manage stress and take back control over your life. You may follow these tips to enhance your physical and mental health.

What is stress, and what does it do to you?

Stress is a physiological and psychological answer to a change in your life that your mind and body consider overwhelming.

Of course, a small amount of stress can be good for you: it will help you succeed under pressure, do what you need on time, and motivate you toward your aspirations. It may help you to study, work, plan, or prepare.

Still, excessive or unmanageable stress prevents you from being your best self. It can lead to low energy and difficulty in getting things done. You might feel irritated or scattered.

Although you can't escape stress, you can aim to keep your daily stress levels as low as possible. Overcoming daily issues will give you the strength to overcome more significant obstacles that may appear ahead of you.

What are the symptoms of stress?

A stressful event impacts your well-being. It may impact your body, emotions, thoughts, and actions.

Identifying stress symptoms is essential to manage them. This matter because unmanaged stress can lead to health issues like high blood pressure, heart disorders, obesity, or diabetes.

Common stress symptoms in your body are:

• Headaches.
• Muscle tension or pain.
• Chest pain.
• Skin rashes.
• Changes in sexual desire.
• Stomach problems.
• Aggravation of chronic health issues.
• Trouble sleeping or nightmares.

Common stress symptoms on your mood are:

• Anxiety, sadness, and depression.
• Agitation.
• Low motivation or focus.
• Feelings of irritability, worry, frustration, or anger.
• Feeling overwhelmed.
• Aggravation of mental health problems.

Common stress symptoms on your behavior are:

• Changes in appetite: undereating or overeating.
• Social isolation.
• Exercising less frequently.
• Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.
• Angry outbursts.

If you want to manage everyday stress better, here are ten tips to help you.

The best ten tips to manage stress:

If you are experiencing stress symptoms, taking steps to manage stress will benefit your health. These are some of the most effective stress management tips:

1. Exercise regularly.

Your mind can only be healthy if your body is healthy. Exercise promotes overall health and increases your quality of life. It is a great way to manage stress, decrease anxiety and depression, and your mood. It also releases numerous happy hormones and helps to improve your sleep, which is vital to stress management, as we will see further.

Stress seems to disappear while we engage in physical activity, such as dancing or playing a sport. Some good exercise options to relieve stress are:

• Swimming.
• Dancing.
• Running. 
• Aerobics.
• Walking.
• Cycling. 

If possible, opt to do these activities outdoors. The contact with nature will further support stress relief.

If you are short on time, it’s not an excuse! Even if you can't enroll in an exercise program, you still have many options to keep active throughout your day, such as:

• Cleaning your house.
• Walking on your lunch break.
• Biking instead of driving.
• Hand-washing your car.
• Using the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Parking further away from where you want to go.

Walking is the perfect way to start your journey if you are not physically active. Start taking short walks during your day and enjoy the numerous benefits for your health.

2. Perform relaxation techniques.

Practicing relaxation techniques every day is ideal for managing stress. Some examples are deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and massages.

• Meditation is excellent for distracting yourself from your daily stress and better managing it. Meditation works well for lots of people and has many advantages. It can decrease chronic pain, stress, and anxiety and enhance sleep.

There are several free guided meditations available online. Some are only 5 minutes long and can help you relax and calm down. We highly recommend that you give meditation a chance. If interested, check this 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Stress.

If you prefer to meditate on your own without guidance, here are the steps you must take:

1. Go to a silent space.
2. Sit or lay down comfortably.
3. Concentrate on a word, phrase, object, or your breath.
4. Do not judge your thoughts as they come and go.

• Deep breathing. Deep breathing lowers the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for your body's response to fight or flight from a recognized threat. This generates a state of deep rest in your body and delivers more oxygen to your brain.

When feeling stressed or overwhelmed, try to practice this: Take deep breaths in for five seconds, hold for a count of two seconds, and release for five seconds.

You can also try Diaphragmatic Breathing: sit or lay down comfortably, close your eyes, and place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Take a deep breath through your nose and notice your stomach rising more than your chest. Then, exhale through your nose and feel your belly go down as you relax.

Daily deep breathing will help manage and decrease your stress and anxiety levels. 

• Yoga is a form of exercise, which can also be a meditation. Since there are numerous types of yoga, choose ones with slow movement, stretching, and deep breathing. These are the greatest for reducing your anxiety and stress.

Yoga programs are available in mobile apps, on YouTube, and at many gyms. Here is a 15-minute Yoga Stretch for Stress and Anxiety Relief that is incredibly effective for relaxing.

3. Spend more time with your loved ones.

Spend quality time with friends and family members who will listen to you. This is a natural way to reduce stress and calm down. When you connect with someone in person, you release happy hormones, leading to relaxation.

Look for these connections wherever you see fit, whether at work, in organized sports, or in a religious organization. A shared activity will enable you to nurture relationships and find support.

Keep connected with emotionally supportive people who make you happy and calm. This will improve your well-being. Anyone can be a good listener: a friend, a neighbor, or a teammate.

Also, if you need help with some project or task, ask a work colleague, a tutor, or a mentor for help – it will relieve you if you feel overwhelmed. Pairing up with someone can be an excellent way to avoid procrastinating too.

4. Dedicate time to your hobbies.

You need to set time aside for your tasks and goals. However, it would be best if you also have time for what you enjoy. These can be reading a book, listening to music, working out, playing with a pet, or going out with friends.

Taking your time to relax, recover, and recharge is necessary. Only in this way can you decrease your stress. Thus, always take some time for your hobbies, even just a few minutes.

5. Manage your time by planning.

Planning can be a great way to manage your time and ensure you complete all the necessary tasks. Make sure to:

• Make a daily schedule. Plan your day using a calendar or a planning app, where you include all your activities. Plan the times you will be working and the ones you will be dedicated to your hobbies. Having a planned daily routine will help to reduce your stress.
• Follow the plan. Planning is no longer helpful if you do not stick with it. Ensure you are looking at your planner every day. This will allow you to see your accomplishments and prepare for what will come. As a result, your everyday stress will decrease.
• Handle your problems as they arise. Do not stress about your everyday problems. Recognize their existence and try to understand how you can deal with them. If you do not know what to do, ask for help and opinions from people you trust.
• Make sure you are realistic. When planning, set realistic deadlines for the tasks you need to complete.
• Work on your tasks uninterruptedly. This will allow you to complete your tasks more quickly. Multitasking and shifting between tasks can be very stressful and harm your productivity.

A to-do list will allow you to manage stress by keeping track of your priorities and avoiding procrastination. Research suggests that procrastination is associated with higher stress levels. It affects your productivity and leaves you struggling to catch up. This negatively impacts your well-being and sleep quality.

Stress Relief & Anxiety Control may provide support and relief for anxiety, nervousness, stress, tension, panic attacks, restlessness, and irritability.

6. Control your screen time.

Does watching TV Shows, playing video games, and scrolling on social media seem relaxing to you? Well, these are inactive ways to control stress, and although they can look relaxing, they might increase stress in the long run.

Furthermore, spending time on social media sites can be stressful due to their content. Remember that the time spent scrolling on your smartphone could be instead enjoyed with friends, contacting nature, or reading a good book.

Screen time at night also harms you since it can deteriorate your sleep quality. Facing blue light before going to sleep will often lead to fewer hours of sleep.

Of course, for many of us, smartphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions are essential to our daily lives. However, we need to manage our screen time since using them too much is harmful.

In fact, various studies have associated excessive smartphone use with higher stress levels and mental health conditions. Excessive time in front of digital screens is linked to reduced mental well-being and increased stress.

7. Have a healthy diet.

You are what you eat! And what you eat will influence everything in your life: your mood, energy, and, obviously, your stress levels.

BIO24 may provide energy and help you cope with stress. Supports your body's ability to manage, absorb, and use nutrients while boosting your physical health and immune system. It is a useful remedy to keep you alert, fresh, and stress-free all day.

When trying to have a healthier diet, keep the following in mind:

• Choose foods that are good for your health. A healthy diet may reduce the impact of stress, enhance your immune system, improve your mood, and decrease your blood pressure. It has vast benefits both for your mind and body. For such, include the following in your diet:
  • Complex carbohydrates, like peas, beans, and whole grains.
  • Lean proteins, including Greek yogurt and white fish.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids (present in fish, meat, eggs, and nuts).
  • Foods high in antioxidants, such as berries, vegetables, ginger, or beans.
  • Vitamin C-rich foods, such as kiwi, oranges, and tomatoes.
  • Foods high in magnesium, like milk and leafy greens.

• Reduce foods rich in sugar and fat. You do not need to avoid all treats. Still, if sweets are your diet's main component, you will likely feel irritable and stressed. Also, junk food can seem more pleasing when stressed, but it will worsen the problem.
• Write a shopping list. This will help you stick to a healthy diet. Also, try to always have healthy snacks with you.
• Decrease your caffeine consumption. Caffeine accelerates your central nervous system. It can be found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, sodas, and chocolate. Consuming excessive caffeine can lead to anxiety and sleep issues.

BM180 may help your body to deal with anxiety, nervousness, inappropriate fear, shortness of breath, heart palpitation, tingling sensations in the extremities, and panic attacks.

8. Make sleep a priority.

You may desire to stay up late finishing work, talking with friends, or watching movies and TV Shows. If you need to wake up early, please do not do this. Not having enough sleep increases your stress levels throughout the day. Lack of sleep also may cause a vicious cycle of stress and sleeplessness.

If you are not used to going to bed early, you may experience difficulties falling asleep. Plus, note that if this occurs three times a week for at least three months, you might have insomnia.

To make your sleep a priority, try these:

• Workout frequently.
• Get some sunlight during your day.
• Decrease your alcohol and caffeine intake at night.
• Reduce screen time before going to sleep.
• Try some relaxation techniques at bedtime.
• Set up a sleep schedule.
• Make sure your room is dark and quiet and your bed is comfortable.

BM219 may help your body deal with causes of sleeplessness, stress, anxiety, prolonged inability to sleep naturally, and disturbed sleep.

9. Be a positive voice in your life.

The truth is that we all talk to ourselves in our heads. But are you a positive voice in your life? Self-talk can be positive - helping you relax and control stress - or it can be harmful – enhancing stress. The good news is that you are in control: you can learn to switch from negative thoughts to positive ones.

To do this, try to practice positive self-talk every day. Please select a time of the day that works for you and be consistent. It can be while in traffic, right after waking up, before going to sleep, at your desk, or when you recognize negative self-talk.

Positive self-talk and practicing gratitude have tremendous benefits for your health. They may improve your immune system and help with depression.

BM118 may help your body to deal with low mood, sad mood, loss of interest, lack of pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, significant change in appetite, sleep disturbance, etc.

10. Regulate your behavior.

How you respond to other people's actions influences the stress you feel. To regulate your response, here are some practical suggestions:

• Learn to say “no” to requests when you are busy.
• Do not overcommit yourself.
• Share the responsibility to ease your stress.
• Count to 10 before you respond when feeling stressed or irritable.
• Avoid conflict situations.
• Amuse yourself during your day by listening to music and podcasts you like.
• Do not worry about situations you can’t control.

When to seek professional help?

You must seek medical care if:

• You are using tobacco, drugs, or alcohol to cope.
• You think about hurting yourself.
• You feel overwhelmed.
• You are not certain the cause of what you are experiencing is stress.
• You have taken steps to manage stress, but symptoms persist.

Your healthcare provider can assist you by checking other potential causes, identifying sources of stress, teaching you new coping mechanisms, prescribing medicine, or referring you to a therapist.

The following are two types of therapy that may be helpful when dealing with stress:

• Laugh therapy. As you laugh, you inhale more oxygen, boosting your heart, muscles, and lungs. Also, your body releases happy hormones, your immune system is improved, your pain alleviates, and your mood is enhanced for extended periods. This might help you deal with stress.
• Talk therapy. Long-term talk therapy can help you manage stress. It can support changing negative thought patterns.

The bottom line

Stress is normal and human-like, and some days are more stressful than others. But chronic stress can keep you from reaching your best. Therefore, learning how to manage stress properly in your life is crucial. 

Many strategies are proven to help reduce stress and increase your overall well-being. We are sure that the ten tips we shared will be incredibly effective in that matter!