Stress Management Using Alternative Medicine
In today’s day and age, society is typically centered on “busy.” There is this unspoken concept that the busier you are, the more successful you will be or are. However, the busier you are the more stressed out you are bound to be as well.
Stress wreaks havoc on the human body and it can be very hard to control if you don’t know the triggers of your stress.
To give you a general idea, here are the top five most common stressors that are likely causing you to freak out.
• Work
• Family
• Divorce
• Major trauma, i.e. death of a loved one, dealing with grief and loss
• Major illness
• Moving
• Finances
• Car accident
Once you have identified the parts of your life that are stressing you out, you can move on to learning how to fix them.
Now, of course there is the option of common medications (anxiety medicine), but some of us just aren’t interested in that style of chemical treatment. If you are one of those people, then take a few minutes to read about alternative and natural methods for treating your everyday stress.
Herbal Remedies for Stress Management
The use of herbal treatment has seen a huge rise in popularity in the last few years, even though, it has been used for thousands of years of Eastern culture.
Herbal remedies are an alternative treatment under the umbrella of Holistic medicine that focuses on the individual’s entire makeup, instead of just treating specific symptoms, such as, stress. The level of stress you are experiencing will decide what type of holistic medication or treatment you should avail.
Take a look at a few examples below and see if any fit your needs!
• For the everyday jitters or nerves, drink chamomile tea or take a chamomile supplement pill. There are a few compounds in chamomile that have the ability to attach themselves to brain receptors that control stress, just like modern drugs, such as, Valium.
• For minor anxiety or stress, consider the herb Lemon Balm. This herb is sold in the form of a tea, as well as, a capsule. A quick cup of Lemon Balm tea in the morning before work/school or even before bed has shown significant results in reducing symptoms of anxiety and stress.
• For daily anxieties or scenarios where you know you will be anxious, use lavender. Several studies have shown that people who smelled lavender or drank lavender tea prior to a stressful situation display a lower amount of anxiety. Having lavender scented candles in your home is a great way to decrease your level of stress on a daily basis.
Physical Activities For Stress Management
Although this is not exactly “medicine”, physical activity is a prime treatment for stress.
Combine physical activity with some herbal remedies and you should notice a significant decrease in your stress and anxiety levels.
Exercise is the most commonly stated cure for stress, which is why people tend to overlook it. However, exercising is backed by years of scientific research that has proven exercising can reduce stress levels.
This is something you should consider if the bulk of your stress is coming from fear of physical illness. Stay active, run a few times/week or take up Pilates or Yoga.
Take Omega-3 Vitamin Supplement
Omega – 3 is known to reduce the chemicals in the brain that give off stress signals. Taking these supplements once or twice a day will help regulate your stress levels.
Take A Hot Bath
Believe it or not, heat is actually a great way to lower your stress levels. Sitting in a hot tub, steam room, or hot bubble bath loosens up the muscles and settles down the brain. If you have time, try to take a warm bath or go to a steam room a few times per week.
Aromatherapy can play a role here as well by adding essential oils to the water and inhaling their healing aroma you can reduce stress. Jasmine, Lavender, Frankincense
Rose, Chamomile and Vanilla are known for their relaxation properties.
Add to the warmth by drinking a hot cup of chamomile tea!
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the most used alternative medicine therapies for stress. Acupoints in the body are stimulated by special needles that help relieve tension in the body and relieve stress.
Hypnosis
Another critical tool in fighting stress is hypnosis and especially self-hypnosis relaxation audio CDs or MP3s that are readily available in many varieties. These can provide real results and are versatile enough to be used anytime throughout the day to regroup and detach from the stresses around you.
Combine the above alternative treatments for stress management and see just how much your life can improve!