5 Stress Relieving Strategies to Help You Enjoy Life

Everyone can use a little less stress in their life, but reducing stress always seems easier said then done--until now! Here are our top five ways to relieve stress and help you enjoy life. Whether you try just one or all five, we're sure you'll notice a more relaxed body and mind:

Meditate.When practicing meditation, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your blood pressure normalizes, you use oxygen more efficiently, you sweat less, your mind clears, and your creativity increases. People who meditate regularly find it easier to give up life-damaging like smoking, drinking and drugs.

Yoga. Virtually everyone can see physical benefits from yoga, but its practice also has some psychological benefits such as stress reduction and a sense of well being. Certain poses can be done just about anywhere and a yoga program can go for hours or minutes depending on your schedule.

Get a Dog or Cat. Recent research shows that, when conducting a task that's stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present!

Take a Cheap Vacation. Here are come creative ideas:

• Take a Quiet Day: Take a full day without answering your phone or connecting to the Internet. This will help you disconnect from the stresses and demands from your daily life, allowing you to relax.


• Be a Hotel Guest: It can be surprisingly relaxing to stay in a nearby hotel. Basically, you are escaping from the constant reminder of the work that needs to be done at home. Turn off that cell phone, close those thick drapes, and sleep in as late as you want!


• Visit a Day Spa: If you can't afford the time or money that it would cost you to go on a traditional vacation, you can spend a fraction of the money a few hours at a day spa getting a heavenly massage that will leave your body relaxed and your mind clear.
  

Good Nutrition. Here's how to combat stress with good nutrition.

• Eat Breakfast-Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain stable blood sugar levels and effective functioning during your busy morning; you need it!


• Opt for Green Tea-You can reduce your stress levels and improve mental performance by weaning yourself off of caffeine. An easy way to do this is to replace coffee with decaffeinated Green Tea.


• Try Sparkling Juice or Perrier-Both are a more healthful alternative to coffee. You'll still get a refreshing treat but you'll be adding water to your system!

What do you do to help relieve stress? Please share your stress-relieving tips with us!