Discover Holistic Remedies for Stress Relief the Natural Way
“The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well.” - Hippocrates.
It is no secret that more and more people are turning to natural remedies and holistic health practices to create a more wholesome life. Many of us experience high levels of anxiety, stress, and overthinking regularly, which predominantly have an adverse effect on our mental and physical health.
Unmanaged permanent stress can lead to severe health conditions such as depression, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, weight gain, and sleep problems. However, the probability of a physical and mental collapse is reduced if you are mindful of your stresses and can maintain healthy stress management strategies.
Unfortunately, during peak stress, many people get caught up in a self-destructive cycle without realizing it. They give up on their routine, cut down on physical activity, indulge themselves in alcohol, or simply zone out by focusing on stimulations such as TV, all of which only make the stress worse. Regardless of the stressful situation, staying mindful and grounded is what one needs to get through rather than running away.
In this article, we share natural, non-medical remedies for stress relief. We hope you will benefit as much from them as we do at HerMeNow.
Reduce Stimulants
Alcohol interferes with brain neurotransmitters involved in regulating your mood. A study conducted in 2019 indicated that there’s a link between anxiety and alcohol consumption, with anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorder (AUD) often occurring hand-in-hand. Furthermore, another study conducted in 2022, across 36 years, showed that alcohol disrupts the body’s natural ability to sleep and may further diminish sleep quality over time. Sleep deprivation may increase your risk of developing chronic sleep problems. A good night’s sleep is incredibly beneficial when managing anxiety.
Stimulants such as alcohol, watching excessive TV, and playing video games can feel like temporary relief from stress, but in-depth, it only makes it worse. Excessive screen time is also linked with anxiety and depression. It promotes self-isolation, which further contributes to anxiety.
It can be challenging to stay grounded when faced with constant stress, but running away only worsens it.
Sleep Hygiene
An uninterrupted eight hours of sleep is one of the best cures for stress. Create a sleep hygiene routine that includes sleeping and waking up around the same time daily. Establish sleep rituals to prepare the mind and body for restful sleep. These could include shutting down screens, bathing or cleaning up for bed, having a cup of herbal tea, or taking sleep support supplements such as magnesium. Additionally, you can add reading before bedtime as an alternative to watching TV until bedtime.
Sleep hygiene supports improved sleep quality and mood, which promotes reduced stress levels overall.
Camomile Tea
Camomile tea is an excellent natural remedy for many health concerns. It helps lower blood sugar, ease cramps, and reduce gut inflammation. Regarding stress relief, it promotes restful sleep. A 2019 study concluded that after 2–4 weeks of treatment with chamomile, people with generalized anxiety disorder saw an improvement in symptoms. Treatment with chamomile may also improve sleep quality.
Switch your nighttime beverage to camomile tea, with some nuts such as almonds or walnuts on the side if you like. Nuts contain melatonin and minerals like magnesium and zinc, which are essential to a range of bodily processes.
Aroma Therapy
Aromatherapy has been known for healing and relaxation purposes for thousands of years. The aroma of the soothing essence of plants such as lavender, camomile, sage, lemongrass, and eucalyptus helps calm the mind and the stressed body.
You can use aromatherapy oils in a massage or as a roll-on on pressure points, such as your wrist or around the neck. To avoid skin contact, you can simply smell the essence, which will have a similar soothing effect.
Different aroma oils have different effects; some are used to relax and relieve stress, while others boost energy and concentration. So you can choose what works best for you.
Mindfulness
Sometimes, the cause of stress is overthinking and over-generalization. The mantra to mindfulness is to “be here now.” Create mental awareness for when you are slipping away into the past or spending too much time worrying about the future, remind yourself to come back here now.
As humans, we have the habit of overgeneralizing everything. When you catch yourself doing that, remember that it’s just a bad day, not a bad life. Just because one part of your life is currently out of order doesn’t mean the rest of your life is derailed too.
Practice mindfulness with gentle yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises.
For more information on mindfulness, you can check out our blog post The Power of Mindfulness.
Stay Active
At HerMeNow wellness, we focus a lot on physical and mental aspects of health. Staying physically active benefits you physically and mentally balanced. Regardless of the tendency to give up movement and become a couch potato, move your body!
A 2021 study found that people with physically active lifestyles have about a 60% lower chance of developing anxiety symptoms. This percentage was compared to matched individuals in a population of about 400,000 followed over 21 years.
Exercising or physical activity helps reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body and increase serotonin in the brain. Serotonin plays a crucial role in such body functions as mood, sleep, digestion, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting, and sexual desire.
Not only that, exercising regularly supports cardiovascular health, healthy joints and muscles, and reduces hypertension.
Remember that you can live up to your full potential with a mind free from stress.
If you are a HerMeNow participant or alumni, book your free coaching session now through the HerMeNow website https://www.hermenow.com/wellness.
Anam Anjum
Wellness Consultant
+971 52 629 9656