How To Relieve Stress | Relieving Stress | Stress Relief

YOUR PERSONAL HOW TO RELIEVE STRESS JOURNAL

Before you can start to understand how to relieve stress you need to first identify the parts of your life that affect you the most when it comes to stressful situations. This may sound easy for some; however remember that some areas may play a small part in your life but may stress you greatly. Identify situations where you feel uncomfortable or where your behaviour changes and make notes of them in a ‘Stress Journal.’ Your stress journal will be your personal stress life tracker, every time you feel stressed or a stressful situation occurs you can note the circumstances and why you have become stressed as a result. Hopefully you will notice a link or connection between the activities you partake in and the stress you experience.

Stress can appear in many forms; as a part of life which a person accepts, ‘it is always stressful at home,’ as part of your career ‘I am always pressured to meet deadlines’ and a matter of temporary interference ‘I have just got a lot on at the moment.’ You need to recognise and understand the role stress has in each area of your life before you can begin to control it. Throughout the article I will go through a variety of methods on how to relieve stress which are applicable to a large range of lifestyles.

HOW DO I RELIEVE STRESS?

First issue to consider is ‘how do you relieve stress?’ Using your ‘Stress Journal’ write down what you do when stress confronts you. From this, we can see whether you cope with stress in a healthy or unhealthy way.

Examples of unhealthy ways of coping with stress:

• Alcohol consumption
• Avoiding the issue hoping it will disappear
• Ignore the problem by watching TV or being on the PC
• Medication, pills, drugs to relax
• Over eating or under eating
• Over sleeping
• Smoking
• Taking your stress out on others
• Withdrawal from society and your friends and family

All these ways may cause a person temporary relief of stress however the long term affects of stress can cause drastic problems and mental conditions. So if one of these methods is your solution, today is the day we find a new strategy for you! Unfortunately there is no ‘one sit fits all’ method to help everyone relief stress, as we are all different and unique by our personality, commitments and toleration levels. Here I will go through a variety of methods on how to relieve stress which you can try out for yourself.

HOW TO RELIEVE STRESS

How To Relieve Stress By Avoiding Unnecessary Stress

As the saying goes, it is a common fact that some people want a too bigger slice of the cake and it is a slice which they cannot handle by themselves. A way to relieve stress is first to understand if it is to do with your lifestyle.

If anyone reading this is like me they will understand how hard it is to say ‘no’ to someone. “Could you lend me a hand this weekend?”… “Are you free to do this?”… “Could you finish this for me?” I will most probably respond yes to all these questions without consulting my diary and even if I am busy I will squeeze these commitments in and stretch my limit to the max. This will increase stress and make progress towards relieving stress more difficult. Cutting down on the activities that cause you unnecessary stress is a great example of how to relieve stress in this situation; you can still help out your family and friends but only to the extent of what you can manage.

If you have commitments which you have the choice of being included or not, sit down and have a quick chat with yourself and consider whether you can cope with the commitment and cope with the stress it might entail; not “well I might be able to cope with the stress it presents.” In addition to avoid unnecessary stress taking regular breaks from your activities will help keep your stress levels low. Usually every 30-45minutes take a short break, breathe the fresh air or go and stretch your legs. The average attention span in most people is less than an hour so to keep your mind alert regular breaks will help your brain keep up with you therefore more alert to deal with stress related problems if they arise.

A handy tip on how to relieve stress is to try and delegate activities to others to spread out the responsibility as it will help you reduce the work load therefore reducing the stress load. In the work environment in particular I am use to doing tasks myself and not asking others to help; it is a common situation. Similar at home I am use to doing the household chores around the house; again it is a common situation. Some people feel ashamed asking for help however this is a precious action to take if you have the opportunity. Stress can occur due to being overwhelmed with an endless list of tasks and is a common situation with those who live alone, single parents or those who live in large households. An excellent way to relieve the stress is to ask for help. Learning how to balance your life can be essential and is an excellent example of how to relieve stress. Achieving a life that is balanced will improve your tolerance of stress and enable you to cope with stress more effectively.

How To Relieve Stress By Altering A Stressful Situation

Being in a stressful situation is difficult however a good example of how to relieve stress is by altering the stressful situation and channelling it towards something constructive. In most cases stressful situation reoccur on a regular basis therefore there is a need to find a solution to figure out what can be done to reduce the stress and also to prevent this stress in the future.

Coming up with a solution to relief stress is the toughest battle you will face, but here are a few tips on how to relieve stress which may help.

Recognise the stress

Express your opinion and your feelings about the stressful situation is a great example of how to relieve stress. Bottling the emotions usually results in resentment or guilt that you did not speak your voice. Speak your view, express your feelings and from this you can work on how to move forward. This is the first step, to recognise that the stressful situation is not acceptable in your life. It is helpful to use breathing exercises for stress when you are stuck in a situation like this, it will calm you down and enable you to focus on how you feel.

Manage your time

Managing your time better is one of the most favoured skill people want, it is the one which is most valued and it is a great example of how to relieve stress. If you are someone who stretches your assets far, you will need to rethink your priorities and also what are your limits. Managing your time is a way to reduce stress and is rather effective if used properly. Managing your time in relation to reducing stress does not necessary mean ‘if you do less stuff, you get less stressed.’ Managing your time is a strategy of organisation. Ever heard of the saying ‘failing to prepare, is preparing to fail’? Well this saying is applicable when it comes to managing your time because if you prepare what you are going to do, you are preparing to complete it successfully. This is the second step, managing your time effectively to remove stressful situations.

Compromise and stress

The will to compromise is difficult, but sometimes the gateway to relieving stress will involve some sacrifices. Remember that the welfare and health of yourself should be valued and do not be ashamed to put yourself first sometimes, even if it involves cutting down on commitments for relieving stress through time management or cutting down on luxuries for relieving stress through financial management.

How To Relieve Stress By Adapting The Stressor

In some situations relieving stress might be unachievable; however all is not lost because if you can adapt the stress, adapt yourself. You are probably thinking ‘how can I change myself?’ Or ‘why should I change myself?’ The answer to this is quite simple; in order for you to control your life you need to adapt your negative traits to have a positive impact on reducing the stress, this is a great example on how to relieve stress.

When a stressful situation hits you, take the time to view what the stress is and how you can get the most out of it. Now this might sound strange, but think of a situation which reoccurs frequently and has a negative impact on you. First take a step back, this situation does not have to be negative. You need to take the opportunity to make a positive impact on a negative situation, turn the tables. For example you might have a small house but a lot of unnecessary possessions which makes the house cluttered and messy.
A positive outcome or action which would help you relieve stress would be to sell some of the items so you obtain money, donate items for good causes, or read ‘organisation and de-cluttering’ help guides to help you learn some great tips to hide possessions and managing your items at home.

A good tip on how to relieve stress to take on board to reduce stress is to adjust your standards. We all may wish to be perfectionists however very few exist and it is a major fuel of stress. Try to set reasonable standards for yourself.

How To Relieve Stress By Making Time For Fun And Relaxation

The need for personal enjoyment and relaxation is usually forgotten by most people. After weeks and weeks of constant work and neglect to their own personal enjoyment no wonder they feel depressed and down. A great example of how to relieve stress is by making sure you are happy; setting aside time for relaxing and enjoyment is an excellent way to chill out and de-stress every day. Go for walk, call a friend, take a bath, sink into your sofa with your favour hot drink, read a book, listen to music; whatever you enjoy make time to do it. Making time for fun, enjoyment and relaxation is an excellent way to relief stress as your body gets a break from your daily routine. Using aromatherapy for stress relief is an excellent way to relax and indulge yourself in beautiful aromas. 

Unfortunately some people get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that it is difficult to break out of the routine so I suggest that for those who always work, take baby steps at a time.

How To Relieve Stress By Adopting A Healthy Lifestyle

This is probably the most obvious, being healthier makes you happier and less prone to stress. So here are a few points:

• Drink water, 8 glasses a day.
• Eat fruit and vegetables every day; however I do recommend bananas as they stimulate brain activity.
• Using exercise for stress relief is a good way to keep your body active and healthy.
• Get into the routine of a healthy diet and eating all 3 courses, breakfast, lunch and tea.
• Reduce consumption of sugary products and caffeine.
• Get enough sleep.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.

STRESS RELIEF

It is important to remember that knowing how to relieve stress does not necessarily mean you will never experience stress ever again. In many cases I have seen people use relieving stress methods and strategies and they have been able to deal with stress in a positive manner, until on one day a bad stressful situation occurs and they have been unable to cope with it; consequently the person gives up thinking the method is useless. This is a misconception believing the method has not worked. One day of stress in the space of a couple of weeks is great, even if it is one day of stress compared to four days of peace.

Stress is a natural part of life that we all experience, eradicating stress completely would mean erasing certain emotions within our mind, which unless you are a robot programmed not to express emotions it would be impossible. A misleading theory is using stress relief methods to ‘cure’ stress, but stress is not an illness. There are variety of websites you can access for free which can shows you examples of how to relieve stress using a large range of activities.

The term ‘stress’ in this article does not refer to post traumatic stress disorder.

Aromatherapy For Stress | How To Relieve Stress

BENEFITS OF USING AROMATHERAPY FOR STRESS

Feeling stressed is a natural part of life which we all have experienced. For so long people have researched into ways to relieve stress in our lives. Aromatherapy is one of many that have been shown to reduce and relief stress and it is a method which I believe everyone should try to see whether it works for them.

Using aromatherapy for stress relief is not expensive and you do not need to buy a ‘how to’ manual, so if finances are tight this is definitely a technique I would recommend.

Continuous stress can lead to consequences for your brain over working the adrenal glands leading to constantly feeling on edge, emotions spiralling out of control and exhaustion. Therefore aromatherapy is one of many methods that soothes and calms the brain and mind, and hopefully enabling a person to gain control of stress.

WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY?

The term ‘aroma’ means scent and ‘therapy’ means treatment. In my view, I perceive aromatherapy as an activity where you relax in peace and let the beautiful fragrance oils and aromatic flowers calm your mind and slow down the pace of the world.

The way you use aromatherapy for stress relief and how often is down to which appropriate method is more suitable to your way of life. Some people have “time out” sessions if they have an outburst of stress, others place scented oils or fragranced flowers around their home for continuous beautiful and soothing aromas and some carry these fragrant flowers around with them during their daily activities. You may wish to visit an aromatherapist in your local area who can perform aromatherapy massage on your body using essential oils or lotions; however the sessions are frequent and usually costly. Rather than visit an aromatherapist, many people purchase essential oils or aromatic lotions from their local pharmacy; however before purchasing a consumer must be aware of the risks of using these products as well as any allergies.

There is a lot of information available about using aromatherapy for stress as well as for other occasions.

IS AROMATHERAPY EFFECTIVE?

Have you ever wondered why perhaps your neighbours, friends or in other peoples gardens they have lavender plants? Apart from their beauty, it is no mystery that they have a strong soothing smell. Lavender is one of the most common fragrances used for aromatherapy, and is one of the most available products on the market. It is no wonder why you see ‘monkey beanie’ products filled with lavender that you place in the microwave purchased frequently. Apart from looking adorable it is a great way to get the aroma constantly around you, even as you fall asleep. Using a combination of aromatherapy and breathing exercises for stress is very effective. Using aromatherapy for stress will offer an alternative and natural method of combating stress rather than turning to drugs and medication.

DOES AROMATHERAPY CARRY RISKS?

It is recommended not to partake in aromatherapy activities too frequently as side-effects include feeling sick and having headaches as the aroma is strong. In addition aromatherapy is not suitable if you have epilepsy, high blood pressure and if you are pregnant. If you do have any concerns it is best to contact your local GP as they have the qualification to determine whether aromatherapy is suitable and safe for you. Please be cautious if you have allergies, hay fever, eczema or any other skin related problems as these could cause problems. Essential oils if purchased are not to be used neat on the skin, they have to be diluted before use, however lavender oil and tea tree oil is an exception.

USING AROMATHERAPY FOR STRESS RELIEF

Everyone is different and a person’s daily activities can vary greatly, however I have put together aromatherapy for stress methods for you to try out to see whether they suit you and hopefully help reduce your stress.
Aromatherapy oils for stress relief include lavender, bergamot, geranium, chamomile and ylang ylang; and lemon is also useful if you experience insomnia due to stress related problems.

Aromatherapy For Stress -> The “Time Out” Session

Mostly used spontaneously as sometimes outbursts of stress can be random and surprise you. The fragrance oils used are entirely to your choice as you may find a singular one has a great effect on you or perhaps a combination. Please be aware of allergies and also not to get the oils into your eyes, mouth or broken skin. Also make sure that the oils are contained out of the reach of children and are brought in small quantities usually 5ml-10ml. Apply 2-4 drops of your chosen fragrance oil/s to your bath and stir to distribute. You can also dilute the fragrance oils and add a few drops to unperfumed shower gels. You can then use this as frequently as you normally do in your usual daily routine.

Aromatherapy For Stress -> The “Aromatic Home” Method

Most commonly used to balance the atmosphere in a home and to calm those who enter if stressed. A common aromatherapy for stress method is leaves, petals and roots placed in bowls around the home giving off a constant soothing scent. They are not expensive to purchase and last for around 6-8 weeks, and also look beautiful in the home. Learning how to balance your life at home is more effective when combined with aromatherapy as it calm the brain activity making daily chores less stressful.

Burning incense is an excellent method if you have the time to relax in your home. People usually burn incense whilst in the bath, or whilst meditating and also when relaxing.

Some air fresheners and plug in fragrances provide aromatherapy, however depending on the brand of the product this is not the cheapest method, however plug in fragrances due last 6-8 and sometimes more.

Aromatherapy For Stress -> The “Fragrant Human” System

For active people constantly on the go, it is difficult to avoid stress and especially having the chance to think whether you have time to help yourself de-stress. As I am personally someone who is active, I am always on my feet and rarely have the chance to relax. Having the chance to experience a “time out” session seems and feels like luxury to me. However, there is good news! Similar to adding diluted fragrance oils to unperfumed shower gels you can do this with lotions and creams. Adding the oils to hand cream in my view is the most benefit as I constantly use it and it is refreshing having a beautiful aroma to smell.

For those who do not use creams or lotions it is best to invest in a small fragranced bean bag (similar size to a stress ball), which you may feel is rather silly however you will find the aromatic scent that follows you on a day to day basis and the fun you have playing with the bean bag as well as smelling it is rather addictive and from personal experience, gives the sensation of beauty and makes you smile. Using a combination of aromatherapy for stress relief and exercise is effective also because it keeps you fit and healthy as well as leaving you feel calm and relaxed.

Breathing Exercises To Relieve Stress | How To Relieve Stress

During stressful moments it is difficult for anyone to be able to concentrate on the matter at hand. Using breathing exercises to relieve stress is an effective way to ease and clear the state of mind as it is something we can control and regulate. It is important that whilst you are stressed that you continue to breathe natural as deprivation of oxygen can cause huge problems within the respiratory system. Irregularity in breathing during stress, although in some cases is hard to control does heighten stress levels and makes them even harder to cope with. By carefully monitoring your own breathing during stressful time, you can ease your stress but also counteract the unhealthy effects of stress. Using breathing exercises to relieve stress is one of many useful methods, so try these out to see whether they are successful for you.

USING BREATHING EXERCISES TO RELIEVE STRESS

Exercise One – Raise energy and increase alertness

Close your mouth and breathe through your nose.

Rapidly breathe through your nose, inhaling and exhaling in equal duration.

Try to inhale and exhale rapid 2-3 times per second for fifteen seconds.

After this duration return to your normal breathing pattern.

Each time you practice this breathing exercises to relieve stress you may extend the duration by five seconds each time until you reach one minute.

If this exercise is carried out properly it will leave you feeling alive and alert therefore more declined to reach for that cup of coffee or chocolate snack.

Exercise Two – Calms your nervous system

Sit anywhere in a comfortable position, placing one finger on the tip of your nose.

Exhale completely through your mouth naturally.

Close your mouth and inhale through your nose whilst mentally counting to four.

Once you have reached four, hold your breath for a count of seven.

Exhale slowly through your mouth to a mental count of eight.

The cycle has been completed.

This can be repeated 3-4 times if necessary.

The length of inhaling and exhaling can be increased if you feel ready to do so. The longer you inhale and exhale the more your nerves calms down, however do not go any longer than holding your breath for ten seconds and exhaling for twelve seconds. In addition do not force out air if you have none left in your lungs and do not hold your breath for the time stated above if it is your first time doing this particular breathing exercise. Using breathing exercises to relieve stress will also enable you to control your nerves and anxiety.

Exercise Three – Breathe counting

Sit in a comfortable position in an alert upright posture and close your eyes.

Breathe in naturally and when you exhale, mentally count one.

Breathe in naturally again and when you exhale, mentally count two.

Continue this until you exhale five, once this is done repeat the sequence again.

Try and do this for ten minutes, however do not exhale above the number five as the breathing exercise is to calm your mind and body but also keep your attention focused.

Exercise Four – Relaxing the body

Lie down comfortably on the floor either on carpet or on a rug or blanket.

Part your legs and arms slightly from your body and close your eyes.

Breathe slowly but naturally. Pay attention to how your body moves whilst you are breathing.

To ensure this is done correctly your chest and abdomen must move together.

Continue this for 5-10 minutes and make sure you pay attention to how your legs feel when you breathe as well as your arms.

There are several useful combinations to assist these breathing exercises to relieve stress. Using aromatherapy for stress is highly effective as it it is used to calm and relax the mind, with the assistance of these breathing exercises to relieve stress it will enhance the effective of stress relief. In addition breathing techniques are handy in relation to when you exercise for stress relief. Having control of your breathing habits and understanding how to breathe appropriately will allow you to get the most out of using exercise to relieve stress.

How To Start Balancing Your Life | How To Relieve Stress

Stress can be caused if your life is ‘off balance.’ When life is busy and keeping track of time is difficult, it is easy to find yourself not being able to focus on elements of your life which are important to you. Taking a bird’s eye view, your time and life becomes a parasol spinning, making you unable to focus your energy on the roles you play in life. This template on how to balance your life considers each area in your life and will give you a visual representation of the way your life is at the moment. It will highlight to you the area which you have less influence in and the area you have more control and involvement in.

Learning how to balance your life will allow stress relief to be a lot easier and more effective.

BALANCING YOUR LIFE ‘CIRCLE OF LIFE’

The template is very easy to use and can be used for a diverse of issues and self improvement areas. The template as shown below consists of a circle divided into 8 sections; this can be increased and decreased depending on how many areas your life focuses on. Each section is contains numbers, 1 starting from the centre moving outwards to the edge up to 10.

How To Balance Your Life

1. Begin with writing down a list of key areas of life that are important to you such as family, friends, careers, education, finances, fitness, health etc, and then within each key area write down what vital roles you play, e.g. mother/father, husband/wife, sister/brother, friend, employee, colleague, manager etc.

2. Each area along with the roles place around the edges of the ‘circle of life.’

3. Consider each section in turn and rank then 1 (low) – 10 (high) in relation to how much time and attention you devote to that area or role.

4. Join up the numbers around the circle.

5. Highlight the areas which you either spend too much or too little time and attention on. Just an additional point, having a balanced life does not mean the same number value for each role and key area as the focus and attention for some may vary. You need to highlight whether you are under or overcompensating in an area.

6. On a separate ‘circle of life’ write down the same sections again however plot your ideal scores. This will be your aim, your action plan.

The last thing to do once the areas have been identified is plan how to balance your life by taking action. In areas which take up too much of your time and attention, what can you cut down on? Is there anything unnecessary that you are involved in? Is there a simpler activity that can be done to make life easier? Cutting down and finding new easier and less time consuming activities within these areas will mean that you will get chance to have more involvement and participation in the areas that have been neglected.Completing this activity is not half the battle because unfortunately the hardest part is putting this plan into action. Therefore I have put together a top tips guide and ways to relieve stress to hopefully help you succeed to a balanced life.

HOW TO BALANCE YOUR LIFE TOP TIPS

Balancing your life tip one:

“You” time. Make time for yourself, and this time with yourself takes precedence over others. This will be the chance for you to recharge your batteries and do something you enjoy. Using breathing exercises for stress is handy as it allows you to rest and focus, it also will allow your brain to stay calm so you can review your thoughts. Put yourself in your calendar and organiser frequently and make sure you don’t miss an appointment!

Balancing your life tip two:

Looking after you. Even though busy people may find it difficult but never miss a meal as your physical and mental energy is dependent on it. Create an exercise routine, perhaps once or twice a week you walk to and from work, or go for a short jog. If you are healthier and have more stamina, you can work better and longer. Exercise for stress relief is extremely effective. Most importantly, rest.

Balancing your life tip three:

Prioritise. Remember that having everything perfect is not necessary. This top tip is one of the hardest to achieve as it requires discipline and pushing yourself to achieve the best results. Take this tip set by set and over time your discipline and willingness to do things will grow. If one day you find it difficult to prioritise, do not punish yourself as negative reinforcement does not work. If this happens all you need to do is understand why you went off track and this will highlight a weakness and an area to improve on.

Balancing your life tip four:

Boundaries or blur the boundaries? A strategy to life balance which can work both ways. Creating boundaries allows a person to ring a circle around certain activities and classify them in an area or role. Blurring the boundaries works effectively for example mixing the roles with family.

Balancing your life tip five:

Take a break from routine. You do exactly what it says on the tin, break the routine.

Balancing your life tip six:

Do something out of the ordinary, in the context of your daily routine. This will help you avoid certain traits being woven into your life. So instead of walking the same route to work, try a new one! Instead of having your usual morning cereal and coffee, try a muffins and a fruit juice.

Balancing your life tip seven:

Appreciate the surroundings. Be still, quiet and listen to the surroundings. A good exercise is to sit in a garden or park with a pen and paper and just for ten minutes sit, listen and write down all the sounds you hear; or write down what you can visualise from the sounds. Using aromatherapy for stress relief is beneficial especially if you get time alone to appreciate your surroundings and using scented candles makes the experience more pleasant and relaxing.

Balancing your life tip eight:

Do what you enjoy. Let your mind focus on an activity which you love doing, because the more the love this activity the more competent you become and as a person you become more balanced.

Balancing your life tip nine:

Strategies are an important issue to raise. Focus on ways you can become successful at gaining a balanced life by using time more effectively. Therefore the strategy for successful life balance is looking at each activity you do and questioning your actions in relation to its time effectiveness. Is your time really being put to good use? Is the time you are spending on an activity really worth it? Is there an activity that would give me the same results but be quicker and easier?

Balancing your life tip ten:

Reward yourself. Two simple words which rarely anyone does. If you have achieved or overcome an obstacle you should reward yourself, positive reinforcement is excellent for the mind and continuous positive reinforcement lets your brain know that if you do well you hall be rewarded. It is a good habit to get into, however be aware not to take it to the extreme, as generosity and voluntary help is rewarding in itself.

Hopefully this template and top tips will help you understand how to balance your life and enable you to reduce the impact of stress in your life.

Using Exercise To Manage Stress | How To Relieve Stress

Some people dread the word ‘exercise’ knowing that participating in such activities will exhaust them as it makes their body work hard. Luckily, exercise does have a point of existence for those who suffer from constant stress, as it helps the body feel good and the better the body feels the better you will feel and stress will be able to become more manageable as you will have the strength to combat it head on. You can use exercise to manage stress by doing a variety of activities from yoga, a daily jog to weightlifting and gymnastics.

WHY USE EXERCISE TO MANAGE STRESS?

Regular exercise makes you body stronger, enhances your stamina and makes you fitter and healthier, through this process it can increase self-confidence and lower symptoms of stress and anxiety. It is like the more you participate in daily exercise, your body can build a shield similar to immune systems against stress and anxiety. Therefore if stress and anxiety is felt, the body and mind is able to combat it, giving you a sense of control over your body and of your life.

Some say that exercise just acts as a distraction from your problems and your issues within life. This is partially true; however it has a purpose of distraction. First, it is a healthy distraction because after an exercise session the body is more active and alert therefore enabling you to find an answer on how to relieve stress. It has a similar effect to a ‘wake up’ call where a person splashes cold water on their face. It also helps you look healthy which is a superficial point however significant to the majority of people. Exercise helps you lose weight, strengthen your muscles and immune system and tone your body. Feeling better in your body improves your mood and elevates your confidence, and for most people this has a significant impact on their life. Feeling more fit and healthy will also improve your success of achieving a balanced life. Using exercise to manage stress has puzzled many people, but with the extra fitness boost it will allow you to combat your problems more effective and efficiently.

TOPS TIPS FOR USING EXERCISE TO MANAGE STRESS

Everyone has that moment where they feel they are going to lose it. I have been there and it is common amongst everyone. There is help, and here are a few ideas on using exercise to manage stress.

Tip One

Try not to eat too much of the pie to begin with. Many people feel that they need to get as much done as possible; however this is not the case. Rushing into an activity and feeling stressed about how much time it will take you will only worsen the situation. Even if you feel as though your energy is low, consider taking baby steps and thinking through the situation and the best method of attack. Rather than complete a task take it easy and slowly because chances are you will continue the task to completion with low stress levels compared to rushing frantically.

Tip Two

Start off small. If you have just thought about implementing daily exercise into your life, try to do short outbursts every day. Usually start off doing around 10-15 minutes exercise for the first week, then afterwards 15-30minutes every day.

Tip Three

The most important rule is to keep it simple. There are many activities you can do to gain exercise even if it’s going up and down the stairs or going outside for a walk in the park. Some activities like mountain climbing and adventurous sports may seem great but take it in small steps as small achievements over a long period of time are easier to manage especially when stress levels can change unpredictably.

Tip Four

A supporting friend. With methods of weight loss in particular it is a great idea to have a friend or a member of your family to support you throughout this time. It is great because this person can be honest about your progress as well as be there for you. For people who prefer to keep it personal then purchasing a journal or diary is a great way to record your progress, achievements and activities.

Tip Five

Have a 5-10 minute warm-up. This will get your body moving and get you ready for your little exercise daily adventure.

Tip Six

Have a 5-10 minute cool down. A great way to end your activity is a short session to cool down.

Activities such as yoga, boxing and martial arts are an effective way to combat negative emotions. These activities are useful as they provide a use for negativity and turn it into a motivation for increasing health and well-being.

There are several useful combinations you can use to exercise to manage stress relief. Using aromatherapy for stress is highly effective as it it is used to calm and relax the mind, with the assistance of breathing exercises for stress relief it will enhance the effective of stress relief. Having control of your breathing habits and understanding how to breathe appropriately will allow you to get the most out of using exercise to manage stress.

Stress Relief Games | How To Relieve Stress

Stress relief games are an effective way to relieve stress. Using games for stress relief provides the opportunity to transfer the ‘stress,’ convert it into constructive energy which stimulates the brain in a positive way. Stress relief games is one constructive way to use this energy, as well as other activities such as painting, woodwork or even physical fitness.
There are a variety of stress relief games such as strategy and action play. In this very first ‘Stress Relief Games‘ post I have added a new game; Bloomin’ Gardens. As the name suggests it involves pretty flowers growing. The aim of the game is to match each type of flower by moving them one by one into a line of 5 or more to make them disappear from the garden, however there has to be spaces around the flower for it to be moved. The end of the game is when the entire garden has been taken over by flowers. My best score so far is 80, so try it out and see if you can beat my score!

Happy Picking!

Find out more on stress relief games.

Play Games on Miniclip.com

How To Organise Your House | How To Relieve Stress

How to organise your house using easy and simple techniques guaranteed to ease and relieve stress. These house cleaning tips will allow you that extra time to do something more fun and relaxing and will enhance life balance.

Having an unorganised home is one of the most popular triggers of stress, and by far usually the one which is harder to control due to outside variables such as pets and children. So is all lost? No, of course not, where there is a will there is a way! How to organise your house can be simple by following short basic steps and even the smallest change will show a noticeable improvement.

HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR HOUSE

The Hall of Heroes
The first step on how to organise your house is to look at how someone else will approach your house. The first point of contact is the front door porch and your hallway. A clean and clear hallway is great for everyone. It is incredibly annoying after a long day at work to get home and then bury your way through the hallway to get to the kitchen, or after a rainy day and a long walk you run home and your hallway is so cluttered that it too gets a good soaking.

Here are some handy tips:

~ Have a shoe rack; metal or wooden however wooden racks are a lot better as some metal shoe racks can be unstable so after a week or two you find yourself attacking it. Placing it by the door is usually the best position for it, ready for you and others to take off their shoes without coming too far into the house.

~ A door mat to wipe your shoes, having an indoor and outdoor is preferable as it saves the time and effort of having to scrub the carpet clean if someone walks in with muddy shoes.

~ A key rack or stand to keep all your keys together.

~ A hallway cabinet or box can be useful if you find that small random objects enter random rooms but do not have a permanent home.

~ Minimise objects left on the window sill if you have one in your hallway. Windows are focal points in any room, so a clean tidy windows, frames and ledges are golden.

The Clean, Gene, Cooking Machine.

We all dread washing the pots after consuming that tasty dinner we just ate, especially if we have eaten too much and feel like having a nap. How about you try this out….

Whilst cooking, try washing up along the way. Run the hot water and have ready a bowl of hot fairy liquid water therefore once you have used that pan dip it in, wash and leave on the drainer. It will add no more than a few minutes to the cooking time however will save you at least 15 minutes as you will not have to spend ages trying to clean pots and pans where food has become dry, hard and almost not cleanable.

Once all food has been dished up, there will be no pots to clean so quickly wipe down the sides and then scamper off to eat your own food. Adding no more than an extra 30 seconds to your time and the kitchen is spotless.

Once food has been eaten, if you are in a rush do not worry about washing up the plates and cutlery, as long as they are neatly stacked ready to wash for when you have the time all is good. Also, seeing that your kitchen is spotless from pots and pans a small little pile of a couple of plates is a sign of relief as they require little effort to clean!

A nice little tip if you ever cook something and the pots and pans are a pain to clean…. boil the kettle and put a droplet of fairy liquid in the dirty pot. Pour the hot water into the pot and leave for about 5-10 minutes then using a kitchen brush scrub around the pan and rinse, all the food stuck should come away a lot easier. This is handy especially if you have cooked stuffing or baked a cake and some food has become stuck or has burnt onto the pan.

The Sneaky Red Sock and the Mysterious Odd Ones
We all know how entertaining doing the laundry is; rooting through dirty socks hoping that we wash them in pairs, making sure t-shirts are turned inside out and hoping we don’t accidentally add that red sock to a whites wash.

How do avoid these issues? How do we reduce the chance of getting the odd sock? Well the answer is no secret, it is all about organisation. How to organise your house can involve any issue that stresses you, and one main stressor is the irritation of doing the laundry and always losing that one sock. I use to question myself sometimes; “where could the sock have gone?”…. “Did I even put it in the wash?”…. “Was there ever a second sock?” I have on the odd occasion blamed the washing machine for perhaps stealing or eating my sock… it could happen. So I decided that the poor washing machine had had enough abusive and I put into place the ‘laundry basket machinator’ hoping the Terminator phrase “I’ll be back” will bring some luck to my socks.

It was nothing technical, just two baskets; one for whites and one for reds and colours. I’d pair up socks when I put them in the appropriate basket to reduce the chance of one wandering and getting lost which helped a lot. I now only have two odd socks, which are only odd because one sock had a hole and the other disappeared, but wearing dark blue and light blue socks is mostly not noticeable by others so all is well that ends well.

Ducks in the Tub
The bathroom is one of my favourite rooms in a house. A large bathroom with a massive bath tub, a separate shower cubicle and a heated towel rack would make me a very happy lady. However with any large bathroom comes a larger amount of cleaning so I appreciate my small bathroom most of the time. There are several annoying factors in relation to my bathroom; the accumulation of dust on the tiled floor, on the toilet seat and well everywhere else. The only cleaning chore I really need to do is dusting in my bathroom which seems rather bizarre as my TV and stand gather less dust.

Here are some handy tips on having an organised bathroom:

~ Organising your toiletries is gold. I have a small window ledge in my bathroom and I have put all my shampoos and conditioners together on the left hand side, next is body wash, shaving cream with razors. On the right hand side I keep other toilet products. I have a short shower curtain that runs along the window so it never needs drying after I have a shower.

~ A toilet roll holder is very handy. I bet we have all been in the situation where you find there is no toilet roll, but with this handy item usually they hold 3-5 rolls.

~ A bath mat set always adds that extra neat touch to a bathroom.

~ Give the toilet a clean once a fortnight even if it does not look dirty. A quick scrub and rinse with toilet bleach is a minute job.

~ Every morning after the last person has finished in the bathroom, give the sink a quick clean. I am sometimes lazy with cleaning products therefore I use a facial wipe and just quickly wipe around the sink and the taps, then a rinse with water. A minute job.

Loving the Lounge
A minimalistic look always makes a room look a lot tidier. However in larger household items will appear in the lounge and even if you put them back in its original home it somehow always ends up back where you found it. One solution I find that fits the bill is a container, they are very handy to put items in that basically will not go away. It is also a sneaky way to hide objects quickly to give the illusion is tidy.

So what are the main problems with a lounge? Well if you have wooden floors its the accumulation of dust, general mess, hovering and rubbish.

Here are some simple tips to help you:

~ Have a small bin so that any rubbish can be put away.

~ Hoover when needed or regularly on a fortnightly basis.

~ Have a coffee table with a shelf underneath in your lounge. These are useful to place magazines, tv guides and newspapers on without making a mess.

~ A lounge container or box for random items, this can be kept under the coffee table to either avoid being seen or just to make the lounge more presentable.

~ If you have children or a large household try and begin a routine where if you bring an item into the lounge it has to leave once it has been finished with, therefore potential mess is being removed.

~ Declutter any window ledges and put random items in the random items box.

TOP TIPS ON HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR HOUSE

1. A random items box in each room, these items will be tidied later.

2. Always have a permanent clean room.

3. Containers in each room to put away items of which have no permanent home.

4. Shoe box or shoe shelves…. shoe racks can be a pain to set up and cause stress when they break (easily).

5. A key hanger in the hallway or kitchen to keep all your keys.

6. Fairy liquid or facial wipes in your bathroom for quick cleans.

7. A family calendar is very handy to organise a variety of responsibilities and remember key events.

8. Filing cabinet/filing system or box for kid’s school document, another for work related document and a third for house related documents.

9. Have a box or drawer dedicated to stationary, stamps and envelopes.

10. Keep receipts in a plastic wallet or something similar.

11. Minimalise items on view.

12. Hoover when needed or on a fortnightly basis.

13. Clean whilst you cook.

14. Having a whites and darks laundry basket.

15. Having a door mat.

16. Joining socks when they are put into the laundry basket.

17. A bath mat set.

18. Scrub the toilet fortnightly or when needed.

19. Arranging toiletries neatly and having a toilet roll holder.

20. Crockery that is difficult to clean soak in hot water.

Hopefully this article on how to organise your house will help you reduce the impact of stress on your life as well as make your home environment more friendly.