Reduce Stress and Anxiety Naturally

A certain amount of stress is good for you...it keeps you active and alert. But excess stress over a sustained period of time can make you irritable, tired and can cause problems such as insomnia, impotence, depression and panic attacks. Stress can put pressure on your personal and family relationships, destroy your self-confidence and make you feel worthless.

Stress can even be a contributing factor in six leading causes of death...heart disease, cancer, lung problems, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide.

The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take to reduce stress in your life and your work.

Clear Out Clutter!
This applies to work and home. Trying to work in a messy environment will make you feel stressed and prevent you from working efficiently. Spend 15 minutes at the end of the day tidying your desk and making a brief 'to do' list for the next working day. At home it is impossible to relax in a dirty and untidy home. Set aside some time every day to clean and tidy - get the whole family to join in with a promise of some quality time at the weekend.

Eat More Healthily
Skipping meals and eating junk food to save time is, in reality, making you more stressed and unhealthy. Take a nutritious meal to work with you and change your daily latte for a herbal tea.

Take More Exercise
Exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym. A simple 15-20 minute walk every day, brisk enough to get your heart pumping is all you need.

Get Out!
Try to spend some time outdoors in green space....a garden or park for at least a few minutes every day. Clear your head and enjoy looking at your surroundings - don't think about work or all the things you have to do.

Learn to Meditate
Spending some time to yourself and learning a meditation technique can instantly reduce your stress levels.

Make Your Bedroom a Haven
Your bedroom should look and feel relaxing...no loud or bright colors and definitely no tv!

Breathe Deeply

Most of us know what helps us to relax, whether its playing with your kids, listening to music, taking a leisurely bath or exercising...make time to do what helps you. Take a deep breath and..........relax.

As soon as you realize that stress is affecting your life in a negative manner, you need to learn how to deal with it. Being stressed can affect every aspect of your life detrimentally, so the sooner you act to relieve it, the better it will be.

Learn Acceptance - people are all different and if some of your family, colleagues or friends are not behaving as you would wish, you need to accept them as they are. Trying to force change onto other people rarely works, and is a waste of your time and energy. Accept that some things are simply the way they are.

Job Stress - When your work is causing too much stress in your life, you either need to learn how to manage it or change your job. A completely harmonious workplace is not always achievable, but if your job is making you miserable it may be time to look at alternatives; such as starting your own business.

Accept criticism as motivation to improve your skills and abilities. Do not take personal criticism to heart as the person lashing out may be thrashing around trying to find an outlet for their own stress.

Both exercise and meditation are excellent stress relievers. Find out which works best for you.

Did you know that only 5 percent of the things you worry about are within your field of influence? This means that 95 percent of your worries and stressors are things that you have no control over, and will probably never happen - so is it really worth worrying about them?