Nature and Nurture: Three Cheap and Easy Methods for Reducing Stress

Few people lead stress-free lives, and those who do may be oblivious to situations that require

their focus and attention.

According to the American Psychological Association, 72% of Americans point to frequent

stress as a factor in their daily lives. For many, vitamin and mineral deficiencies may play a role

in this. Poor sleep, inadequate diets, and lackluster routines affect our abilities to produce,

process, and retain healthy levels of necessary natural helpers. Your healthiest future should

address beneficial levels of natural and necessary compounds and better living techniques.

Finding help with the medicinal portion of your health regimen is as easy as calling me, but

there are ways you can improve your lifestyle as well.

To take control of your own stress levels, consider adopting these activities into your daily

regimen:

• Morning Me and Tea

• Meditative Relaxation

• Talk and Walk.

  Morning Tea and me

  If you’re like me, finding a few minutes to yourself is a challenge. As a mother, wife, and

entrepreneur, I find my calendar full just about any day of the week. Bringing Tea and Me into

my schedule required finesse, but it works wonders for both relaxing my body and grounding my

soul in healthy ways.

Among the teas most often recommended for their calming benefits are chamomile, lavender,

and peppermint. Compounds in these work with your own receptors to deliver peace and calm

to your mind and body.

Addressing your needs for sensory stimulation, making and enjoying a cup of tea provides a

holistic experience that takes only minutes but delivers bountiful benefits. The very act of

steeping a glass of tea motivates patience.

As the tea steeps, so can you. There is warmth in your morning, and a delicious fragrance in the

air. Savor these. In moments, you will be sipping peace that fills your body and your soul.

There’s an art to making tea that engages all your senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, and

taste. When these all work together in peace, stress abates and calm sets in.

Meditative Relaxation

Anyone, anywhere can meditate. It doesn’t require a major investment, a fancy home, proper

gear, or even lofty music. These easy steps will help you create the mode for this stress-reducing exercise:

• Choose a comfortable spot.

• I’m drawn to natural settings, but any comfortable spot will work.

• Set a Time Limit.

• Letting the clock work for you eliminates distractions and

  schedule concerns.

• Establish a deep breathing pattern.

• Deep, conscious breathing soothes and calms.

• Focus on a simple question or concept.

• Choosing a question or concept requiring no external input will help you to discover more of what you know, follow paths of paths memory, create paths to future insight.

• Accept that your mind might wander.

• As your mind wanders, practice redirecting your focus to your central idea as much as possible This exercises your ability understand what you know as you hone your ability to concentrate amid challenges.

• Embrace Gratitude

• Learning to be thankful puts us in the proper mode to share our bounty with others. Sharing our developing thankfulness with others helps them to recognize blessings in their own lives. As gratitude within and around us grows, everyone benefits.

• Savor peace.

• Closing your session with a reminder that each of us faces challenges can help us to grow

  acceptance for others’ choices and opinions. Nature and Nurture go hand-in-hand.

Talk and Walk

Busy lives too often preclude social and physical exercise of our own choosing. Stuck in habits

revolving around earning a paycheck or checking off a schedule, many people find themselves

physically ill and emotionally disconnected. Making time for a Talk and Walk in your daily or

weekly schedule might be just what you need to destress, connect, and grow your peace.

Your big question for this calming exercise is, “Who should I invite to talk and walk?”

Family

How often have you settled into your bed at night painfully aware that there had been too little

time in your day for a meaningful conversation with your partner, parents, and/or even children.

Prioritizing time with your loved ones can be as easy as a walk in the park. When you are

fortunate enough to have the opportunity, focus on listening to your loved ones as much as

possible.

Friends

Humans are social creatures who grow families and communities. Whether your an independent

person without familial obligations or a person with a huge family of connections, external

friendships matter, too, and can be catalysts for understanding vexing situations within your

closer family unit. Find a friend who needs the one-on-one time as much as you do. Choose a

place where security is a given and peace abounds. Then Talk and Walk yourselves to healthier

bodies, minds, and souls, as you strengthen your ability to connect in a busy world!

Self

Some people might just laugh at this, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with talking to

yourself within reason. In fact, a survey conducted by WebMD showed that 96% of people

experience inner dialogues, while around 25% actually talk out loud to themselves. Self-talk can

an excellent tool for understanding current events, personal issues, and potential problem

solving techniques. A daily walk to focus on issues that need attention can deliver a sort of

meditative relaxation all its own as it couples brainpower with body work.

Whatever your lifestyle and schedule, making time for healthy mind-body connections can

deliver the stress relief you need!