Guest article by mytherapistdelraybeach.com

Stress is a very common experience for most people. According to a 2013 survey, more than 80% of employed Americans are stressed out about their jobs. Excessive stress can negatively affect your health. A 2012 study also revealed that those that are stressed are more likely to encounter chronic health problems. Some symptoms of stress include increased hair loss, lowered libido, increased anxiety, and poor immunity against sickness. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms that have a strong negative impact on your life, then engaging in stress and anxiety counseling with a therapist is recommended.

Here are 5 natural methods that you can use to lower stress.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most effective methods that you can use to lower stress naturally. This is because exercise reduces the body’s stress hormones. It releases endorphins which act as natural painkillers that can improve your mood.

Exercise also improves our quality of sleep which helps lower stress. Regular exercise will also make you feel more confident in your body – this goes a long way in promoting your mental wellbeing.

You can engage in physical activities such as walking, jogging, and other activities that involve the repetitive movements of large muscle groups to relieve stress.

Consider Supplements

There are different supplements that can be used to reduce stress. One example is lemon balm. Lemon balm is a mint that is known for its anti-anxiety benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids are also useful for reducing symptoms of stress.

Other supplements that can be used to lower stress and anxiety include ashwagandha, green tea, valerian root, and kava kava.

Since some supplements are capable of interacting with medications, you need to consult with your doctor before using any supplement if you’re treating a specific medical condition.

Reduce The Rate At Which You Consume Caffeine

High doses of caffeine can increase stress and anxiety. If caffeine makes you anxious, then you need to consider reducing the dose you consume.

Many studies have shown that moderate consumption of coffee (five or fewer cups daily) can be healthy, however, it’s not meant for everyone.

Spend Time With Your Loved Ones

Spending time with your friends and family can help you manage stressful moments. Being in the midst of your friends will give you a sense of self-worth, which will help you thrive in tough times.

A study revealed that spending time with friends and children helps increase the rate at which oxytocin is released in women (oxytocin is a natural stress reliever).

Another study also revealed that men and women who do not have good social connections were more prone to suffer from stress and depression.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that connects you with the present moment. It is very effective in combating stress and anxiety that may manifest from negative thinking. Mindfulness can be increased through mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, yoga, meditation and mindfulness-based reduction.

According to a study conducted among college students, it was discovered that mindfulness has the ability to increase self-esteem, which in turn lowers symptoms of depression and stress.

Carry Out Deep Breathing Exercises

Mental stress can activate the release of stress hormones. This makes you experience unpleasant symptoms such as quicker breathing, faster heartbeat and constricted blood vessels.

Engaging in deep breathing exercises will activate your parasympathetic nervous system – this controls your relaxation response.

Some forms of deep breathing exercises that you can engage in include abdominal breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, paced respiration and belly breathing.

Deep breathing will help you to focus yourself. When you do this, your breath will be slower and deeper. Breathing deeply through your nose will cause your lungs to fully expand and your belly to rise. This slows the rate at which your heart beats, thereby reducing stress.

If Natural Remedies Are Not Enough

Although stress can occur in different areas of your life (such as your personal life and workplace), you can reduce the stress that you feel through simple and natural ways highlighted above. If you’re dealing with chronic stress and worry, it may be a good idea to consult with an experienced Delray Beach psychotherapist who can help you.

Plan Your Content

If you’re considering adding a blog to your site, you’ll want to have a plan beforehand. Planning your blog will help your subject matter remain consistent over time. It’ll also help you determine whether or not there’s enough material to maintain a steady stream of posts.

One pitfall many new bloggers run into is starting a blog that isn’t posted to frequently enough. A shortage of recent posts can give your visitors a bad impression of your business. One may think “I wonder if they’re still in business” or “they may want to hire a writer.”

A blog, like any other customer facing aspect of your business, communicates your brand. If it isn’t maintained and given proper attention, people will notice. Post regularly and keep your content fresh. Give your audience a reason to visit often.

Read more >

Categories and Tags

If you write about a variety of subjects, categories can help your readers find the posts that are most relevant to them. For instance, if you run a consulting business, you may want some of your posts to reflect work you’ve done with previous clients, while having other posts act as informational resources. In this particular case, you can set up 2 categories: one labeled Projects and another labeled Resources. You’d then place your posts in their respective categories.

Read more >

Pages vs. Posts

If you’re new to WordPress you may be wondering what’s the big deal behind Pages and Posts. At first glance they appear to be one and the same: if you were to create either a new page or a new post you’d be presented with nearly identical interfaces and in many cases the public appearance of pages and posts will look the same.

Don’t let this fool you. There’s a very fundamental difference between the two and that difference is what makes CMSs, like WordPress, great platforms for integrating blogs with traditional websites.

Pages

Think about the kind of pages that make up a typical website. Most often you’ll see pages like “Home”, “About Us”, “Services”, “Contact Us”, etc. Within WordPress these are often treated as Pages; documents that have no particular regard for the time they were posted.

For example, when you visit the “About Us” page of your favorite company’s website you don’t expect the content to be very different from what was available there a week ago.

Read more >