Some of the more common stress producers are financial problems, family troubles and workplace tension. Some stress can never be avoided. So what do you do when you feel an overwhelming amount of stress? The following article addresses that question, and provides some helpful advice.

Stress Levels

Make a point to cut out excess stress in your life. High stress levels are related to many health problems including cardiac problems, hypertension, ulcers, depression and even physical pain. Making sure that you have an adequate amount of sleep each night can reduce your stress levels and decrease the chances of you getting sick.

You need to make certain your jaw is relaxed, and stop grinding your teeth. A clenched jaw can be one of the first signs that your body feels it is under siege from stress. Take a deep breath, release it, and at the same time, relax your jaw muscles. You should feel more at ease immediately.

Use your sense of smell to reduce stress. There are certain aromas that have been proven to calm the nerves including lavender, rose, and peppermint. Fill a small screw-top vial with a pinch of mineral salt, and a drop or two of your favorite fragrant oil. Take the lid off the vial and inhale deeply whenever your stress level begins to rise.

Learn about what makes you stressed. Being able to identify what parts of your life are causing your stress can be very helpful for control purposes. Stress can be caused by a variety of things. For example as a response to an event occurring, or because of what another person did. Once you know what it is that is causing your stress, you can reduce, minimize or get rid of it.

There are some people who turn to drugs or alcohol when they are feeling stressed. They may feel temporary relief but the stress only comes back even worse than before. Drugs, which include alcohol, are not a solution. These kind of products will only serve to cause more issues in the long run.

Identify the main sources of stress in your life, and then find ways to either completely eliminate it or reduce it as much as possible. For example, you may have a friend that consistently drains with their negativity. You may benefit from limiting your exposure to this negative influence. When you eliminate stressful situations, your health and your life will improve.

Gardening can be a great stress reducer. Anyone who has their own home can use part of their front or back yard for a garden.

Think about your stress, and how you deal with it. There is probably a better way to do things. Track how you respond to stressful situations over a few weeks. Looking closely at your reactions to times of high stress can help you to self-analyze whether you are using appropriate means of fighting it. If you aren’t, then try to devise a new coping strategy that will help you to deal with things on a day to day basis.

Don’t use habits which are unhealthy as a way to deal with stress, instead find healthy, more productive ways to deal with them. When you normally overeat, try running or jogging. When you replace a bad habit with a good one and stay healthy, you will see that the stress in your every day life is significantly lowered.

Music is an effective way to reduce stress. Take the time to listen to your favorite CD’s or carry an mp3 player with you if you want to listen to music while doing something else. Doing this will provide your mind with a much needed break from your stress.

One of the best ways to reduce stress is to learn to forgive others. Worrying about the mistakes of others can lead to irritability and anxiety.

Limit your daily caffeine intake. You will find that your stress levels increase with the more coffee or soda you drink, because caffeine encourages stress hormone production. Green tea is a great coffee substitute and will help to reduce stress, not increase it.

Let go of the stress. While change can sometimes help relieve stress, many people are unwilling to go through with it. If you can recognize how some habits are hurting your life, then you will be more motivated to change them. Some behaviors are hard to change or let go of, but once you realize you control your life, some change will allow some stress to disappear.

Try drinking a tonic for stress relief. Have a look at your local health food store for homeopathic stress remedies. These natural remedies have proven to be both safe and effective at helping fight off stress and anxiety. There are some herbs (Kava is one of them) that have been found to be just as effective as Xanax (alprazolam) in helping people relax and stay calm.

Many things cause stress, and you can’t avoid everything. Learning to deal with anxiety and stress will lower your blood pressure and improve your overall health. The tips here will help you to do this.