How to Reduce Stress

Ever get the feeling you have a million things to do and don’t really know where to start? We’ve all been there. It’s called stress and it is known to cause us to sleep less and eat more. In fact, some say up to 90 percent of doctor visits are for stress-related ills.

Inhale, now exhale. We’ve got some everyday tips to help you reduce the stress in your life.

1. Breathe deeply. Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed, deep breaths. Close your eyes, meditate and listen to nothing but your breath. When your mind starts to race, bring it back to your breath.

2. Switch to tea. Coffee raises levels of the notorious stress hormone cortisol. Go for green tea for the added health benefits or chamomile tea to calm the mind and enhance relaxation.

3. Think happy thoughts. Instead of focusing on the negative, call a friend and spend about five minutes talking about the good things in your life.

4. Blast some smooth tunes. Experts say that music can calm the heartbeat and soothe the soul. Turn your radio to the classical station while driving in traffic or set-up a classical music channel on Pandora while you’re at work.

5. Stretch it out. Get your mind and body flowing in a yoga class or walk at a slow, steady pace on the treadmill. By releasing some of the negative energy created by stress, you should start to feel calmer and less anxious.