4 Ways to Naturally Stress Less

Stress sucks. It sucks the life out of you, and radiates stress into those around you. It’s like a plague.
The thing is, everybody encounters stressful things in life. It can be hard to find ways to combat stress and the other feelings that typically accompany it-like overwhelm, frustration, and anxiety. There are, however, some helpful, and natural, ways to help support your emotional wellbeing in the midst of stress. 

There are many ways you can work to reduce feelings of stress. Here’s four of our favourite natural, simple ways:

- Set priorities and evaluate what you spend time thinking about

- Balance your everyday health with good nutrition, exercise, drinking water, and getting proper sleep

- Use plants that are known to support emotional wellbeing through aromatherapy

- Talk about your thoughts and feelings with a counsellor or friend

#1 Set Priorities and Evaluate Your Thinking Space

Stress can consume us quickly. It leads to your mind to run in many different directions, and increasingly more overwhelming feelings. When feeling stressed and overwhelmed, take note of what you are spending time thinking about by writing it in a journal. Intentionally schedule and choose when you will spend time to think about specific things. 

One of the easiest ways to help focus your mind is by figuring out what your priorities are. Focus on the things that are most important and choose to not allow your thoughts to be diverted to other things. Scheduling helps a lot with this.

You can also evaluate your self-talk. It might seem silly, but our thoughts can set our feelings. If you are saying things like, “I’m so stressed,” “I can’t do this,” or “it’s all too much,” repetitively to yourself in your mind, those feelings will feel like a much heavier burden. Consciously choose to replace those sayings to self-talk like “It’s a lot, but I can do this,” “How can I do this?” or, “I am doing what I can.” 

#2 Balance Your Everyday Health

Routines make basic tasks easier to complete. Simple things like eating properly, drinking enough water, exercising, and getting a good sleep can feel overwhelming when you’re already stressed. It often compounds the stress.

Consider this scenario: 

You had a long, stressful, and overwhelming day at the office--not to mention the rush hour drive home. And then you still need to figure out what to make for dinner.

The process of deciding on a meal to cook can seem overwhelming, especially while bogged down by the million and one things you are already thinking about. However, if you had a meal planned out ahead of time as a part of your weekly or daily routine, this decision wouldn’t feel as daunting. 

This doesn’t only apply to eating habits, but also your routines around drinking water, sleeping, and exercise. Setting rhythms around these small tasks can greatly decrease your overall feelings of stress, as you can predict what the rest of your day will look like and will have fewer small decisions along the way.

Tips for getting a good sleep:

- Avoid looking at screens for the 30-60 minutes before going to bed

- Sleep and wake at consistent times every day

- Create an environment where you’re comfortable by addressing factors like temperature, darkness, and noise.

Tips for drinking more water:

- Fill a water bottle in the morning and carry it everywhere with you

- Drink every time you feel slightly thirsty, don’t wait. This will help you be more perceptive when you are thirsty.

- Use a water bottle or glass that makes it easy for you to measure the amount you have drank. The average adult should drink 2.7-3.7 litres of water daily

Tips for making exercise a routine:

- Set something else that happens every day as a cue. Like exercising right when you get home from work, after watering your plants, or always at 4 pm.

- Find someone to keep you accountable, plus if you’re competitive it adds some incentive.

Tips for balanced nutrition:

- Plan your meals before you go grocery shopping. This will make it easier to cook the healthy meals you wanted to--don’t forget variety, planning doesn’t have to be boring.

- Explore healthy cooking recipes for inspiration and to learn. Find things you genuinely enjoy. Eating healthy doesn’t mean you need to hate your meal.

#3  Use Plants to Support Your Emotional Wellbeing 

Aromatherapy is a great natural tool to add to your belt. Breathing the benefits of super plants, like lavender or grapefruit, has been shown through studies to effectively reduce our stress responses.

When breathing in these super plant’s in their essential form, your olfactory system in your nasal and oral cavity absorb the benefits in the plant’s aromatic molecules.. Studies have shown that they then reduce stress by positively impacting your immune and nervous systems. The pleasing aromas of these plants are also known to be calming, aiding in your ability to relax and reducing feelings of overwhelm. 

Some of the plants that studies have shown to be highly effective for reducing stress include:

• Grapefruit
• Lavender
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Orange
• Cedarwood
• Bergamot

#4 Talk About It

Our natural tendency is to avoid talking about challenging things, as we do not want to burden others with our struggles. However, getting those things off your chest and communicating about them to another person can be extremely helpful. And most times, talking about your struggles strengthens relationships, contrary to our idea that it burdens them.

Saying your thoughts and feelings out loud can help you reframe those emotions in a more constructive action plan to tackle them. When you approach them alone, you are adding the stress of carrying a burden by yourself onto your already heavy challenge.

Remember:

• Talking to others doesn’t make you weak
• Bringing other people into your challenges can strengthen your relationship
• Communicating your stressors out loud can help YOU understand them more
• Verbal processing stress often helps you see a clear action plan to tackle them

Now what?

Take action. It’s easy to sit in a space of feeling stressed and overwhelmed without addressing it. Typically, the longer you wait to acknowledge the stress is there, the more stressed you become. So as soon as you are feeling the stress creeping in, start supporting your ability to cope with it. Be intentional in looking after yourself. Those feelings of stress are valid, and building habits to address stress in a healthy way will positively impact your whole life. 

• Set priorities and evaluate what you spend time thinking about
• Balance your everyday health with good nutrition, exercise, drinking water, and getting proper sleep
• Use plants that are known to support emotional wellbeing through aromatherapy
• Talk about your thoughts and feelings with a counsellor or friend

Where to start with Aromatherapy

Cozy Chai Cores were designed to support your ability to relax, and to address stress and overwhelm. Cozy Chai Cores combine the soothing benefits of super plants with a flavorful blend that is sweet and comforting. A warm, sweet blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange. The cozy feeling of curling up by the fireplace with a cup of steamy chai.

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References

Smith, M. (2020). Ways to Manage Stress. Retrieved on June 16, 2021 from https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management

Reese, N. (2019). 10 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress. Retrieved on June 16,2021 from https://www.healthline.com/health/10-ways-to-relieve-stress

Casarella, J. (2020). Your Stress-Busting Checklist. Retrieved June 16, 2021 from https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-busting-checklist 

Mawer, R. (2020). 17 Proven Tips to Sleep Better at Night. Retrieved June 16, 2021 from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-tips-to-sleep-better 

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020). Water: How Much Should You Drink. Retrieved June 16,2021 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256 

Scott, E. (2020). Reduce Stress and Improve Your Life with Positive Self Talk. Retrieved June 16, 2021 from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-use-positive-self-talk-for-stress-relief-3144816 

Seo, J.Y. (2009). The effects of aromatherapy on stress and stress response in adolescents. Retrieved June 16, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19571632/