How to Relieve Stress - 4 Ways How to Relieve Stress

There are many ways to relieve stress. In fact, with such a plethora of ideas to choose from it could become stressful! After becoming an adult with all of the responsibilities and strains that come with it, it seems like we slowly lose our natural ability to have fun. With our hectic lifestyles, we tend to ignore our stress levels and act as if chronic stress is somehow natural. But sadly, uncontrolled stress levels can lead to physical or mental illness and cause or contribute to dangerous conditions such as high blood pressure. So it's important to take stock of your stress and take action to relieve it.

Firstly, if at all possible the best way to start is to take some time off your normal, mundane and tiring routine and have break! Take a day or two off and take a getaway trip to some exciting or interesting place you've been wanting to see. If you're pressed for case or don't like travel you can achieve the same results by just doing something different or going somewhere new in your local area. Sit back and enjoy the scenery. It feels great to leave the boring everyday life behind now and then. Enjoy the new sights and sounds and appreciate them, because most people are not able to do this regularly. This is strictly a tactic for urgent circumstances and can help kickstart you onto a new, lower stress pathway.

The second factor to consider is other people: love 'em or hate 'em! Some people find relief and solace being among their loved ones; others have to get away from them once in a while. If you are a working professional, either a mom or a dad, then chances are you are always busy with your work and have little time to spend with your children. The resulting guilt only increases your stress. So take this opportunity to take your kids out for a picnic, to the beach or a trip to the theme park. For many people, their families are a big source of joy and happiness and spending some extra time with them can go a long way toward de-stressing.

On the other hand, if are single or if your relationships are currently a source of tension you may be better off hanging out with friends! Call up some friends to chill out at the pub and have a great time. Or there may be times when you just want to be alone. There's nothing wrong with that. The important thing is for you to divert yourself away from the source of your stress.

Everyone loves music, whatever form that may take. This effective stress buster is an easy and quick way to relax and loosen up when you don't have a lot of time available. Sing along if you're in the mood. There is a lot of scientific evidence showing that both music and singing relieve stress and lower blood pressure. Singing is actually a good physical workout and relieves muscle tension as effectively as any other exercise.

Speaking of workouts, a good blast of physical activity is a great stress reliever. Some people prefer aerobic exercise and others like anaerobic workouts. While aerobic exercise like jogging is generally better for lowering your blood pressure and strengthening your heart, an intense session on a punching bag or other strenuous exertion can often relieve stress more effectively.

After a workout you may need another form of stress relief: rest and relaxation. Most of us don't even get the eight hours of sleep we used to believe sufficient, let alone the 9 or 10 hours many experts now recommend.

Taking a break, spending time with friends and family, listening to music, exercise and rest; these are just a few easy ways to unwind and prevent modern stress from taking another casualty.

Jan Oliver is an academic, writer and researcher in Natural Health.

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The Effects Of Stress Could Result In Hypertension And Worse

Could the effects of stress cause high blood pressure? Most people think so. Even worse is the possibility stress, along with other risk factors, has a negative effect on overall health. So, what can we do to make sure all the stress that invades our lives will not hurt us in the long run? In this article, we will examine this question.

There are, of course, different kinds of stress. If we go out for a walk or jog we will put a certain amount of stress on our knees and ankles. In fact, any sort of physical activity we do, even if it is unpacking our groceries and putting cans of food on our shelves, will cause a certain amount of physical stress. However, in one way, physical stress is different than mental stress.

To examine how this can be, take the example of a professional athlete. He or she works out more than most other people. When working out, this athlete will probably do a lot of deep knee bends, a lot of running and a lot of weightlifting.

Of course, these things put a great deal of stress on all the muscles and joints in the body. However, when done correctly, athletes build up their strength as their workouts progress from their beginning stages to their advanced stages.

So, athletes prepare their bodies for more stress as they go along. Mental stress however, is not something we can regulate. Unlike physical workouts we do not choose how much stress we experience in beginning stages, intermediate stages or advanced stages. Stress and anxiety simply come at us.

So, we have to prepare ourselves for stress by learning how not to let it affect us. This is done by practicing relaxation, meditation or visualization and ironically, physical exercise.

Practicing relaxation simply involves deep breathing exercises while seated or laying down comfortably. Usually, relaxation is combined with either meditation or visualization. Simply put, after one gets into a relaxed state he or she visualizes pleasant and calming thoughts. These thoughts could be of some peaceful scene he or she has enjoyed visiting or by simply making up a scene that is relaxing.

Exercise, in itself, helps a person relax, not only immediately after the exercising is done, but on through the day. Exercise brings about chemical changes in the body that help one deal better with stress on a mental level.

The result of exercising and practicing relaxation is being better able to deal with stress, or to put it another way, the ability to blow off stressful situations. In turn, this is very good for the blood pressure and general overall health.

Jason Falson once battled with serious hypertension but now has normal BP readings. He has credited his remarkable recovery to following a few simple rules. Of course, one of these rules is following his doctor's orders. His Website, Blood Pressure Symptoms discusses Jason's rules of blood pressure control. Also, learn more about the connection between hypertension and anxiety and how to control your anxiety at Dealing with Anxiety. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Falson

Stress Relief Exercising Could Help Reduce High Blood Pressure

Stress relief exercising can be very helpful in one's pursuit to feel better and reduce high blood pressure. At first, doing exercises to relieve stress, you may feel better simply because exercising has a tendency to reduce nervousness. Over a longer period of time, this can result in feeling better on a whole different level because being calm over a long period of time helps reduce blood pressure and has a positive effect on one's feeling of well-being. In this article, we explain stress relief exercising.

To begin with let's remember there is no substitute for regular medical checkups. If during one of these checkups you are diagnosed with hypertension, make sure to follow your doctor's orders.

Prepare the Body
Most people are familiar with progressive relaxation. Progressive relaxation is a form of stress relief exercising because it can take a person from being very anxious to an absolutely peaceful state of mind. When relaxation is combined with the proper mental imagery, stress relief will result. Here's how it's done:

Make yourself as comfortable as you can by either sitting or lying down. Many people have the greatest success lying down at home in their bed. However, others have better success being in a reclining chair. Then again I and some others I know of have had successful stress relieving exercise sessions in their cars while they were parked in a parking lot.

Take a deep breath to the count of five while filling your lungs completely. Then, hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds. Some people have no problem holding their breath for 5 seconds, while for others, it is a struggle. So do the best you can. If you can only hold your breath for one second that is fine.

The next step is to exhale. With relaxation exercising, you always want to exhale to twice the count of your inhale. So, since you have inhaled to the count of five, exhale to the count of ten. Do this four more times.

Deep Relaxation

Turn your mind's attention to one of your feet. Whether it is your left or your right, it does not matter. In your mind, instruct your foot to relax. Then move your attention to your other foot and instruct it to relax. While doing these things get the feeling the muscles in your feet are actually loosening up while they are relaxing. Move your attention upward to your calves. Little by little, move your attention up your body as you Instruct each body part to relax.

Continue relaxing all of your body parts until you get to the top of your head. Tell your scalp to relax. Next, get the feel of being totally relaxed. Then, turn your attention to your breathing. Don't listen to anything else just your breathing. If any negative thoughts should come into your mind, don't try to fight them. Just let them do what they will and continue to listen to your breathing.

As you listen to your breath enter into and exit your lungs, feel yourself becoming more and more peaceful. Study how this peacefulness feels to you and examine it from all aspects. Enjoy this feeling for several minutes. You will know when it is time to get back up and resume your normal activities.

You should practice this exercise at least three times a week. The exercise sessions usually last from 20 minutes to a half hour, but it is fine if they go longer.

Take Relaxation with You
At any time during the day you can recall the feeling you had when you were in a totally relaxed state. Recalling the mental imagery of yourself being totally relaxed will help squelch any sudden adrenaline flow that may come over you because something stressful has occurred during your day.

This will benefit you greatly because you will be able to hear stress knocking but by recalling the calmness you have experienced, that stress will not be able to come through your door. This is one of the great benefits of stress relief exercising. The long-term benefit may be better blood pressure and a better possibility of not being afflicted by the many illnesses and diseases we normally associate with stress.

Jason Falson once battled with serious hypertension but now has normal BP readings. He has credited his remarkable recovery to following a few simple rules. Of course, one of these rules is following his doctor's orders. His Website, Blood Pressure Symptoms discusses Jason's rules of blood pressure control. Also, learn more about the connection between hypertension and anxiety and how to control your anxiety at Stop Anxiety. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Falson

Fact About Hypertension

Hypertension is one of the common ailments that people have. In the United States, a statistics of one out of every three adults have High blood pressure. An estimated two million teenagers and children have Hypertension which is a really alarming and major public issue.

What is Hypertension?
Hypertension, also known as High blood pressure is defined as a pressure that builds up in the arteries. The arteries are where our blood is being carried from the heart to all over the parts of our body.

There are stresses like emotional tension that elevates pressure of the blood. However, it doesn't mean that you already have a Hypertension.

The normal range would be around 120/80 or below. If the pressure falls between 139/89 and 120/80, you are in danger of hypertension. If the pressure goes up to 140/90 and above, you are now in the Hypertension category.

The first number that is mentioned in the blood pressure reading is called systolic blood. It measures the pressure within the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood in and out.
The last number that is mentioned in the pressure reading is called diastolic pressure. This one measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart goes on relaxation after pumping the blood.

Hypertension can't be easily discovered. That's why people call it the "Silent Killer". You're lucky if you showed symptoms like feeling dizzy, blurred vision, loss of breath and headaches. You can still have medications and prevent it. Usually, people will only know they already have a high blood pressure if and when complications already went through. Hypertension is normally discovered when a person have been already rushed to a clinic or any hospital because of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure or impaired vision.

There is only 1% of the current population that has malignant Hypertension already. The diastolic blood pressure exceeds 140 which can already lead to a stroke. The person would experience kidney failure, dizziness and visual symptom or sever head ache already. It's a very small number because people wouldn't go to a checkup not unless they're feeling something already.
So how do we prevent Hypertension? We can prevent it by living healthy. It's easier said than done but this is the safest thing we can do. If you want to have an added precaution, you can have a regular check up with your doctor. It's better to be safe than sorry.

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Hypertension - Foods That Can Help Lower High Blood Pressure

Hypertension, which is more commonly referred to as high blood pressure is one of the major health predicaments that a lot of individuals are scared to encounter. This is because hypertension is known to be related with several health conditions that can bring about life-threatening conditions like heart attack and stroke. While it is bothering when you have been discovered to be suffering from hypertension, you should not prevent this from causing too much trouble which may lead to worsening of the condition since stress can also be a factor that can make the person more hypertensive.

However, the condition can be managed by following a healthy lifestyle and consumption of medications specifically to lower the blood pressure. Following a healthy lifestyle includes eating foods that can help in reducing increased blood pressure level or at least maintaining a good blood pressure level.

It should be noted that the food you eat is one of the most significant factors that can contribute to having high blood pressure. This explains why hypertension can be hindered if you consume foods that are favorable and avoid foods that can cause high blood pressure. This is why doctors always recommend a healthy diet specifically for hypertensive patients only. This article will name some of the foods that should be included in the diet plan of a hypertensive patient.

• Fruits Fruits do not contain fats or carbohydrates and other nutrients that when taken in large amounts would contribute to increasing the level of blood pressure. Apple, banana, strawberries, oranges, and apricots are some of the common and easy to find fruits that are classified as anti-hypertension foods or fruits. Including appropriate servings of any of these foods would help you keep up with a healthy diet for hypertension patients.

• Lean Meat For sure, even hypertensive patients would also like some variety in the foods that they will eat as part of their diet plan. To stay on the safer side, it would be ideal to include lean meat either red or white meat. If you want to eat poultry recipes, it is better that you remove the skin of the chicken. It is greatly advised that you either grill or bake it instead of frying the meat in oil.

• Dairy Products If you want to drink milk, it is greatly advised that you choose low fat varieties including skimmed milk and other low-fat milk products. To have your regular supply of calcium, you can also try fat-free cheeses that are available in groceries and supermarkets.

• Vegetables Vegetables are known to be healthy foods because it comes with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can all bring good benefits to your body. Vegetables like spinach and tomato are known to be responsible in maintaining normal blood pressure level.

• Whole Grains Complex carbohydrates in the most natural form are considered ideal food sources for people diagnosed with hypertension. Oats and barley products are some of the common foods that you can include in your hypertension-free diet plan.

In keeping up with a hypertension food plan, it is important that you stay away from eating foods that are processed because they possess high levels of salt, which is not good for people suffering from hypertension. Generally, ideal foods for hypertension patients should be low on fat, moderate levels of proteins, and rich in fiber nutrients.

Tono has been writing articles for nearly 4 years. His latest interest is about weight loss.

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