Calm and Healthy: 4 Natural Stress Management Tips

Stress is a silent killer that causes incalculable amounts of damage to the health of the global population year after year. The human stress response evolved as a short-term solution for crises. That’s why stress can have such a nasty collection of effects on the human body, which range from raising your blood pressure to reducing your ability to sleep and even making you gain weight — it’s all meant to get your body ready to fight or flight at a moment’s notice. To deal with the crisis at hand, which back in the day would mean a strange noise outside of the cave or an impending battle with an enemy tribe.

The problem is that we no longer live as hunter-gatherers, and in modern times that stress response is more often a hindrance than a helpful ally. Chronic stress disorders can not only make you more prone to depression and panic attacks, but they also can increase your risk of suffering from heart conditions and strokes, deregulate your appetite, cause loss of hair, and much more. If you’d like to avoid those issues, here are some natural tools that can help you manage your stress levels.

1 – Strict sleep schedule

Stress can make it harder for you to fall asleep, but a good night’s sleep can help your body regulate its stress hormone levels, which means that insomnia will leave you even more stressed. This is just one of the many ways in which stress can be compounded by negative feedback loops.

You can get around this issue by being strict about your sleep schedule. Going to bed at the same time every night will make it easier for you to fall asleep more quickly, rather than tossing and turning for hours before sleep sets in.

2 – The bare minimum of meditation

Many are hesitant to try meditation due to its vaguely religious connotations. Rest assured, you don’t need to believe in the power of the spirit or chant mantras to benefit from meditating from time to time. You don’t even need to master the art of silencing your mind for hours at a time.

Just learning how to slow down your thoughts and hold a quiet mind for a minute every day will already make a huge difference. Doing so will place you among the shortlist of people who know how to push thoughts out of their minds at will.

3 – Exercise a little every day

Exercise can help reduce stress, but the amount of exercise you need is often overstated. There are many benefits to getting into fitness and going to the gym, but if you are looking solely for stress release, most studies agree that 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise about five times a week should be enough. “Moderate aerobic exercise” would mean walking at a brisk pace, dancing, or riding a bike. 

4 – Calming natural remedies

All sorts of natural substances have been proven to have a soothing effect, which can help you regulate your stress. These can also make it easier for you to tackle insomnia caused by stress, and we already discussed how helpful a good night’s sleep can be in helping reduce your stress levels.

Natural calming substances include a variety of herbal teas, some of which — like chamomile tea and lavender tea — have soothing aromas on top of having calming properties. CBD oil and other hemp byproducts are also known to help people deal with stress and anxiety, on top of promoting better sleep. You may also want to look into what is Delta 8 THC, as that is becoming a more popular natural supplement to help with a variety of issues.