4 Ways To Manage Stress Naturally

Have you ever felt so stressed out about everything you have to do, that you can’t bring yourself to do any of it? Turns out more of us have been feeling this way than we may realize. A recent poll revealed over 27% of US adults are reportedly “too stressed to function.” (Source: apa.org/news)

When stress reaches this level it’s important to understand there are natural practices available to you. The ancient wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda give us guidance on managing stress and controlling the mind-body connection. Here are four natural practices you can utilize to better manage your stress levels and start feeling better immediately:

1. Use mornings as your anchor.

Get up out of bed at least 15 minutes earlier in the mornings to give yourself “me time” instead of jumping straight into work mode. How you spend it is up to you- gratitude, meditation, prayer, EFT tapping, exercise, journaling- are all great places to start. How you start your morning can affect the entire rest of your day.

2. Use a breathing technique to calm down instantly in high-stress moments.

When you feel your nervous system activating and switching into fight-or-flight mode, remove yourself from the situation (if possible) and take a few minutes to pause and reset. Practices like box breathing are simple, easy to remember, and provide instant results.

How To Practice Box Breathing:

• Inhale to the count of 4

• Hold the breath at the top for 4 seconds

• Exhale to the count of 4

• Hold at the bottom for 4 seconds

• Repeat for 5-10 minutes until you feel calm.

3. Sweat every day.

Sweating is one of the body’s ways of detoxifying from life’s everyday stressors.

Exercise can reduce stress hormones like cortisol and improve your ability to think and reason. Start by building a brisk 20-minute power walk into your daily routine, and gradually increase the intensity of your exercise over time.

4. Add meditation into your daily routine.

Meditation can increase resilience to stress, improve immune function, increase focus, and so much more.

Start with 5-15 minutes. Relax your body, tune into your breathing, and focus your attention on a sound, a mantra, or just the breath.

Learned something new? Share this post with a friend or with your audience! And let me know if you try any of these practices. I would love to know how this goes for you.

Namaste,

Erin

*Not medical advice. Always consult with your physician before starting a health or exercise regimen.