3 Ways Towards Stress Relief

January 14th, 2009 Posted in Anxiety and Depression

These days, you’ll find quite a few types of stress relief available. A few, such as some medications need to be prescribed by a doctor. But some of the more unusual ones are free. Here are three stress relief methods used by thousands of people every day:

Medication - In today’s quick fix society, one of the easiest approaches to fast stress relievf  is to ask your doctor for prescription medication. The retail sales of many drugs such as Valium, Ativan, and others have exploded in the marketplace as a result of more and more doctors bowing to their patient's desire to ease their feelings of anxiety with a pill. The downside of drugs, however, is that there's always the danger of developing either a psychological or physical dependence on it, making this a short term solution for many. The upside is that in some cases the stress causing event is only temporary, making the use of medication perfectly reasonable.

Deep breathing - You can’t ask for a cheaper “cure” from stress than deep breathing exercises. In fact, many entertainers in sports and show business do just this before taking the stage and performing. When you deep breath you are helping to increase the levels of endorphins in your blood which causes you to become happier and more relaxed. It’s been known for a long time that exercise increases the levels of endorphins and deep breathing can be seen as a form of exercise. To do this, you simply inhale deeply through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth. You’ll be surprised how relaxed you feel after a couple of minutes.

Laughter - laughter is frequently referred to as the “best medicine” and when it comes to relaxation, it might well be true. How many times have you seen a humorous comment completely defuse a tense situation? In a fashion akin to deep breathing, laughter exercises  the lungs and sets off the release of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are a potent neurochemical and the effect that they have on the body is equal to or greater than some of the most powerful drugs. It is simply difficult to feel stressed out when you’re laughing. It’s true that laughter is not long lasting, but often all you need is a fleeting respite from your worries to put you into an entirely different and more upbeat mood.