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Stress and Anxiety Busters

By:
The Taste for Life Staff
This content originally appeared on 

Let's face it: life can be stressful.

Work, family, world events, the changing of the seasons--even in the best of situations, they can take a toll, emotionally and physically.

If you're suffering from the effects of mild stress or anxiety, take heart. There are effective strategies for coping with the stress of day-to-day life.

How to Manage Stress

  • Self-Care

    Small changes in your lifestyle can make a big impact.

    • Regular Exercise

      Exercise is one of the best things you can do to relieve stress, and it works best when you do it on a regular basis. Find something physical that you like to do, and start a routine.

    • Eat Healthfully

      Avoid meal-skipping and junk-food snacks. Reach for nutritious energy-boosters when you're flagging.

    • Relaxation Techniques

      Relax by practicing yoga or mindful meditation, taking deep breaths, listening to music, or getting a massage.

    • Organization

      Organize your tasks to help avoid procrastination and stay on top of what needs to be done. Make prioritized to-do lists. Do one thing at a time rather than multitasking. Learn how to say no.

    • Keep Perspective

      Challenge your negative thoughts. You may be able to free yourself from a cycle of anxiety by letting go of things that are not in your control.

    • Get Enough Sleep

      In times of stress, it's critical to get a good night's sleep every night. Exercise, relaxation, and supplements like melatonin can help.

      You can also try aromatherapy--calming scents include lavender, geranium, rose, sandalwood, and bergamot--and reducing caffeine.

      Other tips for enhancing sleep include:

      • skipping long daytime naps
      • sticking to regular sleeping and waking times every day
      • keeping your bedroom dark and quiet
      • avoiding exercise within a few hours of bedtime
  • Nutritional Support

    Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to the symptoms of stress and anxiety. If you're not getting the following in your diet, consider supplements.

    • Vitamin A

      The antioxidant properties of vitamin A can help keep symptoms of stress under control.

    • B-complex Vitamins

      The Bs keep your nervous system healthy.

    • Vitamin C

      Another antioxidant, C can guard against oxidative damage--which can pump up anxiety--to your nervous system.

    • Vitamin D

      Your body uses vitamin D to help absorb other vitamins, so if you're D-deficient, you may be deficient in other vitamins as well--which can aggravate stress.

    • Vitamin E

      A stressed-out body uses up vitamin E quickly, so supplementing can bring things back into balance.

    • Magnesium

      The mineral magnesium is critical to health; a deficiency can bring on symptoms of stress.

    • Omega 3s

      Research indicates that omega 3s can help with stress. In one study of medical students, those who supplemented with omega-3 essential fatty acids saw their anxiety symptoms go down by 20 percent.

      Omega 3s also reduce the body's inflammatory response, which can help with pain.

  • Other Supplements

    Consider alternative medicine for more support.

    • Reishi Mushrooms

      They contribute to a calm, centered feeling of physical and emotional well-being.

    • Cannabidiol

      CBD may also be useful. After evaluating results from 76 studies, a team of scientists deemed CBD to show promising results in the treatment of anxiety and stress.

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