| Growing up my mother was VERY health conscious | | | | needs to be easily available in high stress |
| yet she still had some health challenges later in life. | | | | environments like work. |
| Now some of that could be genetic, but I believe | | | | - Soft Music: Effectiveness = 7; Ease = 6; Cumulative |
| that stress also may have played a part. Stress is | | | | Score 13; When I was a kid, my stepmother would |
| the NUMBER 1 impediment to good health, fitness | | | | play easy listening music like the Carpenters. It was a |
| and wellness. But stress is not necessarily the culprit. | | | | great way to start the day to be truthful. |
| It is how we manage stress that is the key. I say | | | | - Exercise: Effectiveness = 10; Ease = 6; Cumulative |
| manage, because I do not believe we can avoid it. It | | | | Score 16; This is another one of those stress |
| is a part of life. So the real issue is how do we deal | | | | relievers that for me was life changing. Exercising is a |
| with it, effectively. In this article, I want to outline | | | | constructive way to release tension and do |
| some of the top ways to relieve stress. | | | | something that can be beneficial. And you can do this |
| - Deep Breathing: Effectiveness = 4; Ease = 7, | | | | anywhere, even if it is just walking around the block. |
| Cumulative Score 11; It does not take much effort | | | | The physical activity will help you relief stress in two |
| to breath, but in some high stress moments, using | | | | ways. One, the physical activity will help you and if |
| breathing methods can be near impossible. Also, some | | | | the stressful situation in location specific. Walking way |
| of these breathing techniques I have seen articulated | | | | will remove you from that situation. |
| online seem to be stressful just to do them. | | | | - Talking with Someone: Effectiveness = 8; Ease = 5; |
| Regardless, I have heard missed reviews on | | | | Cumulative Score 13; This has been something that |
| breathing, but it has worked for me on occasions. | | | | has really been effective in my life. The problem is |
| - Rest and Relaxation: Effectiveness = 10; Ease = 5; | | | | that unless you have a friend who patiently waits for |
| Cumulative Score 15; Nothing has had a greater | | | | you to call and talk with you, you may find yourself |
| impact on my health than rest and relaxation. It has | | | | in a stressful situation with no one to talk to. |
| been life changing. When you are a busy person it is | | | | - Laughter; Comedy; Humor: Effectiveness = 9; Ease |
| difficult to get off that treadmill of life, but you have | | | | = 5 Cumulative Score 14; Having a good laugh is |
| to do it. It is like being in a vehicle that is about to | | | | some of the best medicine to deal with stress. Of all |
| crash into a wall. You feel like the car is moving too | | | | the ways to relieve stress I believe this is the one |
| fast to jump. But if you don't, you will crash into that | | | | that is closest to the body's natural way of dealing |
| wall. Believe me, it is better to deal with the scrapes | | | | with stress. |
| and cuts of jumping from the vehicle than to crash | | | | - Journaling: Effectiveness = 7; Ease = 6 Cumulative |
| into the wall. Something may suffer when you take | | | | Score 13; I am not a journaler, but my wife is and |
| your initial break, but long term you won't regret it. | | | | she shared with me how much it helped her cope |
| - Aromatherapy: Effectiveness = 6; Ease = 5; | | | | with the stress of being newly married (not sure |
| Cumulative Score 11; This works well for me. My wife | | | | who she was writing about :-). It must have been |
| bought some reed fragrance diffusers for the house | | | | pretty effective, because my wife is a sweetie, so I |
| and it just brought in a whole different air to the | | | | will give it a 7 for that. It is relatively easy to do, but |
| house (no pun intended). I have read a lot of | | | | I it is probably hard to journal when someone is |
| literature both online and offline about this and from | | | | stressing you out, so I could not give it a big score. |
| my experience it is noticeably effective. Getting it | | | | How did I come up with the ranking? I used two |
| right is more than just buying something that smells | | | | measures, effective and ease. Based on a scale of 1 |
| good and placing it in your home or workspace. That | | | | to 10, I determined the ranking numerically. Where |
| is another reason why ease was only a five. In order | | | | the score was tied. I broke the tie, based on my |
| for a stress reliever to have a higher Ease score it | | | | experiences. If you disagree then let me know. |