Tips to Reduce Stress for Healthier Living

One of the most overused cliches is that stress is ‘killing us’ but not without good reason. As a matter of fact, high levels of stress have been linked to premature death rates in the developed world. According to an article published a couple years ago in the Miami Herald, there are at least six known causes of death that have been directly linked to stress. If you are feeling the weight of inordinate amounts of stress in your life, it’s time to think about stress reduction techniques that can have you on the road to a more peaceful existence as you begin to ‘heal’ along the way. Here are a few tips.

1. Practice Deep Breathing Techniques

Deep, slow breathing is one of the best ‘on-the-spot’ stress reducing techniques. It gets oxygen circulating through the system which is immediately refreshing but even more so, concentrating on those deep breathing techniques takes your focus off everything that is causing stress in the first place. Relax and take a few moments worth of deep, focused breaths.

2. Laughter is the Best Medicine

A study was conducted on women suffering from postpartum depression that came to some pretty astounding results. The National Institutes of Health, NIH, found that women who actually made it a habit to laugh more often throughout the day were able to work themselves out of a funk much more quickly than those who didn’t make a concerted effort to laugh at even the smallest things.

3. Get Away from It All

Sometimes it just takes stepping away from everything and pretending like it isn’t there. Whether going on an extended vacation on the Hawaiian Islands or simply taking a walk in the park, getting away and letting go of your problems can begin the healing process. Doesn’t a nice stay at a Kauai hotel sound nice right about now? This great Kauai hotel on the lovely beaches of Poipu can have you relaxed and stress-free and enjoying yourself without a care in the world.

4. Listen to Music

Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to listen to soft instrumentals to reduce stress in your life. It has been proven that any type of music at all can help you to transcend problems that are causing you stress. Music is heard and felt in the right (creative) portion of the brain and stress is felt in the left side where analytical thought processes take place. By reducing left brain activity and elevating right brain activity you can almost immediately feel the results.

From practicing deep breathing techniques to being walked through guided imagery, anything you can do to reduce focusing on that which is causing the stress can bring about almost immediate changes in the state of your health. Stress can lead to strokes and heart attacks and can even lower your immunity so that you catch colds and flus easier, which is why you want to learn as many stress relieving techniques as possible. Not every technique will work all the time, so take advantage of as many as possible so that you always have one at hand when needed. Stress can cause illnesses and even premature death if you don’t get a handle on it before it eats you alive. Step back, take a deep breath and simply let it go.