Stress Relief Techniques and Tips Cont'd

Stress Relief Techniques and Tips: 20 Great Techniques Cont'd

11. Be grateful: No one likes being around a complainer except for other complainers and they're no fun. This might initially be one of the harder stress relief techniques because complaining can be such a well-entrenched habit. Start slowly. Count five things a day that you are grateful for and keep adding to that list. The neat thing about this is that the more you do it, the longer your list.

12. Throw love at the problem: We know this might be a hard stress relief techniques, but it's a great problem-solver. It's worked in almost every situation, resolving it and dissolving stress. Think of this situation and all the people involved in it and now think kindly about them. Maybe you need to think of what's common between you to find common ground to neutralize the negative feelings. Maybe you need to think of their good qualities, or perhaps be sensitive to how they've developed poor qualities (someone who says negative things about people surely must have had people do this a lot to them and may have learned it as a coping skill). Maybe you should try to see this from their point of view. Maybe you need to see them as babies. Think of them in love and think of a solution that will be the best for all concerned, including a solution that will cause the least amount of resentment and humiliation for all. You'll be surprised at how this works.

Change your scenery. Allow your mind to focus on other things. Not everyone likes walks. If you're one of these people, you can still use this stress relief technique by trying a small variation. Walk a short destination to somewhere you like, like a coffee shop. You're still walking, but you're not going for a walk, you're walking to get somewhere else that you'd like to go to.

14. Do something else: Changing your current activity is a great stress relief technique. Drop whatever is causing you stress for a few minutes. Take a break. Have a drink of water. You can make a mental note to get back to thinking about what's causing you stress later. Take a breather.

15. Eat stress-reducing foods: Yes, there is such a thing. Again, don't forget about the importance of drinking water. Or have soothing green tea. Avoid white sugar and white pastas and white rice. Red peppers are especially noted for reducing stress effects in the body.

16. Use scents: Keep a bottle of your favorite scent with you. You can have fun with this stress relief technique. Try soothing scenets like apples, cinamon, lavender. You can wear a favourite scent, so that if you smell it during the day it's comforting and soothing. You don't have to wear them! Keep them in a purse, or in your car, or in a pocket. Think of them as your comfort scents.

There's a long traditon of this in our western culture--remember people used to carry smelling salts back in the day. But please, beware. In our scent-sensitive society, it's important to be considerate of others. A little goes a long way and if you spend most of your day in a scent-free zone, you might just have to carry a small bottle that you can smell anytime.

17. Socialize: Have one night of socializing every week or every second week. Using this stress relief technique should promote peace and tranquility. Make sure you really like whoever you're spending time with. Make sure also that you are doing something that is benefical to you, that you want to do it. And also make sure that whatever you do leading up to it and afterwards is stress-free as well, for example, if driving long distances stresses you out, don't. Take a cab, public transportation, stay over at a friends or a hotel. Whatever is best for you. There's little point in planning on a tranquil event if driving three hours to get to it leaves you a mess long after you've arrived and will make a further mess out of you when you return home.

18. Do something kind for yourself during the day: You are you're own best friend. What do you deserve today? Make a habit out of snapping out of stress and act in your own best interest. It could be as simple as paying yourself a compliment, forgiving yourself for an error, accepting an apology from yourself, etc. Or you might want to give yourself a lovely piece of fruit like a yummy tangerine or a fabulous pomegranate or very sweet figs from an exotic place. Treat yourself like the valuable person that you are.

19. Forgive: Yourself. Others. And then forget. Don't hold onto whatever was causing you the stress, or the feeling of the stress itself. Move on if you have to, but move on. Don't get stuck not following this important stress relief technique that will do wonders for your overall self improvement. We're not suggesting that you start being a sucker--that is, don't allow yourself to be continually mistreated but do your best to forgive and let go of anger. Don't get stuck in an angry rut; it's not good for anyone, especially you.

20. Be hopeful: Don't give stress too much attention. Deal with it and then, be hopeful. Expect the best and you will find it and it will find you!

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