List of Ways to Be More Relaxed

According to physicians and social researchers, many alternatives can help anxious and stressed people relax. A psychiatrist may prescribe from many pharmaceutical drugs that can provide relief. However, certain lifestyle changes, used in conjunction with drugs or exercised in lieu of medications, can produce the same effects.

Pharmaceuticals

• Certain pharmaceutical drugs may help stressed individuals relax. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (nimh.nih.gov), they include three kinds of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor anti-depressants that can reduce stress include citalopram, fluoxetine, bupropion, paroxetine, sertraline, escitalopram and venlafaxine. Tricycline antidepressants imipramine and clomipramine lessen panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms. Monoamine oxidase inhibitor anti-depressants useful for anxiety reduction are tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid and phenylzine. Specific anti-anxiety medications are called benzodiazepines. They include alprazolam, clonazepam and lorazepam.

Activities

• Indiana University (indiana.edu) stress reduction educators recommend certain activities that relieve stress based on Claremont Graduate University's (cgu.edu) psychology professor Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory that activity that involves mind and body synchronization develops feelings of well-being. These activities include rhythmic exercise such as dancing, jogging, swimming, bicycling, fast walking and running. Rhythmic exercise that incorporates meditation such as tae kwando and karate promote confidence in addition to providing stress relief. Meditation practiced solely decreases stress by slowing the breathing rate, relaxing tense muscles and slowing down brain activity.

Environmental Changes

• University of California Irvine's (uci.edu) social ecologist, Roger Ulrich, and his colleague, University of Delaware (udel.edu) psychologist, Robert Simons, conducted two separate experiments on the effects of natural environments on mood. They used muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure as indicators of relaxation. Physiological measurements indicated stress reduction after one study's participants looked at pictures of rivers and forests. The second study compared the emotions of subjects who walked in parks with those who walked in city streets. The park walkers felt happier on a whole than the city walkers.

Diet Changes

• According to registered dietitian Elaine Magee, concrete dietary changes help reduce stress. She recommends whole carbohydrate foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains to boost the brain's production of the calming hormone, serotonin. Depression-related stress may be controllable with a balanced diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids obtainable from fish, ground flaxseed and canola oil. Magee further explains that caffeine-rich foods and drinks are stimulants. Stimulants raise blood pressure and heart rate temporarily, inducing anxiety and stress. Finally, some people consume alcohol to relax, but alcohol is a natural depressant that leads to negative emotions once euphoric feelings subside.