How to Green Your Stress

Stress is a part of life. Stress can be positive, but excessive, chronic stress can take a toll on your mind and body. Stress-hardiness -- the ability to have greater control over life challenges and feel empowered -- can be achieved by developing a calm mind and a healthy body, increasing spirituality, engaging in positive relationships and creating a balanced environment to green your stress. Natural stress management can be applied with minimal time, hassle and effort.

Things You'll Need

• Journal
• Vitamin B and C stress complex
• GABA supplement
• Valerian herb tea
• Lavender oil
• Oil diffuser
• Lavender-scented candles

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Instructions

• 1

  Record your stress patterns to replace bad habits with positive strategies.

  Record your stress patterns in a journal by evaluating areas in life that cause you stress. Learning about stress is the first step to coping with it. Define what precipitates your stress, how it impacts you, your response style and what coping mechanisms you employ, both positive and negative. Replace negative coping habits with greener ways to cope with your stress, and strengthen your positive strategies.

• 2

  Be in the moment to promote relaxation, and be mindful of the gifts in your life.

  Practice mindfulness, a type of relaxation tool, which means "to be in the moment." Be conscious by making the most of each moment, not letting opportunities pass by without enjoying them. Be grateful for the gifts in your life by taking time to recognize them, acknowledge them and let them bring positive emotions into your life.

• 3

  Boost your immune system with vitamins and supplements.

  Take vitamin B and C stress complex supplements to prevent stress from attacking your immune system. Soothe your nerves with a natural stress supplement such as GABA, a natural amino acid that promotes relaxation and soothes nerves. The herb valerian calms anxiety -- in pill form by day and as a tea by night. Regular exercise helps fight the negative effects stress can have on your body, releasing natural feel-good endorphins into the body, counteracting anxiety.

• 4

  Find meaning in stressful events.

  Find meaning in life events to help you cope better with the ups and downs, creating a sense of direction, depth and quality in your life. Viewing stress as having purpose creates a sense of spirituality, helping you to appreciate the gifts that come your way and face challenges in life in a more positive way. Looking for opportunities to grow, rather than focusing on negative interpretations of events, can have tremendous rewards.

• 5

  Get rid of toxic relationships and foster positive ones.

  Detox your relationships. Get rid of those that cause stress in your life and foster those that are positive. Don't settle in a bad relationship. Evaluate your relationships with friends, co-workers, your lover, child and parents. Recognize what's working and what's not working. Establish your needs, set limits and give yourself the relationships you deserve.

• 6

  Burn a lavender candle, diffuse lavender oil or use lavender salts in your bath. Aromatherapy is a wonderful way to create an inner space of balance and relaxation, soothing your mind and body, by reducing stress and the symptoms of anxiety naturally. Play your favorite music to complement your activity or boost your mood. Surround yourself in colors that promote relaxation and positive emotions, such as green and blue. Use lighting to lift your spirit, or lower the shades to help you get rest if you are stressed.

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