February 25, 2010

Natural Ways To Reduce Mental Stress

Posted in Category : Yogic Cures for Diseases

Mental stress is a normal physical response that takes place when you are faced with any situation that makes you feel threatened or that upsets your balance in any way. Stress isn’t always a bad thing, as small amounts of stress can help you perform under pressure and constantly challenge you to do well. However if you frequently find yourself running in an emergency mode and are always frazzled it is necessary that you get your nervous system back in balance.

It is important to find ways to release mental stress, as holding it back can have harmful effects both on the individual as well his surroundings. Mental stress could be caused by a number of factors such as marital or family problems, loneliness, unemployment, a stressful job, a career change, exams and project deadlines. Some of the symptoms are loss of appetite and insomnia, fatigue, poor concentration, excessive anger and anxiety, helplessness and hopelessness, hallucinations and delusions, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicidal or homicidal ideas.

At times you may feel like the stress in your life is out of control. Being able to manage stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment, and the way you deal with problems. Managing stress involves changing a stressful situation when you can and changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation.

These are some tips to help you combat mental stress:

  • Meditation: Meditation is an ancient relaxation technique used since ancient times to calm your mind and body. It helps bring about a deep sense of calmness and peace. The goal when meditating is to clear away any thoughts that may be occupying your mind and causing the mental stress.
  • Music for Relaxation: Research proves that music helps to relieve mental stress to a great extent because it slows down the level of stress in our mind and body and hence proves to be a healing tool for the mind. Next time you face a stressful moment at work, try some soothing music to relax the mind while you work.
  • Positive Thinking: It is said that thinking positively is a hundred times more effective than being negative. A person with a positive mind develops a positive outlook towards life. By telling yourself, “I am an efficient employee,” you are creating positive self-talk which is part of maintaining a positive way of thinking and avoiding stress.