Causes of stress and natural remedies

Life is a struggle for everybody especially during stressful situations. There are numerous stressful situations that people go through. WebMD.com shares examples of them.

Work Stresses:

• Being unhappy in your job.
• Having a heavy workload or too much responsibility.
• Working long hours.
• Having poor management, unclear expectations of your work, or no say in the decision-making process.
• Working under dangerous conditions.
• Being insecure about your chance for advancement or risk of termination.
• Having to give speeches in front of colleagues.
• Facing discrimination or harassment at work, especially if your company isn’t supportive.

Life Stress:

• The death of a loved one.
• Divorce.
• Loss of a job.
• Increase in financial obligations.
• Getting married.
• Moving to a new home.
• Chronic illness or injury.
• Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem.)
• Taking care of an elderly or sick family member.
• Traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or violence against you or a loved one.

Going to the doctor and taking medication is not the only solution to cure people of stress. Plus, prescription drugs are unhealth for the body. ReadersDigest.com lists 10 Trusted Home Remedies for Natural Anxiety Relief and explains why they work. Here are the top five:

• Drink Three Cups of Chamomile Tea a Day When Feeling Anxious Why: Chamomile contains two chemicals that promote relaxation: apigenin and luteolin. A study at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center found that patients with generalized anxiety disorder who took chamomile supplements for eight weeks had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients who were given a placebo. Here are some more ingenious ways you never knew you could use tea.

•  Try to get between 1 and 3 grams of omega-3s a day Why: There is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may ease symptoms of anxiety disorders and lift your mood by lowering levels of stress chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol in the body. Canned fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds are all great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. An Israeli study found that students given fish oil supplements had less test anxiety as measured by their eating and sleeping habits, cortisol levels, and mental states.

•  Breathe in lavender Why: One study found that people who received a massage with lavender oil were more upbeat and had less anxiety than people who had a lavender-free massage. Another found lavender massage can even lower systolic pressure, the top blood pressure number that’s associated with stress. Try putting a few drops of lavender essential oil on a pillow or in the bath, or add a few drops to a cup of boiling water and inhale for a quick calm-me-down. The scent of vanilla has also been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. In a study done at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, patients undergoing MRIs who breathed vanilla-scented air had 63 percent less anxiety than those who breathed unscented air.

•  Add L-lysine to your diet Why: L-lysine is an amino acid and one of the building blocks of the brain’s chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Studies have shown that people taking L-lysine supplements had reduced symptoms of anxiety and reduced levels of stress hormones. L-lysine is commonly found in meat, fish, and beans, and is also sold as an oral supplement.

•  Try to get outside in natural sunlight for 15 minutes a day Why: This is the best way to naturally increase people’s vitamin-D levels, which can decrease symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression. A short 15-minute break will not only take minds of stress, but also let people reap the benefits of outdoor activity. And the greener the better; one Japanese study found that people who walked through a forest for 20 minutes had lower stress hormone levels after their walk than those who took a comparable walk in an urban area. If people stuck in an urban area, look for parks or quiet tree-lined streets to take a stroll. The sun affects the body in all sorts of ways, good and bad.

Life can be stressful, but there are simple and healthy ways to help people relax. These natural remedies can do the trick to bring people back to a calm state of mind allowing them to focus on what needs to be done.