Do you suffer from stress or know someone close who does?  Are you looking for gifts for Christmas? Its the end of the year and buying for people who you know who can do with a bit of relaxation is easy with 8 ideas below.

Massage - Dr. Scholl’s DR6624 Toe-Touch Foot Spa with Bubbles and Massage.  A foot bubble bath and massage in one.

A book about a hobby or interest such as The Big-Ass Book of Crafts. I’m sure there is something in there for everyone.

Aromatherapy idea - Aroma Home Aromatherapy Microwaveable Hot Booties - Hot Sox.  How wonderful to have warm feet this winter and have the lovely aroma of pure essential oils.  I can feel the stress melt away at the thought. This would be my pick - family and friends please note

Music CD - The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album. It’s hard to believe the words  relaxation and Christmas can be used together but it does this time.

Comedy DVD - Mamma Mia! The Movie (Two Disc Special Edition).  Watch this lovely movie and sing along with them as this is a great stress reliever too.

Gift pack of relaxing tea - You’re My Cup of Tea Gourmet Food Gift Basket - a Great Gift For Her! Tea is so good for you so why not sit back and relax with a cup of tea,  and try some tea you may not have had before like the mango green tea.

Jigsaws and games - Puzzle 3D Eiffel Tower. You can imagine you are in Paris while you do it.  Well I would as Ive been to Paris and would love to relive that memory.

Oh and if its YOU that is stressed, then just go buy a new pair of shoes or an  Oversized ”Ashlee” Tote - Brown, Red, Black or Purple handbag.  That works for me!  You cant have enough shoes or handbags can you?

These are a few of my ideas and maybe you can come up with some more.  Enjoy Christmas this year and make it as stress free as you can.   Relax and enjoy the season.

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color

Guest post courtesy of Corny54, a friend of mine from Squidoo

Surround yourself with

1. bright colors
2. bright light
3. pleasant sounds
4. nice smells

********************

Spring garden

Corny is a man of few words but he has the right ideas about color.  I love the summer and am happier then, when the sun is bright.  I love Spring because of the smell of the flowers and the sound of the sea makes me start feeling relaxed instantly.  As you can see by my site here,  I love color and try and try and surround myself with it.

The picture at the right was taken at Tulip Time, a spring festival in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia.  It was a beautiful day in the garden in spite of the rain, the flowers especially the beautiful tulips brightened up my day.

I highly recommend the following book and CD from Hay House as it will change your life starting in small ways.  It is Eliminating Stress, Finding Inner Peace Book with CD. Hay house is a leader in self help books of high quality that improve the quality of people’s lives.

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These are my personal affirmations that I try to repeat every day.

Affirmations have been used since we have had language.  Personal affirmations are tools that can help you rewrite negative tapes about yourself and your life and are the easiest way to make positive changes and can help you to manage stress.

I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Do you use affirmations?  Please share them here.

If you want to write your own affirmations, but don’t know how to start, then there is technology called Affirm Now that can help.  To check them out Click Here!

Hay House also have a great book called DailyOM which are Daily Inspirational Thoughts For A Happy, Healthy, and Fulfilling Day by Madisyn Taylor.  Hay House has a reputation for high integrity and quality products.

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Ive never heard of Autogenic Therapy until recently and I’m sure most people haven’t.  Well what is it?

Autogenic Therapy (also called Autogenic Training) is a relaxation technique involving self suggestion which was developed by the German psychiatrist, Johannes Schultz and first published in 1932.  It is a powerful and proven deep relaxation technique similar to mediation, which enables you to relax your body and calm your mind quickly.  Autogenic therapy is one of the simplest and most effective ways to activate the ‘relaxation response’ which can break the vicious cycle of stress related disorders.

The core of this therapy is a course that teaches simple exercises using passive concentration in body awareness and relaxation and is practiced either sitting in a chair, lying down or in a horizontal posture and once mastered it can be done in almost any environment.

Autogenic therapy is used extensively in business and sport to enhance performance and reduce stress and needs to be learned with a qualified therapist.  Once learned, it is a skill for life equipping you to deal with stress completely independently.

Please note that this therapy is very safe but isn’t recommended for people with severe mental problems such as personality disorders, for children or people who lack the intelligence to understand and perform the training.

Please contact your medical practitioner to see if this treatment would benefit you and where it is being held in your local area.

For other stress relief articles see Herbal stress relief or Who else wants instant stress relief.

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Moving on after panic | living a normal life

I really cant say that I am cured from, and that I have succeeded in overcoming panic attacks. If I let my anxiety levels rise then it is a possibility that I may have another panic attack. The difference is now that I don’t fear it. I know how to work through it.

dont panic

Overcoming panic attacks hasnt been a quick fix for me and I dont think too many people can say that it has been for them either. I worked on it, and as I have said in previous posts, I took one step at a time and now I feel I have succeeded.

Looking at life through positive eyes has been something that I have to work at but I am much better at it now than I was in the beginning. It’s like anything that has been a habit, it takes time to change. Life has opened up to me again and I am happy, which is probably a result of that positive outlook.

The hardest thing for me, still, is to not avoid certain places where I used to feel stressed, and I practice that and am doing ok. By exposing myself to the stressors I have, over time, been desensitized to them so I keep that up as I dont want to regress without realizing.

I have come a long way since my first panic attack so many years ago and I am grateful that I have overcome my fears to move forward and live a life that is full and without barriers.

Overcoming panic attacks will be different for each person and I realize that. I hope my story gives other fellow sufferers some hope that life can change for the better with proper treatment and a willingness to get better.

Anxiety doesnt rule my life anymore. I am now in control. Life is good.

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Some of the most popular stress relief herbs are:

Ashwagandha Root is said to make you calm even as it makes you strong. The antioxidant effect of active principles of this herb may explain, at least in part, its reported anti-stress properties.

valerian

Valerian Root contains chemicals with sedative properties to help with an improvement in sleep without morning grogginess or other side effects which leads to a greater overall sense of well being.

Kava Kava which is a member of the pepper family. Kava is consumed as a drink or supplement. In small doses, its effects include muscle relaxation, sleepiness and feelings of wellbeing but is to be taken only in the short-term.

Passion Flower is a popular anti-anxiety remedy, that makes you calm and may help relieve anxiety related stress. The fresh or dried leaves are used to make an infusion, a tea which has been found to contain beta-carboline harmala alkaloids.

St. Johns Wort has been used to treat nervous conditions since ancient Greek times. Clinical studies revealed that it can relieve anxiety and stress. This is probably the most popular plant used for herbal stress relief. Extracts are usually in tablet or capsule form, and also in teabags and tinctures.

chamomile

Chamomile has a wonderfully soothing, sedative and absolutely harmless effect so it is the perfect herbal stress relief remedy. The Chamomile flower is brewed as a bitter herb tea infusion. It is also used for preventing nightmares.

Lemon Balm is used medicinally as a herbal tea, or in extract form. It is used as a mild sedative or calming agent. At least one study has found it to be effective for stress relief. Grow it yourself and chop it and spread over your salads.

Hops are more frequently combined with other herbs, like valerian. The relaxing effects of hops is largely due to a specific chemical component: dimethylvinyl carbinol.

Herbal stress relief is worthwhile in pursuing but when purchasing herbs (processed not fresh) try to find out the growing conditions of the herb, the plant parts that are used, time and method of harvest, extraction and other manufacturing processes, and storage. I understand that is not always possible so at least read the labels and I suggest you buy reputable brands so at least you can rely on their reputation for supplying you with a quality product.

I have found that the best one is the one that works best for YOU. Trial and error is the key to success with these herbs.

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