One good strategy is to learn to prioritize.  No one can do everything at once and you also have to have  some allotted time for leisure and relaxation as well as your work.  I am a person of lists so I follow my list and each day I feel I have achieved some things, if not all, and feel less stressed in the process.

Another great strategy for stress relief for women is to give yourself the necessary time for pampering.  Taking time for yourself is important for your body and is as important as your soul and peace of mind.  Don’t feel selfish for taking this time as it will renew you and will give you the stress relief you need.

Here are 10 ideas for stress relief for women:

If you follow these tips for stress relief for women then you see a difference in your Stress Levels very quickly and you will really be living a full life in the process. The bottom line is that you need to make sure that you have the time for things that will keep you relaxed and at ease as a woman.

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.

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.

Note:  Another article I like is called How to Use Personal Affirmations and I would recommend you read that article from Our Development.com another good site for personal development and the Law of Attraction.

There is much controversy surrounding the effectiveness of  St John’s Wort as a depression and stress relief treatment.  While it has been found to be effective on its own, there are some drug interactions that could cause adverse effects to patients who also suffer from other disorders.   This herbal  is definitely effective but certainly needs to be taken only with the supervision of a physician.

Effective stress relief can be achieved though with regular use of  St John’s Wort.  While this is so, improvement in one’s general mental state can only be expected about three months after starting the herbal treatment.  Those who are looking for immediate stress relief should consult with their physicians right away.  Formulations of this herbal remedy vary in potency and could differ in their effects on a patient.  It would not be wise to make a decision on which brand of  St John’s Wort product to use merely based on cost.  You need to investigate the various brands and decide the best dosage and potency for your condition.

Other side effects of using this herbal remedy could include photo sensitivity and dizziness.  Extra care should be taken to address these side effects if you are going to be taking it continuously for stress relief over a long period of time.

There is no denying that St John’s Wort can do what it claims it can do.  It does lift mood for those who are seeking treatment for mild cases of depression or for stress relief.  They can definitely benefit from taking this herbal supplement  but only with proper consultation with a physician and by making  an informed decision.  Just be aware of the drug interactions though but this is a natural anxiety treatment worth trying for stress relief and mild depression.

Many more people are now suffering from stress-induced anxiety disorders at different levels.  Some form of relaxation or stress control measures should be taken by anyone who wants to stay sane in these days.

There would not be a day go by when we would not be confronted by at least one form of stressor or another.  From the moment we wake up to the time we retire for the night we can come up with a long list of things that annoyed or displeased us:  the alarm clock not going off, kids dilly-dallying and nearly missing the school bus, rush-hour traffic causing you to be late for work, the washing machine breaking down  – and you are only just starting out your day.

There are simple relaxation and stress control steps that you can take and these are great stress busters.  One important one is to have your own quiet time.  This may be difficult if you have children, so try and do this when they have gone to bed at night.

Start with banishing all the noise from your mind, heart and body and you can close your eyes to help block everything off.  Sit in a comfortable but not slouching position.  Feel the energies flowing through your body.  Start thinking about what you are grateful for and what makes you happy.  Make affirmations about yourself and your life.  Fill yourself only with positive thoughts.  Relax your mind. The positive energies will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated in mind and spirit.

Ultimately, it really is just a matter of attitude.  Nothing can affect your disposition if you do not allow anything to affect it. Relaxation and stress control is something that can be achieved only with your permission.  No matter what kind of therapy you get into, if you are not open to making certain modifications to the way you think and react to things, you will continue to be adversely affected by anything and everything that goes on around you.

Positive affirmations can change the way you see yourself and help you change your existing thoughts as they work on the subconscious mind. With positive affirmations you can feed your brain new information and instructions for a better mental state and subsequently better life. You can achieve absolute calm at last.

Positive affirmations do work and you should be using them to make the most of your life especially your mental health.  Also remember that your affirmations should be achievable and specific eg I am relaxed and friendly in social situations this year or another one could be – I release all of my negative emotion.

I think this quote says it all:    The best way to predict the future is to create it!… Jason Kaufmann

Here are a few of my own positive affirmation for absolute calm:
I am strong, relaxed, loving and perfect
I am thankful for such a good life
I am happy and fulfilled this year
I am healthy and wealthy in every way
I am in control
I am at peace with myself and others
I create the life I want
My body heals itself
My life is unlimited
I have the support of others
I am free

Make your own and say them regularly at least in the morning (in the shower) and last thing at night.  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!

Driving to work or anywhere for that matter during peak periods can be a very stressful experience.  We seem to get all the red lights or they aren’t working, banked up traffic and construction zones.  There is also the noise and pollution associated with driving in the city.  The kids can get bored and restless and you arrive at your destination stressed.

I don’t know about you, but for me I really feel anxious especially when others are cutting in to my lane or wont give way when they are supposed to. If you feel stressed then it can escalate into road rage by you or others around you.  Just let go of the anger and stress.  Don’t let other drivers or passengers influence you or give them the satisfaction that they may have upset you.

Stay calm and try to empathize with the bad driver.  This may sound silly but it works for me so why not try it yourself.  You don’t know why they are acting this way this time.  They may have an emergency and are frustrated too by delays.  The kids on the other hand may be an ongoing problem you may have to work on.

Turn on on some music, something you really like to listen to as music is a great soother, and use the delay to relax. I love to think of myself somewhere warm, sitting by the ocean, drinking a Margarita. This can also be the time you can do some muscle relaxation exercises as well.

Make sure you allow enough time to get to your destination, know how to get there before you leave home, take something for the kids to do in the care and if you get too stressed pull over and take a break.

Happy safe driving and don’t stress out!

Society seems to dictate when we are allowed to cry such as funerals and weddings and women are judged less than men for crying.  Other cultures are more relaxed about crying, for instance, Italians have no such reservation about crying in public.

Most of us do cry though more often than we admit.  society though expects us to deal with our families, work and friends with calm assurance, meeting crises and catastrophes without breaking down.  it is important for our health and happiness however that we can release these tensions at appropriate times and tears are a good way to do this.

Tears are used as a device and if you pick a safe place and time to release these emotions then you are preventing yourself from those tensions building into severe stress or anxiety.

Think about what would work for you.  A few examples would be to watch a sad movie, take yourself off to a private place or hug a loved one but this is a very individual thing and you will know what works for you, so, have a good cry, release stress and be a more healthy person.

Self hypnosis

Using auto suggestions is a good start.  Use positive suggestions that are easy to remember. Visualize yourself actually doing or succeeding at this suggestion you are giving yourself.  Don’t be negative and keep them short and to the point as this helps to reinforce them in your mind.

When you are going to try a self hypnosis technique find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted or distracted by outside noises such as phones. You can sit or lie down but my preference is probably a combination of these, in a recliner chair.  Make sure you are warm enough as well.

Method:
Close your eyes and visualize your favorite place.
Slowly breathe in and out while telling yourself you are exhalling the anxiety or stress you feel.
Keep breathing slowly in and out while saying the word ‘relax’.
Imagine yourself in your ‘happy place’ walking, or swimming or watching the tide go in and out and as you do this become more relaxed with every step, stroke or lap.
Repeat your positive affirmation now.
Take a few more steps, strokes or laps then repeat it once more.
Come back to where you were to start with in your ‘happy place’ and just rest there feeling the relaxation in your body.
Open your eyes and come back to your normal state.

This is a simple technique but effective so give it a try and attain the goals you always wanted but seemed beyond reach as well as banishing the stress you once felt.  Try adding some relaxation music for a different effect.

I love the ocean and the waves are so relaxing.  Sitting on the sand watching the tide come in and go out is what I use to center my thoughts for stress relief and as also as a meditation technique.

You don’t have to go anywhere though to get the same results if you have a relaxation tape with ocean sounds,  a nice cool breeze and a sun lounge to lie in but experiencing the real thing now and then is fabulous I must admit.

Pick a vacation location where life moves at a slower pace.  Relax and don’t crowd too many activities into a day.  Read that book you bought ages ago but never had the time to before.

Get some good quality sleep.  Go to bed early and get up late.  Have a nap in the afternoon if possible.  Lay in a sun lounge (in the shade) and have 40 winks.

Walk along the beach, swim in the ocean or hotel pool.  Nothing makes you sleep better than exercise during the day.  Don’t forget that you are aiming to reduce stress in your life.

OK I can hear you saying you can’t afford a vacation.  If so then why not do it all in your mind.  I often will walk along the beach in my mind.  Take a day to do nothing but rest, revive and reduce your stress.  You are worth it!