Drug-free ways to ease stress and anxiety

Read all about drug-free alternatives that don't just relieve the strain of everyday stress and anxiety, but also increase body immunity.

In this fast-paced world, stress and anxiety seem to be constant companions. There are drugs to ease these, but not without potential side effects that may create more problems than they solve. However, there are drug-free alternatives, such as aromatherapy and yoga, that don't just relieve the strain of everyday living, but also increase body immunity. Read on to see how each of these work.

The term aromatherapy refers to the use of essential oils extracted from herbs and other plant materials for massage, or the use of incense or candles to diffuse scents from these essential oils into the room.

While aromatherapy primarily works through the sense of smell, it's just as effective when massaged into the skin. A massage with essential oils serves to relax muscles bunched up from anxiety, and the very process of massaging infuses a sense of well-being into the recipient.

Different oils have different effects; rosemary, for instance, relaxes the user by lowering his or her cortisol level. Lavender also reduces cortisol intensity, but has a soothing and sedative effect as well. The aromatic shrub is especially useful in healing anxiety caused by a traumatic experience.

Yoga is a non-invasive form of exercise that doesn't tax the body; breathing awareness taps into a great reservoir of energy that helps relax both body and mind. Yoga exercises include breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques that require total concentration, thereby effectively keeping your thoughts away from situations and stimuli that create anxiety.

Moreover, when you are working on these techniques, you are so busy concentrating on correct form and technique that depressing thoughts and life worries tend to fade into the background – at least for a while. By the time you are done with a session, the breathing techniques combined with the exercises refresh both the body and mind, wash away your anxieties, and put you in a state of readiness to take on fresh challenges. Regular practice produces better results.

Regular de-stressing with yoga and aromatherapy can help both your body and mind function in perfect tandem with each other and soothe your anxiety and stress, helping you lead a fuller, more relaxed life.