10 Relaxation Techniques That Zap Stress Fast

Relax. You deserve it, it's good for you, and it takes less time than you think.

You don't need a spa weekend or a retreat. Each of these stress-relieving tips can get you from OMG to om in less than 15 minutes.

1. Meditate

A few minutes of practice per day can help ease anxiety. “Research suggests that daily meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress,” says psychologist Robbie Maller Hartman, PhD, a Chicago health and wellness coach.

It's simple. Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Close your eyes. Focus your attention on reciting -- out loud or silently -- a positive mantra such as “I feel at peace” or “I love myself.” Place one hand on your belly to sync the mantra with your breaths. Let any distracting thoughts float by like clouds.

2. Breathe Deeply

Take a 5-minute break and focus on your breathing. Sit up straight, eyes closed, with a hand on your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath start in your abdomen and work its way to the top of your head. Reverse the process as you exhale through your mouth.

“Deep breathing counters the effects of stress by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure,” psychologist Judith Tutin, PhD, says. She's a certified life coach in Rome, GA.

3. Be Present

Slow down.

“Take 5 minutes and focus on only one behavior with awareness,” Tutin says. Notice how the air feels on your face when you’re walking and how your feet feel hitting the ground. Enjoy the texture and taste of each bite of food.

When you spend time in the moment and focus on your senses, you should feel less tense.

4. Reach Out

Your social network is one of your best tools for handling stress. Talk to others -- preferably face to face, or at least on the phone. Share what's going on. You can get a fresh perspective while keeping your connection strong.

5. Tune In to Your Body

Mentally scan your body to get a sense of how stress affects it each day. Lie on your back, or sit with your feet on the floor. Start at your toes and work your way up to your scalp, noticing how your body feels.
“Simply be aware of places you feel tight or loose without trying to change anything,” Tutin says. For 1 to 2 minutes, imagine each deep breath flowing to that body part. Repeat this process as you move your focus up your body, paying close attention to sensations you feel in each body part.

Eating to reduce your stress

Stress is one of life's most common ills, and will affect us all at some stage. Here are some ways to help reduce it with simple dietary changes.
How stress affects our bodies

Our response to stress is largely due to a rush of hormones from the kidneys stimulated by chemical messengers in the brain.

The brain determines how we perceive and respond to stress and hormones cause the physical reactions. Even a stressful thought can cause a physical response.

Adrenaline is our number one survival hormone, taking priority over all other bodily functions. It causes the release of glucose, providing us with an immediate source of fuel needed in fight or flight.

Closely related, noradrenaline is the other 'immediate response' hormone, released from the inner part of the glands on each kidney. Cortisol, released from the outer part of the same glands, kicks in after the initial adrenaline rush, engineering the longer-term reactions.

It maintains the level of fuel required, ensuring it is only used by the parts of the body involved with fleeing or fighting, ie brain, heart and muscles. It also suppresses the effect of insulin, which would normally work to store excess glucose. Even protein stores, usually used in the repair of tissues, are being converted to glucose when cortisol is concentrating its efforts on supplying fuel. The body is no longer thinking long-term; it'll have little need for protein's repair work if death is imminent.

As well as fuel, more oxygen is needed in times of stress, facilitated by cortisol narrowing our arteries, while adrenaline increases our heart rate.
Alcohol and caffeine for stress relief?

A drink can seem the perfect antidote to a hard day's work. In the short term it is a stimulant, causing the release of mood-boosting serotonin.

Benefits of Wine: 8 Reasons Wine Is the Best Thing Ever

Feeling guilty about your nightly glass of vino? We give you full permission to drink up—for your health. Cheers to these many awesome (surprising!) benefits of wine.

 Benefits of Wine: It Makes You More Attractive

Drinking just one glass of wine makes you more attractive to others, according to a study published in Alcohol and Alcoholism. Researchers think low doses of alcohol (more does not help) may give you a healthy glow and subtle smile—who doesn't want that?

 Benefits of Wine: It's Good for Your Heart

While researchers have found an association between wine and heart health, many past studies only looked at white populations. But a new Nutrition and Aging study looked at almost 3,000 ethnically diverse women, and found some good news: Moderate wine consumption may reduce your risk of heart disease, possibly because of the polyphenol content.

 Benefits of Wine: It May Help Maintain Muscle

French researchers set out to discover whether resveratrol, a component of wine (which has been linked to lower levels of bad cholesterol and protecting the lining of blood heart vessels) could help preserve muscle mass in astronauts. Why? Astronauts experience lots of health issues from the zero gravity inactivity. To replicate the weightless state, researches hung rats by their back legs. Half received a dose of resveratrol and the other half didn't. Those that didn't experienced reduced muscle mass, strength, and bone density while the resveratrol group was spared.

You'll Stress Less

If you're constantly running around, trying to get a billion things done and wondering why there isn't more time, take a step back and re-evaluate. Are you really making the most of your day? A study at the University of London found that those who greeted the day by 7:00 a.m., on average, had a lower chance of being stressed, depressed, and overweight. So even if you think that extra 30 minutes of sleep will help you feel rested for your midday presentation, it may be doing the exact opposite. Bounce out of bed and review your notes instead to help you feel fully prepared.






If the thought of bikini season is making you anxious, hit up a Zumba class before work rather than after. Studies show that working up a sweat in the early hours of your day speeds up your metabolism, helping you burn more calories throughout the day, resist junk-food cravings, and reach for healthier options. For an even bigger burn, take a walk outside while you enjoy that post-workout green juice. A new study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine found that people who enjoyed being outside in the morning—even in the winter—had lower BMIs than those who stepped outdoors later in the day.