27 Ways to Reduce Stress and Boost Energy

Stress can take a toll on both your physical health and mental well-being. It can lower your immunity to colds, flu, and even more serious illnesses. It can affect your sleep patterns, interfere with job performance, and leave you irritable. Stress can also trigger all sorts of skin disorders, including psoriasis, eczema, acne, rosacea, and hives.Fortunately, there are ways to get a handle on stress and up your energy:

1. Peace of Mind
2. Learn relaxation techniques.
3. Schedule "worry sessions."Set aside a specific 15 minutes each day when you'll concentrate on everything that's bothering you. When worries pop up during the day, save them for these 15 minutes. Then picture yourself conquering a particular challenge. It's not easy, but it's simple. And it works.
4. Keep a journal.New studies suggest that people who are able to write about their innermost feelings may enjoy better mental and physical health. Writing is also a powerful tool that helps you organize your thoughts and make life a little bit easier.
5. Pep up with a scent.When you need an energy boost, take a whiff of muguet or peppermint oil. Preliminary studies suggest these scents can promote alertness.
6. Power naps.15-20 minutes can be very energizing and rejuvenating. Careful - more than 20 minutes and you'll wake up more tired than you were to begin with.
7. Delegate.On your weekly calendar, eliminate the least important tasks and activities. Delegate household chores. Even if things aren't done the way you want them done, it's important for everyone to pitch in so you don't feel like the Lone Ranger.
8. Reward yourself.Every day engage in a just-for-you activity, PROVIDED you accomplished something you set out to do for that day.
9. Laugh.Laughter really is good medicine.
10. Cry.Feel better after a good cry? Studies show that the tears you produce when you're anxious, upset, sad, or angry contain stress-relieving hormones.
11. Get a body massage.
12. DO NOT skip meals.
13. Eat a "good mood" breakfast.
14. Have a midmorning muffin.USE THIS ONLY IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Carbs combined with a LIMITED amount of sugar can restore mental energy.
15. Quick, low-fat lunch.Broiled fish, skinless chicken, tuna, deli turkey or chicken with a teaspoon of low-fat mayo on whole-grain bread can give you energy for the afternoon.
16. Beat the mid-afternoon lag.If you're droopy by 3 pm, have a cup of coffee to get back on track. (I don't suggest doing this very often, either. It's quite possible you need to catch up with some Z's.)
17. Make dinner your lightest meal.If you've eaten a balanced, substantial lunch, you'll feel surprisingly satisfied with a light dinner.
18. Watch the caffeine.A little caffeine is okay for a little boost. Too much and you're making your adrenal glands work overtime.
19. Cut back on sugar and starches.
20. NO alcohol.
21. Aerobic exercise daily.Along with cardiovascular health, aerobic exercise boosts production of endorphins. 25-30 minutes can significantly reduce stress and increase energy.
22. Deep breathing.
23. Shrug off tight shoulders.Whenever you notice you're tense around your neck area and shoulders, shrug your shoulders ten times.
24. Take a break to stretch.Alternating arms, reach upward, stretching toward the ceiling. Five times each side.
25. Stretch neck tension away.Touch your chin to your chest and hold for 2 seconds. Try to touch your left ear to your left shoulder (keep it relaxed - no reaching up!) and hold for 2 seconds. Repeat for the right ear/shoulder for 2 seconds. Repeat entire cycle if necessary.
26. Stand up.If you spend most of the day sitting at a desk, stand up once every hour for 20 minutes, and do any of the exercises mentioned above to relax and stimulate circulation.
27. Take out your frustrations on the iron.Pumping iron, that is. You've got all those stress hormones flowing around your body and they're not getting used up. Aerobic exercise may calm them down some, but new studies are showing lifting weights help you burn off those stress hormones more effectively.

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Submitted at Fitness.com