10 Green Ways to Combat Stress

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No matter who you are or where you live, you have probably experienced stress at some point in your life. Whether it was a result of health problems, monetary obligations, family concerns, work issues or any other form of stress doesn’t matter. What does matter is how you chose to deal with those stresses. If you don’t deal with them sensibly you will probably stress yourself out even more. So here are 10 green ways to help lower your stress level:

1 – Exercise: Studies have shown that exercise can help lower the impact of stress on cell aging. Besides that, getting regular exercise will help keep you in shape, help you stay alert and you will feel better overall.

2 – Get outdoors: Taking a moment to get some fresh air and look at the world around you can help you get your mind off your worries. Go outside, breathe in some fresh air, look at the trees, birds and flowers. Maybe see some wildlife.

Image by Tim Brauhn

If you had to, you could probably even breathe in a jar of fresh air…although that might not have the same result.

3 – Make a decision: Take a look at the problem or situation that seems to be stressing you out and decide to resolve it. Decide that you are going to sit down and come up with a resolution. Decide that you are going to deal with the problem instead of just stressing over it and/or avoiding it.

Once you decide to deal with it…you’re half way there.

4 – Choose health over pills: When it comes to choosing health or pills to help make you feel better and lower your stress levels, try health. You may find that simple things such as eating better or maybe doing some yoga will help lower your stress levels naturally.

5 – Take a deep breath: When you find something getting a little more stressful than you’d like, sometimes it helps to just sit down and relax. Take a few deep, relaxing breaths and clear your mind.

6 –  Schedule some “me time”: Like most dedicated individuals if you find yourself feeling a little overworked or you are getting stressed out about all the things you need to get done, don’t forget to include a little “me time” into your schedule. You may think there’s no time for that, but there is…there is always time for “me time”. It will give you a chance to relax and concentrate on you so when you get back to work, you will be able to give it your all again.

7 – Write it all down: Sometimes you can get stressed because too many things are running through your head. Try clearing your mind by writing everything down. Anything you are worrying about, thinking about, have your attention on, etc. just write it down. That will also help you address each point, one by one rather than all at once.

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That action, along with a few other time management skills, can be a major factor in dramatically lowering stress levels.

8 – Know your limits: If you are anything like me, you enjoy helping friends out whenever you can and you’re more than likely to try and tackle too many jobs than too few.

But that doesn’t always help your stress levels, nor does it help in getting the job done. This doesn’t mean you need to turn everyone down, but it does mean you should know your limits. Figure out what you can get done and what will just be too much. Push yourself, of course, as that is what will help drive you…but know your limits.

9 – Do some gardening: Gardens and gardening tend to have a kind of healing affect on people. It’s nice to be able to step away from your work and get dirty in the garden now and again.

You can put your attention on planting things and helping them grow. Did you know there is a whole field, Horticulture Therapy, dedicated to using plants to help people heal? And you’ve probably been doing it all along just because it made you feel better.

10 – Laugh every day: Yes, laugh. Did you know that laughter reduces stress, too? Sometimes when you find yourself too entrenched in a problem or situation, it helps to find something to make you laugh.

I don’t mean just a little chuckle, I mean some good strong belly-shaking laughs! Let yourself laugh everyday. I know I feel better when I laugh. Don’t you?!

Is there something you rely on to help you make it through a stressful situation? Do you have a green tip or suggestion that could help someone combat stress in their life?

8 Comments

  • rmassingham

    Great reminders T! Awesome post. As busy parents, it’s tough to find the time to sit back and relax during or after a stressful day – there’s always something or someone on the go. A few go-to activities I look to are getting outside for some fresh air with the kids, a little exercise (preferably on the golf course or tennis court) or doing some work in the garden. And of course if we can laugh along the way…even better!

    • Tara

      Thanks R! 🙂 So true….so very true. But it’s definitely vital to take the time, isn’t it?! 🙂

      Great activities to do! Love them 🙂

  • Tregonys

    All so true! I’d add cycling or walking to work, and for ultimate stress buster get a dog (and train them well!). Nothing like the waggy tail of joy when I get home…

    Ps of course I’m in fortunate position of having a husband that can give hound lunch time walks and great neighbours that help out too! They are great way to make good friends…

    • Tara

      Thanks so much. Some great ideas! I agree with you 100% – having a dog, playing with them, taking them on walks, etc is a great way to laugh, smile and lower stress levels. 🙂

  • Stephanie

    This is great – I really, really need a (green) way to combat my stress. Summer with 4 kids is not a walk in the park – although that in itself might be helpful…. LOL!

  • solargroupies

    I feel more relaxed already. If only these were a regular part of my lifestyle!

    • Tara

      LOL Steph! Yes, true…that probably would be a good way! Hopefully the kids are able to find lots of good stuff to do and if not, you can always do some of these stress-combating activities together 😉 Or…just take a quick vacation…I know where you can go!

      There you go Glenn…yes, I agree that we need to incorporate more of these as a regular part of our routine 🙂

  • GardenTubFan

    Great tips. I find just being around nature helps me relax instantly.

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