Stay Young the Natural Way 1: Practice Effective Stress Reduction Techniques (Part 1)

There may be no turning back the clock, but there are proven ways to help your body stay young and functioning at its peak. These activities involve no hocus-pocus or drastic surgeries. Totally natural and very beneficial once turned into a habit, they are considered health musts. Not only do they benefit people who want to retard the aging process sans any fakeries, but they have always been included among the top prerequisites to great health.

 

• Reduce your stress.

 

Stress has become a by-word in the modern, fast-paced society we live in. Ironically, the more advanced we get, the more stressful our lives become. When you were at the peak of youth, you can burn the midnight oil and party until dawn without having to worry about the health consequences. But once you step into your 30’s, all the recklessness will pay off in the form of telltale signs of specific illnesses.

 

According to recent studies, stress prompts changes in the body that are capable of speeding up the aging process. Rushes of adrenaline and cortisol hormones raise blood pressure and accelerate heart rate. You will usually feel these surges when you are subjected to continuous, stressful situations, e.g. having to deal with one deadline at work after another, bumper-to-bumper traffic jam when you are in a rush, and many more.

 

Frequent surges of these two hormones experienced during stressful times adversely affect your physical and emotional health. To put the brakes on them, you need to practice these foolproof quick-fixes:

 

• Laugh it off.

 

When everything is on the verge of imploding due to extreme pressure, lighten up by humoring the situation. Be sarcastic or silly if you please. But the whole point is to tickle your funny bones so as to mitigate the rise of your hormones and other vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate, which are common during stressful moments. A good laugh works instantaneously and dramatically. What is more, after you have hurt your tummy from laughing so hard, your mind clears up miraculously. Thus, it becomes easier to focus on the best way to handle the situation at hand.

 

• Unwind through playing.

 

Forcing yourself to think during crunch time can literally give you a bad headache. Worse, it does not guarantee that the ideas will flow, and you are more prone to erring since you will no longer scrutinize whatever concept will sprout in your mind. You may find this especially true when you are pressed for time.

 

Times like these call for an abrupt halt in whatever you are doing. Unwind for a few minutes by distracting yourself through playing. Play computer games, tic-tac-toe, or just fool around with your pencil by doodling away. These temporary distractions work to relax your mind while keeping you calm.