Self Help

Stress therapy just doesn’t stop at eating right and getting more exercise. There are literally tens of dozens of ways to reduce stress. Below are two all-natural stress remedies to help ward off tension.

Sunlight Therapy

People that are stressed out need to make an extra effort to take in adequate natural sunlight every day. A landmark 1980 study cited in Weiner and Brown’s “Office Biology” showed that limited-spectrum artificial lighting (the kind often used in offices and schools) actually elevates stress hormone levels.

The body uses sunlight and full-spectrum light to synthesize vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium and keep blood pressure low, which increases health and lowering stress. Natural light also regulates the pineal gland, which oversees many of the body’s rhythms. Without natural light, the gland becomes desensitized, throwing your already stressed body into worse shape.

When suffering from acute stress, your tendency may be to burrow into your office or home. Try instead to be outdoors for at least thirty to sixty minutes in the brightest sunlight of the day, which is early morning. Investigate adding a set of full-spectrum fluorescent lights to a room in your home or office. Or your healthcare provider (or local lighting distributor) may be able to tell you where to find full-spectrum light boxes, which are more portable. Even thought not all doctors agree about the extent to which light therapy relieves stress, they agree that it does help and that sunlight is always preferable to indoor facsimiles.

Enjoy Spa Treatment

What could be better for treating stress than an all-natural facial, an acupressure massage, or a session in a sauna? Of course, not all spas restrict their treatments to pampering because increasingly you will find instructions on stress management, good nutrition, and relaxation techniques, squeezed in between the early morning hike, the late morning workout, and the low-calorie lunch. There are spas to suit every schedule and bank account, from one-day quickies to a full week with the works.

If time or money precludes a trip to the spa, fashion one in your own. Lay out all necessary oils, facial rubs, and other balms and lotions and select favorite relaxing music. When your personal spa opens for business, make sure it’s understood by the other people living in your house that it’s off-limits for a couple of hours and to divert phone calls to your answering machine.