©OxySolution.com

©OxySolution.com

Copyright © 2016 SuccessVantage Group Pte Limited All rights reserved. Published by Kevin Richardson Notes to the Reader: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, scanned, or otherwise, except as permitted under U.S copyright law, without the prior written permission of the author. The statements found within the pages of this book have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. If a product or treatment is recommended in these pages, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information contained herein is meant to be used to educate the reader and is in no way intended to provide individual medical advice. The publisher and the contributors are not engaged in rendering medical advice. All information contained in this book is received from sources believed to be accurate, but no guarantee, express or implied, can be made. Readers are encouraged to verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, the accuracy of all information, recommendations, conclusions, comments, opinions or anything else contained within these pages before making any kind of decisions based upon what they have read herein. The author of this e-book is not a licensed practitioner of medicine; therefore, the techniques, ideas, and opinions here are not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice! The information provided here is solely for informational purposes only. If medical advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The author does not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from any health decisions made by purchasers of this book. The words contained in this text which are believed to be trademarked, service marked, or to otherwise hold proprietary rights have been designated as such by the use of initial capitalization. Inclusion, exclusion, or definition of a word or term is not intended to affect, or to express judgment upon the validity of legal status of any proprietary right which may be claimed for a specific word or term. Individual results may vary.

©OxySolution.com

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Understanding Stress and Uncovering its Causes ................................................................................. 6

The Symptoms and Effects of Stress ..................................................................................................... 10

How Stress-Free Living Slows Down the Aging Process ...................................................................... 12

The Basics of Beating Stress ................................................................................................................... 18

Nutritional Supplements for Stress Relief ............................................................................................ 30

The Best Natural Foods for Guarding Against and Relieving Stress .................................................... 32

Physical Stress Busters .......................................................................................................................... 39

Simple Ways to Minimize the Negative Effects of Stress .................................................................... 46

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 52

©OxySolution.com

Introduction T here's no doubt that stress is a serious health issue today. In fact, it may

be much more serious than most people realize. According to some

medical experts, stress is the number one threat to our collective health

in western society these days. It may be responsible in whole or in part

for eighty percent or more of all diseases – not just the degenerative

diseases that plague us as a modern society.

Stress is a sign of the times we live in. Everyone it seems is faced with unlimited choices,

opportunities and demands on our time. Yet there's only so much one individual can do or pay

attention to. Everything else is “noise” but it's nearly impossible to block out these distractions

and the added stress they tend to generate by default. Fighting off and relieving oneself of stress

becomes another task we all must engage in, not just as a means of getting more things done, but

as a means of our very survival.

The problem is rampant in that stress negatively affects almost everyone – at least to some

degree. Those who handle stress best, deflect much of its impact. But those people are in the

minority. Stress management wasn't something we were raised with and nobody learned it in

school. But after all those years of schooling, it's time to get out into the workforce and to use our

training to contribute and earn a living. But we're cast out into an environment that's often high-

pressure, hectic and chaotic and that's where the real stress begins to inflict its damage.

©OxySolution.com

We tend to experience stress in more of life's situations. At times, this stress can feel intense while

at other times, we don't even notice it. But it's there for sure... and it weighs us down. Eventually

we become accomplished at acquiring stress and even getting stressed-out automatically on auto-

pilot as we react to the goings on in life.

But we don't have a clue as to how to deal with all that stress in a healthy way. We hear about the

dangers of stress from all directions – on television news programs, radio, magazines, newspapers

and in casual conversation. And the more we hear about it, the more we realize just how prevalent

stress is in society today, which only burdens us with more stress. It's a never-ending circle until as

individuals we take total responsible and positive action steps each and every day to minimize its

potentially devastating effects.

©OxySolution.com

Understanding Stress and Uncovering its Causes

Stress is a reaction to something that is going in internally or externally. It is

something that the body recognizes as a signal and then responds to

automatically. Whenever you feel stressed by what you're thinking, feeling,

seeing, or experiencing, your body instantaneously reacts by releasing chemicals

into the bloodstream.

It's a natural response and it's a protective measure when it sharpens your senses and helps guard

you from the physical danger of an approaching wild animal looking for food, or a human enemy

intent on taking over your village. And this kind of stress response probably served our forefathers

quite well.

But today's stress is of a different variety. We seem to experience far more mental and emotional

stress than its physical counterpart. Yet the body instinctively responds in a physical way by

releasing adrenalin and cortisol into the circulatory system. But without the physical release of

running away or engaging in a battle with the enemy, there's no outlet for this infusion of

immediate, extra strength, alertness and energy. Therein lays a large part of the problem related

to stress.

We get all pumped-up ready to do battle. It's the body's natural “fight or flight” response that's

designed to save us in times of danger. It's instinctive and it prepares us for a physical battle – or a

hasty retreat. I prehistoric times, this instinct undoubtedly saved lives. But the problem today is

that we still get this surge of hormones coursing through the bloodstream – but a physical

response to the stress we're under these days is not only inappropriate – but harmful too.

The lion's share of today's stress comes from things like workplace hassles and disagreements,

family issues like relationship conflicts and troubled children, financial pressures in difficult

economic times, and everyday traffic jams going to and coming home from work. It's enough to

push anyone over the edge at any time. And that's exactly what is happening all too frequently.

©OxySolution.com

Without the opportunity to release all this pent-up energy – we remain tense, on edge and

chemically out of balance and we pay a huge price for all this stress that builds. Those powerful

hormones remain, weakening the body's natural immune system and damaging one's overall

health substantially in the process. One issue gets stacked on top of the next until the tipping

point is reached and we blow a gasket and all hell breaks loose.

Stress sets off the alarm and the body responds by changing its structure and chemistry

immediately. In spontaneous fashion, the body readies itself for action and responds on an

instinctive level.

Let's say that someone was following your car a little too closely and they weren't able to stop in

time and slammed into the back of your car as a result. Instantly, the body detects danger and

releases adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream to prepare you to deal with this apparent

urgency. Immediately your muscles contract to provide you with better protection from bodily

injury. Your metabolism gets cranked up several notches to deliver an instant jolt of energy and

strength. Your heart beats faster and you begin breathing more rapidly to send more nutrient-rich

oxygen to the various parts of the body. Then your arteries constrict to prevent the loss of extra

blood, should you suffer cuts. The digestive system speeds up to give the muscles of the body

extra nutrients. Your hearing becomes more acute and your pupils become dilated – sharpening

your vision.

It's a whole combination of things nature provides in a seemingly helpful way to respond to what

it perceives is an emergency situation. The body responds in a similar way to chronic stress – a

long-term tension that emerges from todays fast pace and negative, out of control emotions –

that are often associated with this condition of unrelieved stress.

If you're chronically stressed or depressed, you're bloodstream is full of cortisol. This leaves you

susceptible to other serious health issues like osteoporosis.

When you worry about life, your kids, your aging parents, or about losing your job, you send the

wrong kind of signals to the brain which activates the stress response mechanism. What happens

is this negative emotional focus saps your strength and energy. It keeps you awake at night and

©OxySolution.com

can lead to depression. Soon you are completely wiped out and dead-tired. Your immune system

gets depleted, leaving you wide open to and unprotected against a whole host of illness – from

the relatively minor like a cold or the flu, to a major, life-threatening affliction like heart disease or

cancer.

Whenever you visit your doctor's office, look around at all the other people in the waiting room.

How many of them are suffering from stress-induced conditions? Chances are that two out of

every three people who visit a family doctor or general practitioner fall into this category. Stress

may not be identified as the culprit and most often is not. But you can bet that a weakened

immune system triggered at least in part by stress plays a role and perhaps a significant one. It's a

common pattern – a by-product of today's hurried, highly-competitive and multi-faceted world.

But in order to change this pattern yourself, you have to first become aware of its presence.

You need to gain perspective and pinpoint the actual cause of the stress you're feeling and look at

it from a more objective point of view. The idea here is to cut your stress down to a manageable

size and minimize the physical and mental damages it can cause. Here are some simple questions

to help you re-evaluate the pressure and tension you're feeling to weaken its grip on you.

1. What is the worst thing that could happen in this particular situation?

2. How likely is it that the worst possible outcome actually materializes?

3. Have I done all I can to prevent the worst from happening, or is there something else I can

do right now?

4. Will this situation change my life one way or another, or will I not even remember it a year

or two down the road?

5. If I was advising a close friend in the same situation, what would I suggest they do?

When you make a concerted effort to consider questions like these, it helps you gain a better

perspective on the whole thing. When you look at the bigger picture, this bird's eye view helps you

reframe the situation and typically, things aren't as bad as they seem. Taking a fresh new look

tends to lift some of the burden off your shoulders, easing the stress you feel.

©OxySolution.com

Some Stress is Actually Good For You

It's fair to say that some stress is good because it gets us off the couch and into action. Just as

there are good fats and bad, there is also positive and negative stress. Almost everything you hear

about related to stress is referring to the negative kind as it clearly dominates in this day and age.

Positive stress propels accomplishment and all the advances that have benefitted society.

Whenever you're excited about a new project, joining in a celebration, starting a new position,

setting an inspiring goal, or simply seeing an old friend you haven’t seen in ages – it induces a level

of stress that motivates, enthuses and inspires you – and that's a good thing.

But the reality is that most of the stress in our lives does us far more harm than good.

©OxySolution.com

The Symptoms and Effects of Stress

Stress can cause you to lash out verbally and angrily. It can trigger violent

responses and agitated behaviour, as evidenced by cases of “road rage”.

What happens is it builds (sometimes very quickly) and one responds instantly

to the stress without any analysis. The pressure builds and an emotional

explosion often results. A momentary reaction to stress can cause an

otherwise level-headed individual to act in what could only be describes as

“completely out of character” and do things they would never otherwise

consciously consider including committing a dastardly offense such as murder.

Stress can cause you to age faster a whole lot faster than normal or average. If you're routinely or

perpetually under stress, you're far more likely to have your hair thin, turn gray and fall out much

earlier. Wrinkled, pale skin, bags under the eyes, poor posture and a lack of vitality are some of the

telltale effects of someone under a lot of stress.

Multiple studies have conclusively demonstrated that prolonged exposure to stress does

significant harm to the body by inhibiting the immune system and therefore depleting the body's

best natural defence. Without a strong defence, you are essentially unarmed in a dangerous world

of innumerable illnesses of all types and degrees.

Left unchecked, stress can interfere with your ability to think clearly and effectively. It can also

cause significant memory loss. And frequent and unrelenting stress damages and even kills off

brain cells.

According to Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, author of the book, Brain Longevity, “Stress acts like

poison to the brain”. Sensing a stressful event, the body's natural response mechanism kicks in

and the adrenal glands begin to pump out cortisol and adrenaline – powerful hormones that help

you whether the storm of sudden emergencies.

©OxySolution.com

But over the long term, this regular, unrelenting stress causes irreparable damages to the brain

and the high hormone levels remain in the bloodstream. It's at this time when the real and

significant damage of stress seems to flourish. This in turn weakens the immune system and

impairs its ability to defend the body against the onslaught of invaders.

Stress is also a major factor in heart disease which could manifest in numerous ways and directly

affect the heart muscle, arteries and veins. It taxes the heart muscle in constricts the veins and

blood vessels, limiting the circulation system in its task to distribute life-giving oxygen and other

vital nutrients to every organ and cell of the body.

Stress wears you out both mentally and physically, leaving you in a state of emotional disarray and

physical exhaustion. This makes you unable to do some things and far less effective in whatever

tasks you are able to perform. Panic attacks often occur as a result of the body's inability to

tolerate any significant physical, mental or emotional stress. When you're stressed out – you're

emotionally burned out. When that's the case, even a simple every day event can push you over

the edge.

Major contributing factors to stress include the lifestyle we lead, the foods we routinely consume,

the amount of regular exercise we get and our ability to manage stress, minimize its effect and

regain a sense of calm and balance in our lives.

©OxySolution.com

How Stress-Free Living Slows Down the Aging Process

Life in general and all its specifics improve greatly when stress no longer

dominates your life. When you learn how to minimize its effects, or avoid

stress altogether, life is good. You avoid the tumultuous ups and downs and

stay balanced and centered. At this point, you are truly in control of your life

and therefore, far less susceptible to the typical stressors that can

completely derail other people.

If you want to extend your life and pack more joy and peace of mind into your everyday

experience you simply need to get a better handle on this thing called stress and free yourself

from its chains. Only then can you make significant improvements to your health and state of

being.

Below are seven sound reasons to substantially reduce or eliminate entirely stress from your life.

Those benefits of a stress-free life include:

Healthy Brain Without stress, your brain remains more youthful, flexible and functional. You think clearer and

are generally happier, more content and able to go with the flow of life. Whatever happens

happens and you readily adjust without letting stress hold on. Body chemicals released into the

bloodstream in times of stress are supposed to protect you.

But whenever the body isn't allowed to recover and return to a balanced level of internal

chemistry, that's where the most serious damages occur. This damage is even more pronounced in

older folks as they experience stress. In many cases, there are other health issues involved and

therefore, they don't have all available body defences ready and able to swing into action to

counter any stress with the minimum of damage.

Having a younger, fully-functional brain helps you think clearly, assess your options, communicate

with lucidity and take the kind of steps that help you maintain a state of optimal health.

©OxySolution.com

Improved Immune Functioning Being stress-free boosts your immune system. Staying calm, cool and collected helps keep you

centered, healthy and strong. When you're not anxious, on edge or worried about something that

may or may not happen, you're immune system doesn't suffer the same depletion of resources as

it does when you're stressed out.

The more you remain in that peaceful and serene state of mind and body – the better it is for all

the systems of your body especially the immune system. Stress seems to impair normal function. It

slows the body’s natural production of bacteria and virus fighters. When you don't maintain the

optimum level of these fighters, it weakens your protection and leaves you susceptible to a whole

host of potential harm.

The fact remains that relaxed, more centered people and not just happier – but healthier too. This

probably isn't news to you, but it never hurts to be reminded of fundamental truths every now and

then – particularly when those truths can have a direct impact on your state of health and

wellness. Even the Ancient Greeks figured out that there was indeed a connection between stress

and sickness. It's too bad that we don't place more of an emphasis on living with less stress today.

Stronger Bones Being stress free strengthens your bones as well. When you're feeling the heat of a stressful

situation, the body's natural mechanisms are activated. But exposure to the stress hormone,

cortisol causes more damage than you might think. Not only does it obstruct the regular

functioning of your natural immune system, cortisol also causes the bones to lose mass and

become more brittle. Anyone who gets stressed out a lot or feels depressed, likely has a

bloodstream that's loaded with cortisol. With weakened bones, you are far more likely to get

osteoporosis.

The reality is that cortisol is also a steroid drug that's manufactured in a laboratory. Its purpose is

to treat rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. But it's commonly known that long-term use of steroids

is something that should be avoided and one of the reasons is due to the steroid's damaging

effect in thinning and weakening the body's bones.

©OxySolution.com

But this very condition can also occur without any assistance from an outside lab. Any human body

under stress for an extended period of time produces excessive cortisol as a programmed,

automatic response to the condition and a weakening of the bones. Yet another reason to try to

chill out more to significantly cut back on your stress level.

Fat Trimmed From Your Waistline If you want a slimmer, trimmer waistline, it's a good idea to maintain an even keel without the

stress that remains a part of most people's lives. Perpetually stressed-out people will find it

impossible to lose belly fat, despite the fact that this in itself poses a health risk of sorts.

As cortical and adrenaline are produced in response to stress, one of things these chemicals do is

redistribute body fat by sending it to the belly area. Obviously diet and exercise are huge factors

too for anyone carrying too much weight on their frames. But at least when you live a stress-free

life, you don't have to worry about this redistribution of weight to the stomach area.

Wounds That Heal Faster Being stress-free helps you to get by in virtually every area of your life. When you're not stressed-

out, wounds of all types tend to heal faster. Nature represents a directly opposite position to that

of stress. It's peaceful and serene and flows unencumbered by incident or condition. When these

natural qualities are allowed to exist within the body, that same kind of peaceful, easy healing

occurs. But once stress disrupts that inner peace and tranquility, the natural flow of healing energy

gets disrupted too.

One study involving older people with stubborn leg and feet ulcers revealed an interesting result.

Those who were taught and persistently applied relaxation techniques achieved ten times the

healing power of those in the study who did not use any kind of relaxation techniques. Another

study involved women who had similar wounds. Half of those in the study group were caring for a

relative suffering from Alzheimer's and were therefore likely experiencing much higher levels of

stress than the other half of the women in the study. Results clearly showed that the other group

– those with noticeably less stress in their lives had their wounds heal much more quickly. Was this

mere coincidence? I highly doubt it. Obviously, there's a strong connection between one's peace

of mind or stress level and the speed at which their natural healing occurred.

©OxySolution.com

Stronger Heart

Less-stressed people have healthier hearts. When you're feeling burdened by

life's events, your higher stress level has a negative effect on the heart and its

functions, which in turn, affects all the cells and organs of the body. It's not

what happens, but how you take it. Stressful situations need not produce an

imminently negative result.

But since there are so many things that can be a breaking point, you've got to be prepared for the

worst and make the best out of it. You cannot afford to let a negative event or situation (like those

that occur at virtually every workplace) – or, environmental bad news, personal loss, anger or

anxiety trigger a heart attack or stroke. Strive to maintain a calm state of mind most of the time

and you will be better equipped whenever you're blindsided by seemingly negative information.

The workplace can be hazardous to your health and wellbeing. Working long hours in a high-

pressure job accelerates your heart rate and raises your blood pressure – creating a potentially

dangerous situation. If your job involves loads of responsibility, taking risks, the pressure of

deadlines, people who are at times difficult to work with, a rapid pace, or little social interaction

with others – it could only complicate matters.

What can happen is that people in these situations tend to drink more alcohol, smoke cigarettes

and eat larger volumes of nutrient-void junk food in order to temporarily escape from their terrible

working environments. If any of this sounds all too familiar to you – do not wait for a disaster to

strike because second chances are not always given. Do something constructive about it now.

Everybody feels that they need the money and therefore, their hands are tied. But the fact of the

matter is that irrespective of financial condition – you need good health more than anything else in

the world. Without a healthy mind and body, the other details of life don't seem to matter as

much. Take pre-emptive action now and start to significantly reduce your stress and better protect

your health.

©OxySolution.com

In an ideal world, your work environment should allow you to flourish and to use your talents and

abilities to produce a satisfactory feeling of accomplishment and productivity. It's a cycle that

continues to feed off of itself. The more productive and fulfilled you feel on the job – the more

effective your performance levels.

Social support is also a key factor in a work setting. When you're given the opportunity to regularly

interact with others in a friendly and relaxed way, it actually helps to lower your stress level

instead of perpetuating the tension and stressing you out even further.

Higher Degree of Happiness and Hope When you can gain the upper hand on stress you will tend to be happier and more optimistic about

life and your future. Stress in and of itself is harmful, but when stress is experienced with greater

frequency, it can spiral out of control and lead to depression – a place nobody wants to go.

Stress from your past can negatively impact your present moments, if you're not careful. It's best

to remain vigilant and let go of the past. Whether it was something that happened years ago or

yesterday is irrelevant. It's now history and can't be changed by anything now. Simply let it go and

enjoy the freedom of the moment. Make the most of today. When you can live day to day and

make each day a joyful one, stress won't bother you much – and that's the way it should be.

©OxySolution.com

Lower Risk of Cancer Remaining cool and calm and projecting a certain grace under pressure can also reduce the risk of

the development of various types of cancers – specifically breast, colon and rectal cancer. Get rid

of any raging emotions by venting privately or by taking several deep, calming breaths. Relax and

let it go. Free yourself from any stress or tension as soon as you feel it coming on and you help

protect yourself against the most feared of all degenerative diseases. Sometimes the most

damaging stress comes from situations like severe illness or a death in the family.

Unfortunately these situations are completely outside of anyone's control. It's a part of life that

however painful, we all must endure. The best approach is to try and find an inner peace during

these tumultuous times. Since stress weakens the immune system, you must do your part to

minimize the damage and to protect your body and your sanity too. Allow yourself to feel any

emotions that bubble up to the surface – that's part of the process. Just don't allow stress to gain

an upper hand.

Let's face it, day-to-day pressures and challenging situations are part of life for the majority of

people. So the more adept we become at nipping these pressures in the bud and reducing the

negative impact of stress – the better we feel. As a consequence of feeling better, we tend to

become more capable of pursuing our intentions, instead of getting derailed along the way.

©OxySolution.com

The Basics of Beating Stress

It's virtually impossible to live a fully-functional life in today's world

and not feel stressed out at times. Stressful situations are a part of

life. But that doesn't mean allowing stress to dominate in any way,

shape, or form. We have to just figure out how to put stressful events

and circumstances into perspective to minimize its negative effects

and prevent stress from taking over your life.

You Don't Have To Go It Alone One important fact to remember is that you are never alone. Learn to recognize the increasing

weight of stress in your life and get some help. At times stress can be overbearing and too much

to handle alone. If you're feeling the pressure of stress on a daily basis, or you notice yourself

coming down with colds or viral infections more frequently than normal – you probably need to

see a doctor and the sooner you do – the better.

Get checked out first and then consider getting outside help of some kind from the variety of

traditional and alternative options that are available today. The range of choices today is

exceptional and includes, doctors, nutritionists, herbalists, counsellors, relaxation specialists,

hypnosis and more.

Stress can be overwhelming – and it can take over your life. If it seems like you're drowning in an

endless sea of stress, it's difficult to figure out where to begin to reverse the effects and lift the

burden you so can get your life back. While it may be difficult to put your finger on a specific cause

– particularly when multiple issues are involved – it's important to examine the primary elements.

©OxySolution.com

For example, do you feel a greater degree of stress on Sunday evenings or early Monday morning

as you prepare for another week on the job? If you notice more tension or anxiety, that's a clue

that at least one of your sources of stress comes from your job or occupation. It could be your

workplace in general, the endless and increasing demands of the job, the attitude of your co-

workers, the incompetence of your support staff, a nasty, overly-demanding boss, long hours,

inadequate pay or benefits – or a combination of these or other issues.

Either way, it's important to get to the root of the problem before you can do anything to make

your life better. Until the real source of your stress and anxiety is uncovered, any actions taken

only have a slight chance of making a real and discernible difference.

Make a List A proven strategy – and one that seems to be as effective as it is simple – is to take out a large pad

of paper or an empty notebook and a pen. Give yourself an hour or two to do the following

exercise. It's important that you play full on and give it your best effort. I assure you that the time

spent doing so will be time well invested and you'll emerge from the session with additional

insight and awareness that can serve you in making a substantial improvement in your life.

What you want to do is create a large list of everything conceivable thing that causes you to feel

tense, anxious, or stressful to any degree. Include the big stressors like having an evil boss, a client

from hell, or a family situation that's not exactly the best, like having a wayward and defiant

teenager. But also include the minor things, like getting cut off in traffic, spilling your coffee on

your dress, or holding the door for someone and not having them acknowledge your kind gesture.

Get it all down – that's the important thing. You want to identify everything – and I do mean

EVERYTHING – that registers as a stressor, frustration, upset, or inconvenience. If it registers in

your brain – it gets recorded on paper. Once you get on a roll and into the spirit of brainstorming –

you will likely be amazed by the sheer number of things that annoy you – things you let get under

your skin.

©OxySolution.com

What's particularly interesting about this exercise is that identifying the problem is a prerequisite

to solving it. Some experts believe that a problem clearly identified is a problem half-solved. Either

way, your heightened sense of awareness can help you begin to recognize those stress-inducers

so you can take corrective action and avoid the negative consequences.

With your list in hand, you've taken a leap forward in coming to grips with and knocking the wind

out of the sails of stress. Now you can begin to put it all into perspective. Begin to evaluate the

items on your list. Consider each entry and decide if it's a minor annoyance or a serious issue. If it's

serious – how serious an issue is it? Some things that appear to be serious issues in the beginning

are suddenly not so bad when viewed from a different perspective. With anything that's troubling

you, consider how important it will be six months or one year down the line.

When you “future forward” this way, it gives you the benefit of viewing it over time – as though

you're projecting the effect of the outcome on your life. If it's something that won't matter much

one year from today – the issue is a short-term one no matter how burdensome it feels. So it need

not consume your attention, paralyze your sense of reason and drain all your energy. Soon, this

issue won't even matter in the grand scheme of things, so why worry about it and stress yourself

out?

©OxySolution.com

Get Plenty of Exercise When it comes to releasing stress, there's nothing better in my mind than

intensive physical exercise and fresh air. Exercise is one of your greatest

allies against stress. If there’s one thing most medical doctors agree on

it's that even mild to moderate exercise – like walking a mile or two, three

or four days a week – helps strengthen your natural defenses and makes

you more capable of managing stress in a positive and effective way so it

doesn't get the best of you.

As a preventative measure, it's tough to beat thirty to sixty minutes of vigorous exercise like

walking, bike riding, swimming or cross-country skiing. Exercise strengthens your body's natural

defenses and thanks to the endorphins produced, it also raises your spirits and your emotional

vibration – making you much more resilient to those minor annoyances that used to stress you

out. After getting plenty of exercises, it's easy and somewhat automatic to deflect minor issues

while not letting the major stress-inducing incidents and circumstances knock you out of the

game.

Exercise builds up your physical and emotional strength and suddenly things just don't seem quite

as bad as they did before. It noticeably boosts your confidence and gives you a new sense of

power you didn't seem to have access to before you started to move your body around.

This feeling of self-confidence is an invaluable tool in any counter measure taken by you to fight

off stress. When you get physical, you take in a richer supply of oxygen and you get your muscles

moving in the way they were designed to move. But that's not all. Regular exercise also releases

brain chemicals that make you feel calmer and more in control of any situation. Exercise

strengthens the heart and lungs too and it brings a greater degree of clarity to the bigger picture

in front of you. Of course those same issues remain, but you've become far more resilient and less

susceptible to the debilitating effects of the stress that's often associated to those major issues in

business, relationships and life in general.

©OxySolution.com

Engage Your Mind Another foundational stress fighter is to reverse the detrimental effect of tension and anxiety and

to put your mind to work in a positive way. When you shift your mental focus in the direction you

want, you change what your mind is dwelling on in that moment. This is important because

whatever we dwell on most is what tends to materialize in our lives.

Visualization is a proven winner in creating a reality of clarity and peace. It's a powerful way to

harness the unlimited mind power each one of us possesses, but that in times of stress tend to

forget. Though it's termed creative visualization – the visual is only a part of the process and

certainly not a necessary component. What it really entails is engaging one's imagination to see,

hear, taste, touch and mostly feel a preferred outcome.

It's a matter of focusing your mind power to imagine things working out favorable for you. Instead

of feeling stressed as you may be in the outside world, go within and create any reality you want.

Imagine triumphing over your stress and kicking it to the curb once and for all. There is real

evidence that effective visualization changes the chemistry of the brain – giving you a renewed

sense of inner strength and a confidence boost that makes it easier to fight and overcome

whatever life throws at you – no matter what it happens to be.

©OxySolution.com

Practice Relaxation Relaxation exercises are another valuable, foundational tool to help you to better cope with the

stress that can get you down and make you sick. Most relaxation exercises involve the process of

visualization. For example, you could imagine yourself on a favourite ocean beach in the

Caribbean. Agree to for the purpose of this exercise – stop thinking about anything else and simply

play along. If you can do this, you will emerge from this or any other simple visualization with more

clarity and peace of mind.

Ok, let's get started. Start by taking long, slow and deep breaths – in and out. Deep breathing

alone can be a powerful strategy for lowering stress quickly and effectively. Don't force anything,

just slow down the breathing and expand the amount of oxygen you take in.

Picture yourself lying comfortably in a padded lounge chair and allow all tension to leave your

body. Relax. Feel what it's like to be there now. Make note of all the sights, the sounds and the

scents that are present on this day at the beach and thoroughly enjoy this relaxing process. See

each wave gently crashing into the shore and then running up the sand until it can go no further.

Listen to the sound of the water and take in plenty of the fresh, slightly-salty air. Each time a new

wave hits and the water edges its way up the sand -- imagine drifting into a deeper and deeper

level of relaxation. Continue to breathe, deeply and slowly. Keep doing this until you notice that

you are completely relaxed. This is the level you want to achieve. You can remain there or you can

emerge refreshed, relaxed and empowered to face any issue stronger than you were just minutes

earlier. There is real measurable power in creative visualization. It's simple. It's basic and it doesn't

cost you a thing but a little of your time.

©OxySolution.com

Another relaxation exercise that works great whenever you're stressed-out is the elevator

technique. It's important to recognize whenever you feel the pressure to step away for a few

moments and find some privacy. If you don't have a private office or spare room, a bathroom stall

can be just as useful.

Begin by taking several deep breaths – in and out. Have some fun with this and let it work for you.

Now imagine a large building with a glass elevator that's clear from the outside. Picture this

building in front of you, with the elevator at the very top floor and filled to capacity.

This represents where you are in the moment. You've just absorbed a large dose of stress and

tension and now you're going to let every last bit of it go. Keep breathing deeply and slowly as you

clearly see the elevator coming down. As it makes its descent, imagine your load feeling lighter

and lighter with each passing floor.

Picture all that stress, tension and anxiety leaving as passengers scurry off the elevator at various

levels. As the elevator reaches each floor in its movement toward the ground – you feel your

stress level coming down too. By the time the elevator touches down, you feel calmer and less

burdened. Make it real in your mind’s eye and you will feel the difference a simple relaxation

exercise like this can make.

©OxySolution.com

Enjoy Massages Regularly Massage is a wonderful way to ease the stress and tension so many of us keep inside. Therapeutic

massage has been around for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians

recognized the value and restorative power of massage and used it frequently. It's not just a

reduction in one's stress levels that massage provides. Its benefits are many and include the

following: reduced muscle tension, reduced pain and swelling, improved blood circulation,

stimulated central nervous system, rejuvenated mind and spirit, and a healthier digestive system.

You can literally feel the tension melt away and all that pent-up stress vanish. When you go for a

massage, it gets you out of your usual, everyday environment. You're in a comfortable location

and far away from the noise of competing attention-grabbers like co-workers, deadlines, car

horns, and kids. You get to give up the need to be on top of everything and in control. Surrender.

Let go and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of touch as tense muscles are relieved and tension

dissolved. Massage allows you to leave it all behind for the moment and to enjoy peace of mind.

One study revealed the benefits of massage on depression. It monitored new mothers who

experienced depression. Each was given a twenty-minute massage twice a week for four weeks.

After just one month of massage therapy, anxiety levels all but disappeared and lower levels of

stress hormones were measured in the blood. If this kind of result can be had from just one,

twenty minute session, twice a week, imagine the potential benefits if you could allow yourself the

pleasure for one hour each visit.

If you don't indulge in massage regularly – I highly recommend that you do. It's one of life's simple

and greatest pleasures. If you want to reward or treat yourself to something special, see and

registered massage therapist and book an hour-long appointment today. It's guaranteed to leave

you feeling less stressed out, more grateful for your life and more optimistic about your future.

©OxySolution.com

Take Mental Breaks Another basic strategy for beating stress is to routinely take breaks from whatever takes you are

performing at work. Even a two-minute break has proven beneficial. Stress dominates our lives

only because we don't make the conscious effort to relax more than we do. Relaxation stops

stress and temporarily at least, prevents it from attacking and damaging your mind and

dampening your spirits.

Try adding more breaks to you day. If you can't get break free of the chains or leave you desk, go

within for a few minutes. Close your eyes and repeat the word R-E-L-A-X to yourself as you breathe

out slowly and deeply. When you breathe in, take in fresh, nutrient-rich oxygen, preferably from an

open window nearby. Meditative breathing can be particularly helpful. Simply take long, slow,

deep breaths – in and out – for two to five minutes at a time. Do this and simply stay focused on

your breathing and after just a couple of minutes, you will be astonished at the rejuvenating and

revitalizing power of deep breathing offers.

The key here is to not just remember it, but to take those few minutes to exercise your lungs and

invigorate your body numerous times throughout the day. If you took nothing else from this

report but this one tip – you will be far better off than you were before in your ability to manage

and overcome stress.

One method that works well is to go all out in your work and bear down with focus for thirty

minutes at a time, followed by five minutes of complete diversion. Then you simply repeat this

process a few times before taking a larger (lunch break). In the afternoon, you repeat these two

steps until your day is finished.

Regular breaks fuel productivity and allow you to work with a greater degree of focus. And it's the

breaks that are the key to reducing and managing your stress levels too. What I find to be most

effective is to completely disengage and to do some deep breathing or simple exercises for five

minutes at a time. If you work at a physical job, you would probably prefer a more relaxing break

like reading a book or talking to friends. The secret is to something that's dramatically different

from your work. Getting away from it by shifting your focus is energizing and stress-relieving.

©OxySolution.com

Another similar version is taught by online trainer and self-publisher, Eben Pagan. His process

looks like this: fifty/ten, fifty/thirty. Here work in fifty minute increments and follow the first one

with a ten minute break. Then you go hard for another fifty minutes and follow it with a full thirty

minute break.

Again, the breaks should involve total disengagement. You can use this time for anything you want

– walking, reading, deep breathing, meditation – whatever gives you satisfaction and diversion. It's

brain nourishment time and it's the breaks that de-stress you, allowing for more effective progress

without distractions when you resume working. Getting more accomplished in less time is therapy

in itself that will free up more time to deal with other issues later.

Breathe Deeply Deep breathing is very important. While doing deep breathing exercises, focus all your mental

energy on the process of breathing in fresh, healthy oxygen and exhaling stored toxins to create a

purifying and energizing effect.

For an even greater benefit, try holding your breath after each step in the cycle. In other words,

first you take a deep breath in for five seconds and then you hold it for five seconds. Next, you

exhale for five seconds and hold your breath again for the dame count, before inhaling again.

Concentrated breathing that is slow and deep provides essential nourishment for the mind and

body – making one far more capable of handling stressful situations whenever and wherever they

appear.

©OxySolution.com

Figure Out What Works Best For You Reducing stress may be a personal matter; what works for me in relieving stress might not work as

well – or at all – for you. For example, I like to lift weights periodically, whenever I get stressed and

I keep a set of dumbbells at the office for this specific reason. My business partner on the other

hand, won't go near them and prefers a long distance run to burn off steam. The trick is to

uncover the best methods and quick-action tactics that get the job done for you – every time.

Take a good look at the things in life you most like to do. What do you respond to? What grabs

your attention and interest? What motivates you the most – is it something you see (visual)...

something you hear (auditory)... or something you feel on the outside or inside (kinesthetic)?

If you're predominantly a visual person, you will probably find relief from stress by looking up at

the puffy clouds in the sky, admiring beautiful, scenic photographs, viewing artwork, or watching a

movie. If an auditory modality is more likely something you resonate with, try listening to your

favourite music and singing along and it's a safe bet that doing so will relax you and ease any

stress. Or you might prefer listening to an inspiring speaker, or maybe having a heart to heart

conversation with a good friend.

If you're more touch or feeling oriented, try squeezing a stress ball, going for a massage, or

reconnecting with a memory that made you feel wonderful inside. Pay attention to what tends to

be your dominant mode and use this information to your advantage to promote relaxation and

stress relief whenever you need it the most.

©OxySolution.com

Eat Healthy Foods Our final foundational tip is to eat nutritional meals. There's no doubt that what you eat can play a

causative role. But one's diet can also boost their ability to cope with and reduce stress too. For

example, if your diet lacks sufficient B vitamins, you will tend to become anxious and are even

prone to frequent bouts of depression.

A similar result can occur from a deficiency of vitamin C and other key nutrients. The body requires

a vast array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and more and the one organ that requires the most

nutrients is the brain. To minimize stress, you need a fully-functioning brain. A deficiency in any

area can and often does lead to problems down the road. But you don't have to rush right out to

the health food store to stock up on supplements. A solid first step should be to make changes to

your diet. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains contain a heap of nutrients, though you

can always boost your amounts with supplements. That's essentially what they were designed to

do – to “supplement” the vitamins and minerals you get from your regular diet.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients and can give you a quick nutritional boost

whenever you feel depleted and less able to defend against stress. One strategy is to consume less

fat and more unrefined carbohydrates. The body actually uses the nutrients in carbohydrates to

manufacture brain chemicals that are known to reduce stress. Whole grains like oatmeal can for

the basis of a delicious and healthy meal that provides comfort as well as both quick and long-

lasting energy. What this kind of eating does for you is it leaves you feeling happier and more in

control of your life and whatever situations tend to present themselves.

Take away whatever works for you. Test out as many of these foundational stress management

tools as you like and stick with whatever works best for you. Every one of them can be helpful and

will likely generate varying results for you. One of the best strategies you can apply starting today

is to become more vigilant in monitoring stress levels. When the line is crossed, do something

about it immediately.

©OxySolution.com

Nutritional Supplements for Stress Relief

When it comes to guarding against the ravages of stress, the clear

winner in terms of supplements is vitamin B complex. This

combination vitamin offers a vast treasure trove of protection and

relief from stress. Vitamin B complex taken daily, gives you more

energy, wipes out any fatigue and helps your brain make the

chemicals that keep alert and cheerful.

Your best bet is to look for a high-quality, high-potency brand and the best place to find this is at

your local health food store. Talk to the owner or a knowledgeable staff member and ask for their

recommendations. In my experience, most of these stores have experts on staff that understand

their customers’ needs and can quickly offer up solid suggestions.

Ginseng has been taken in one form or another for more than two thousand years. An ancient

Chinese text prescribed ginseng as a way to “quiet the spirit and increase wisdom”. Today's

herbalists recommend ginseng to help provide a natural balance and to ward off the damages of

disease and other stresses that impact the body. Studies show that ginseng bolsters the body's

natural defences. It also improves stamina and resists stress. There are numerous varieties of

ginseng available today and your best bet is to buy from a reliable source to get the most value for

your dollar.

©OxySolution.com

Though not a supplement – but certainly something you can find at any quality health food store –

chamomile tea is an effective and safe choice for taking the edge off, calming one's nerves and

helping you to chill out after a stressful day. It's been used for centuries for a variety of ailments

with stress and anxiety among the most common of these ailments.

It's an ideal remedy for sleepless nights. Drink a steaming hot cup of chamomile tea thirty minutes

before bedtime and it will help you get a restful night of sleep. In one test conducted at the

University of Pennsylvania, participants with general anxiety disorder were given chamomile

supplements (also available at health food stores). A significant reduction in the symptoms of

anxiety was reported after test subjects took these supplements daily, over an eight week period.

Another tea that is particularly helpful in countering the assault on the body triggered by stress is

green tea. Green tea contains an amino acid called “theanine” which, according to University of

Illinois researchers, is a brain booster that enhances mental performance. Green tea is also helpful

in guarding against some forms of cancer and is thought to help one remain slim.

©OxySolution.com

The Best Natural Foods for Guarding Against and Relieving Stress

There are plenty of nutritious foods that aid the body's protective forces, soothe shattered nerves,

and nourish and strengthen to help get you back on your feet when stress has taken its tool. There

are also some foods you should avoid altogether – like refined sugar – for example.

Among the worst foods you could ever consume is refined sugar. The body's

natural response to stress – a reaction that could even save your life in some

situations -- is severely impaired by the consumption of sugar. That's because

the nutrients required by the adrenal glands, things like vitamin C,

pantothenic acid, potassium and magnesium are depleted by refined sugar.

As sugar is consumed repetitively over time, these glands become so weak that the body's ability

to respond promptly and effectively to any perceived stressful event is all but impossible. What

this means is that relatively minor concern can trigger a major malfunction.

Refined sugar should be avoided at all costs and you can begin by eliminating white sugar from

your coffee or tea immediately. I would even go as far as to suggest that you stop buying those

five pound bags of refined sugar altogether because it offers zero nutritional value and acts like a

poison to the body. But what you need to beware of is all the processed and semi-processed foods

that contain sugar and change you ways when it comes to selecting foods.

Avoid buying cakes, pastries, donuts and the like as most of these are loaded with sugar, among

other questionable ingredients. And soft drinks and prepared fruit drinks are a definite no-no too.

Use the natural sugars in fruit to sweeten things up a bit. For example, a little dried fruit with your

morning oatmeal eliminates the need to add any processed sugar. You can also add a few dates to

homemade salad dressings, dips and sauces to sweeten them naturally. Pure natural honey,

blackstrap molasses and stevia are alternate sweeteners, but you may want to use these sparingly

as well.

©OxySolution.com

The following list of foods offer help in some way to protect the body and minimize the damages

caused by stress:

Garlic Garlic helps to relax the nerves and defend against stress. It stimulates the immune system and

helps fight off infections, naturally thins the blood, and helps lower blood pressure, triglycerides

and cholesterol. Among the compounds in garlic is “allicin” which is said to aid in the reversal of

hypertension and heart disease, helps prevent cancer and wards off the common cold. Stress

weakens the immune system and garlic helps to restore it to normal functioning capability. Clearly

garlic offers a ton of health benefits and is one food that everyone should have on their regular

grocery list.

Eggplant Eggplant is thought to prevent damage to the heart and arteries caused by stress and toxins

within the body. Since it's loaded with fibre, eggplant fills you up and leaves you satisfied, without

consuming excessive calories. The skin of eggplant contains the potent antioxidant and free

radical scavenger “asinine” which may help prevent cellular damage in the brain. Eggplant is also

high in chlorogenic acid, another antioxidant that lowers bad cholesterol levels while providing

antiviral and antimicrobial protection too.

Grapefruit Grapefruit contains plenty of vitamin C, potassium and lycopene. The potassium in grapefruit is

thought to be responsible for the quick surge in energy one gets from eating a grapefruit. This is

particularly helpful for anyone dealing with mental exhaustion caused by stress. Grapefruit is high

in fibre and low in calories. It's also a natural comfort food that can be enjoyed anytime, giving you

a feeling of contentment, completeness and satisfaction.

©OxySolution.com

Asparagus Asparagus is a good source of vitamin A, Vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, chromium, fibre and

folate. Folate is an essential ingredient for helping you maintain your cool and mental flexibility.

Asparagus is packed with antioxidants and it slows down the aging process. It is especially rich in

“glutathione” a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens. Asparagus also

contains the amino acid “asparagine” which helps rid the body of excess salts.

Avocados Avocados contain lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin E and plenty of B vitamins too. Additioanlly, there

is more folate in avocados than in any other fruit, helping you maintain emotional composure and

an even keel. Avocados (and bananas) are packed with potassium – a vital mineral for helping to

maintain low blood pressure. It's vitally important to boost one's potassium level since it is a

mineral that is depleted by stress, yet is an essential requirement for the conduction of nerve

impulses.

Avocados are also rich in “glutathione” which prevents the absorption of certain fats that can

cause serious oxidative damage to the body. You don't need a lot (avocados are fattening) to get

the nutritional punch – just one quarter of an avocado represents a single serving.

Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries and Strawberries Berries of all kinds are loaded with nutritional value and have been associated with many positive,

health-related results including mental sharpness. Berries contain the highest levels of the

antioxidant known as “anthocyanin”. Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries

contain rich amounts of vitamin C – which has been shown to be helpful in combating stress. In

tests, subjects given vitamin C after experiencing a stressful situation had lower blood pressure

and lower levels of cortisol in the bloodstream.

©OxySolution.com

Cashews Cashews are a great source of zinc. Just one ounce of cashews represents eleven percent of your

daily recommended amount of zinc. Getting enough zinc is crucial because low levels of this

essential mineral have been linked to both anxiety and depression. The body has no way of storing

zinc, so it's important to replenish your supply. It is important to control your portion sizes

however since cashews and all nuts are high in calories.

Chocolate Chocolate is loaded with antioxidants which catapult it to the top of the list of heart-healthy foods.

But chocolate has also been confirmed as a mood enhancer. It seems that at least on a

subconscious level, this is something that we've known for years. After a particularly stressful day,

many people instinctively reach for chocolate first. Now there's hard evidence to back up this

instinctive reaction. Taken in moderation, chocolate releases the mood-enhancing serotonin and

this feel-good chemical does lift your spirits. Dark chocolate is known to lower blood pressure and

help one achieve a level of inner peace and tranquility. Research indicates that dark chocolate may

also help to lower the levels of stress hormones. Chocolate also contains two important types of

antioxidants – polyphenols and flavonols. There's plenty of value in chocolate, but its high calorie

count means it should be consumed only in small quantities.

Oatmeal Oatmeal is a personal favorite of the author and a wonderful comfort food. It fills you up, leaves

you satisfied and eliminates the need to snack before your next meal. Oatmeal is a complex

carbohydrate that triggers the brain to release serotonin. This mood-booster creates a warm,

soothing feeling that helps you recover from stress that can at times be overwhelming. Serotonin

is also known to have antioxidant properties as well. Studies indicate that children who are given

oatmeal for breakfast tend to stay sharper mentally throughout the morning and they tend to

perform better in school.

©OxySolution.com

Oranges Oranges are a commonly known and particularly-rich source of vitamin C, giving you natural stress

protection and just like grapefruit, oranges give you a quick boost of energy. Though typically

consumed as commercially-prepared juice, a healthier option is to eat the whole orange, minus the

outer skin and seeds. This gives you the full nutritional value of the fruit plus the fibre. Multiple

varieties of oranges are available and they're easy to take with you, wherever you go.

Walnuts Walnuts can give you a mental edge – one that makes you more resistant to the damages that

stress can do to the brain. Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic, an essential omega-3 fatty acid and

additional polyphenols that helps prevent memory loss. In animal testing at Tufts University,

researchers found that animals that were given walnuts actually reduced some of the signs of an

aging brain. Walnuts can be eaten raw or lightly toasted as a snack, added to oatmeal, or tossed in

a salad.

Almonds Almonds are another natural stress-buster. Almonds are a good source of vitamin B2 and vitamin

E, as well as magnesium and zinc. Vitamin E has demonstrated an ability to fight off the free

radicals associated with stress and heart disease. When you're stressed-out try crunching down on

a small handful of almonds and chew away some of that tension. Almonds (and all nuts actually)

are high in healthy fats, but it's still fat nonetheless, so you'll want to go easy to avoid excessive

caloric consumption.

Carrots Speaking of crunchy foods – munching on carrots is another sure-fire way to beat stress. Carrots

are sweet, delicious and crunchy root vegetables that contain vitamin A, beta carotene, fibre,

minerals and more. Carrots help slow the aging process – a process that is only accelerated by

stress. Regular consumption of carrots lowers cholesterol and protects against certain types of

cancer.

©OxySolution.com

Swiss Chard Swiss Chard packs a nutritional punch that includes many phytonutrients and thirteen antioxidants

including: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, B-complex vitamins and minerals like, magnesium,

copper, calcium potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. The high fibre and protein content

of Swiss chard helps stabilize blood sugars and promote emotional balance – a valuable benefit in

stressful times. The magnesium in Swiss chard (and other leafy green vegetables helps to balance

the body's natural stress hormone – cortisol.

Red Bell Peppers Red bell peppers contain vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. This enriching combination gives you

more energy while help you maintain a calm emotional state – crucial in today's stressful world.

The nutrients in red bell peppers also help repair cell damage caused by stress. It's easy to add

more red bell peppers into your diet. Chopped peppers are delicious when added to a salad, soup,

stir fry, or rice pilaf. You can also toss them into chili, omelettes, burritos, stuffed pitas, or pizza. Or

try roasting peppers for whole new taste experience. Red bell peppers are a versatile and

nutritious food.

Papayas Papayas – and any fruit or vegetable with yellow and orange pigments – generally possess healthy

quantities of vitamin A, vitamin C and folate and therefore, produce the same kind of advantages

as red bell peppers, namely – more energy and emotional balance. Chopped papaya goes great in

a fruit salad, smoothie, or when served with yogurt.

Lentils Lentils are an effective and natural cholesterol-lowering food. They are high in a couple of the B

vitamins – namely thiamine (vitamin B1) and niacin (vitamin B3) – and these along with folate, are

helpful for the healthy functioning of the nervous, digestive and immune systems. Consuming

lentils has a naturally-calming effect on the body that dissolves stress, releases anxiety and

improves one's mood. Due to their high fibre content, lentils help stabilize blood-sugar levels by

providing a steady, slow-burning energy that provides a balancing effect. The folate and

magnesium found in lentils help to protect the heart.

©OxySolution.com

Sunflower Seeds Sunflower seeds are a good source of vitamin E and folate – helping to improve your mood and

lighten your load when you're feeling stressed. Keep a container in your purse, handbag, or

briefcase so you can reach for a handful whenever you feel the need. Not only do sunflower seeds

make a nutritious snack that raises your spirits, you can also sprinkle them over any salad, add

them to a yogurt parfait, or top-off a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal with sunflower seeds.

Brown Rice Brown rice is another complex carbohydrate that can help protect you from the damaging effects

of stress as well as help ease the tension. Like oatmeal, brown rice gives you energy that lasts for

hours, a huge advantage on those days that are particularly stressful. Brown rice is far less-

processed than any version of white rice and contains eighty-eight percent of the recommended

daily amount of manganese. It also contains selenium, magnesium and tryptophan.

Rosemary Rosemary is not just a tasty herb – but one that offers real benefits in the fight against stress. For

example, rosemary is said to lower blood pressure, while easing the pain of and even reversing the

effects of migraine headaches. Some experts suggest that rosemary's health-inducing qualities

may be due to its ability to protect the adrenal glands from the toxic effects of stress. For people

who routinely feel stressed, the daily use of oil of rosemary is suggested. Just rub a little rosemary

oil on the chest area and let its pungent aroma sedate the nerves and the brain. Apply t the same

way to the back or any tense muscles. Rosemary oil can also be taken internally to help calm one's

nerves and to strengthen their resistance to stress.

©OxySolution.com

Physical Stress Busters

When it comes to dealing with and defeating stress, it's great to have an arsenal of tools at your

disposal so you are ready and able to take counter measures to protect your health and your

sanity. Following are a few stress busters you can use to gain an upper hand on one of today's

mightiest and most harmful threats.

Aromatherapy Products

Aromatherapy uses the power of smell to soothe frazzled nerves and to relax,

restore and revitalize the mind and body. Typically sold in the form of various oils

– aromatherapy-infused products such as candles, hand creams and soaps are

also available. Numerous varieties of aromatherapy oils are available at any

quality health food store and are usually sold in small two or three ounce bottles.

You can dab oil on your temples or wrists.

Another option is to add five to ten drops to a spray bottle used for watering houseplants. Then

top-up the bottle with fresh water. Use it to gently mist your face and body. This can be especially

comforting just before you hit the sack and call it an evening.

Another way to benefit from aromatherapy is to look for aromatherapy-enhanced jars filled with a

blend of essential oils and water and topped with a sponge. These are powerful stress beaters you

can leave on your desk. Whenever you're feeling the heat, simply open the jar and allow the

powerful scent inside – like grapefruit, for example – to permeate your immediate environment

and restore your sense of inner peace and strength. After fifteen or twenty minutes, you can close

the jar and save it for another time.

Aromatherapy products travel easily – so be sure to take them along on all your business trips. Try

different scents like basil, neroli, eucalyptus, peppermint and lavender.

©OxySolution.com

Five Minute Lie-Down The five minute lie-down is a simple exercise that just as the name implies – takes just five minutes

– yet it can lift hours of stress from your body, just like that.

Here's how it works:

Find a spot on the floor – preferably a carpeted area – where you can be alone for the next

five minutes.

Go ahead and lie down on your back and close your eyes.

Begin to completely relax by taking a number of deep breaths – in and out – slowly and

rhythmically.

Now, as you continue to breathe deeply and with your eyes closed, imagine that you are actually

lying on a thick, comfortable bed. But I want you to – at least for the moment – imagine that you

weigh five hundred and fifty pounds (550 lbs).

Feel your body as it continues to sink into the mattress – deeper and deeper – and just allow

yourself to go with the flow. Notice how it feels as though you are on a cloud or a soft pillow,

rather than a bed. Observe how you can actually feel your body sinking further and further.

The more you play the game and allow yourself to sink in, the more your stress sinks away too.

After five minutes, open your eyes, stand up and notice how you feel. Are your more stressed,

about the same, or less stressed? Odds are you will feel considerably less stress after to take part

in this basic exercise.

©OxySolution.com

Schedule Some Time For Worry Okay, this one might seem a little strange to you – but hear me out. The idea here is to set aside a

time slot – twenty to thirty minutes is good – where you can contemplate your situation or

circumstances and worry like crazy. It reminds me of the “bitching sessions” we used to have in

college football. Once a month, all players and coaches would gather and vent their frustrations

about anything and everything. Once it was over and the air had cleared, we resumed right where

we left off and things generally improved. Try it with your “worry” sessions.

State the problems and concerns and get them out there. Consider the implications. What could

potentially happen? What is most worrisome about it? Feel the emotions as fully as you can

because this is your time to do so. When you schedule worry time, it takes discipline and focus to

stick to the schedule and not allow it to take over the rest of your day. When your appointment

ends – shift gears and get back to doing something more productive. One important caveat is to

never schedule a worry session just before bedtime, or it will likely keep you awake, disrupting

valuable sleep time – something that's even more critical whenever you're tense and stressed out.

Take Five Minutes To Relax This one involves taking just a few minutes to relax and oxygenate the muscles of the body. If you

can find a quiet room to escape to – that's the best way to do this exercise. But if you can't find a

private space, or you find yourself chained to your desk, you can do it right where you are.

Start by sitting up straight to allow the energy to flow through your body and begin by taking

deep breaths. Breathe in to the count of five and then exhale for the same time. Get into a

breathing pattern where you're calm, taking in plenty of oxygen with each breath and ridding the

body of excess toxins as you do.

Next, start at the top of your head and work your way down throughout the body, loosening up

those tense muscles as you go. Feel the muscles in your face and jaw ease up. Then do the same

with your neck and shoulder muscles. Imagine any tension quickly dissolving and a fresh supply of

nutrient-rich blood flooding each area and organ.

©OxySolution.com

Continue to breathe deeply and feel your lungs fill-up and then empty again in a healthy, natural,

and stress-free way. After five minutes of this – or more if time and circumstances permit – you

will feel noticeably less-stressed and lighter. Try it and see for yourself. The imagination is a

wonderful gift that has been given to each and every one of us.

Tighten Up and Then Release Here's another stress-relieving technique that you can do right in your office cubicle, or sitting at

your desk. If you can find a spare meeting room or office to do this in private – that's even better.

It also involves the imagination as well as some physical manipulation.

Here's how it works:

Sit up in a comfortable position and keep your back straight. Loosen off any clothing that may be

too tight – like a neck tie.

Now begin by closing your eyes as tight as you can and start to relax. Notice how some of your

other muscles tense up too – that's exactly what you want to happen and the more muscle groups

you can involve in this process – the better the effect of the exercise.

Now begin to tighten your eyes, jaw, face, hands, abdomen area and feet. Tighten and hold for ten

seconds and then release your grip completely and begin breathing deeply and slowly again. Relax

each muscle group and let the tension out. After a minute, repeat the process again. Go tight and

hold it and then release and let go, fueling each muscle group with rich, oxygenated blood and

allowing all tension to float away. Continue to breathe deeply and calmly and notice how much

more relaxed you are then when you began a few minutes earlier.

©OxySolution.com

Have a Good Cry When you feel the urge, let the tears flow and let go. If you're going to cry – have a good cry

because flowing tears can be the best thing for your body. Don't try to force yourself to stop or to

calm down. Cry all day if you want. When you're ready to stop crying – you will – and you'll feel

much better too. Experts on stress claim that it's not only right to cry – it's healthy to do so.

It's the conditioning we received along the way in our formative years that gave us the idea tears

represent inappropriate behaviour. Nobody likes to see someone else crying and often those ever-

flowing tears represent an emotional hurt of some kind. To ease the discomfort of others around

us, many of us were told to “stop crying” or to “grow up”. But according to the experts, repressed

tears and emotions that are held back causes harm to the body.

Crying is a natural form of therapy. Studies indicate that crying reduces muscle tension and lowers

blood pressure. Tears may even provide another way for the body to disperse of harmful toxins

caused by stress. When analyzed, tears triggered by emotional stress were found to be far

different chemically than the tears that flow when one slices onions in the kitchen.

Biofeedback Leaves Clues Biofeedback is a process that measures various levels in the body. Its purpose is to help you learn

how to recognize physical changes in the body and to use your mind power to better control

those changes in brainwave activity, body temperature, heart rate, breathing patterns, and blood

pressure. Biofeedback provides greater awareness and it's this increased awareness that

empowers you to get a better handle on your body's automatic physical reactions to stress.

You don't necessarily need biofeedback to gain more clarity into these responses – you can simply

pay more attention to your breathing, heart rate and body temperature. Recognition and

awareness is the key to gaining the upper hand on stress and not letting it take you out of the

picture. Simply step aside, recognize what's going on and then take a few moments to focus on

bringing your body back to a normal and healthier state.

©OxySolution.com

Prayer Delivers Relief When you or someone close to you gets blindsided with a serious injury or diagnosis,

it can seem like there's nowhere to turn. It's at times like these that most of us turn

within. Prayer is a do-it-yourself kind of process. When you ask people if they think

that prayer has an impact on results – most will agree that it does.

Even medical doctors are becoming more open to the concept as they witness the effects in their

own medical practices. The fact is that we tend to cope better with major stress with a strong faith

and the power of prayer. In times of serious illness, prayer gives you two things you don't typically

get from the medical establishment – a process you control entirely and a large dose of warmth

and comfort.

Having faith in a higher power provides meaning through particularly difficult times and helps one

make sense of the circumstances. Prayer is a tool of empowerment, giving you purpose, dignity,

and a boost to your self-esteem as you gain a sense that you're capable of dealing with whatever

happens in your life. Some researchers believe that the key to the effectiveness of prayer is that it

relaxes you and therefore makes you more capable of handling a stressful situation. Relaxation

counters the effects of increased levels of cortisol coursing through the body. No one can say with

any certainty exactly how prayer works. But those who engage in prayer regularly experience a

relief from stress and a degree of healing that might otherwise not occur.

©OxySolution.com

Get More Nature into Your Environment Here's another simple way to reduce your stress: get closer to nature. Step outside at every

opportunity and observe nature's bounty of towering trees, beautiful bushes, interesting plants,

expressive flowers, green grass, peaceful meadows, lapping shorelines, rushing waters and more.

Getting closer to nature has a therapeutic effect on us as human beings. In a way it reconnects us

to the beauty and regenerative power of the universe. But when you can't get outside – bring

“outside” in.

Consider adding more houseplants and fresh-cut flowers to your indoor collection. Plant fresh

herbs and get them started on their way from your window sill. The wonderful fragrance of fresh

basil or rosemary is invigorating and healthy. Go ahead and plant plenty of flowers and trees out in

the yard. You'll be sprucing up your property and contributing to the environment. And doing so

helps you connect with nature a lower your stress level. Plant more flowers, shrubs, vegetable

plants and trees and you'll enjoy a more peaceful and harmonizing experience every time you step

into your backyard. A thirty minute garden visit can work wonders on your spirit. And your stress

level will drop significantly as you enjoy nature.

©OxySolution.com

Simple Ways to Minimize the Negative Effects of Stress Simplify your life. Chances are that you're trying to do too much and manage too many different

things. This is a completely ineffective way to live. It's time to pare it down. Stop the madness,

take a few deep breaths and decide to get your life back. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Prioritize Choose the most important thing on your list and focus on it until it's

completed. If there's still time left in your day, go to the next item and

address it with one hundred percent focus. Human beings can focus

fully on just one thing at a time. I love what productivity expert and

author of Work the System says -- “Multitasking is for machines.” Take a

long hard look at your to-do list for today and streamline it. If you're trying to do too much –

you're burning yourself out and causing unnecessary stress. Cut it out!

Leave Room for Movement If there's one certainty in life it's that “stuff” happens. People you were counting on failed to

show up. A strike by teachers catches off guard, forcing you to take care of the kids on a work day.

Your flight gets cancelled. No worries – it's just a part of life. Flexibility is the key to preventing an

internal meltdown. When you are flexible it's easier to adapt and the best way to do this is to have

some alternate options, so you're not stuck and highly stressed.

Realize Your Limitations No matter who you are or how you roll – there is only twenty-four hours in a day. That's just the

way it is. The good news is that it's the same for everybody, so there's no unfair advantage here.

You are not a machine and you cannot perform like one. Figure out what you can accomplish and

make allowances for things like travel time and unavoidable interruptions. You don't have to be a

Superman or Wonder Woman. Work with what you have, make allowances for down time and

don't stress yourself out. Everything will be completed in due time.

©OxySolution.com

Laugh Out Loud Just as stress can cause serious illness in the physical body – uproarious laughter can heal it. Few

things in life deliver as much value to the entire experience – and one's health – as uninhibited

laughter. It's important to take the time to laugh every day. It just feels good and when you're

laughing – you're not stressing out. If you can't find something external to laugh about – laugh at

yourself because that's good for you too. When you laugh, you relax the heart muscle and your

nervous system mellows. It also gives your immune system a boost, making you better able to

fight off illness.

Don't Try to Do It All Yourself If you're overextended – bring in reinforcements. No matter what task or lies ahead, someone

somewhere can help you. If you try to do everything yourself, sooner or later you'll get frustrated

and stressed out. If you're a parent who does everything for your child, it's time to cut back – and

fast.

Kids and others can quickly become dependent on you for even the simplest of things that they

could easily take care of themselves. Alternate resources abound for anything you can think of

related to family, home and work. It's just a matter of opening one's eyes to the world of

possibility and engaging the services of others to lighten you load. The better you are at managing

life, the less stressed you'll be.

Control Distractions If you're constantly being interrupted, you cannot perform at a level even close your best.

Interruptions and distractions will get the best of you if you permit them to occur. It can be

extremely stressful when you've got an impending deadline and you're far from completing the

task or project and you have to deal with one distraction after another. Talk about stress!

There's really only one thing to do and that is to set some boundaries. Close your office door and

let others know that when the door is closed it’s as though you're in a meeting and cannot be

interrupted. Close your email when you're working on something else. Let your kids know that

when it's work time – you're busy and cannot be distracted except in emergency situations.

©OxySolution.com

Practice Letting Go Tune in closer to your body and mind and pay attention to the triggers that set you off in any way.

When you notice yourself getting agitated, angry or annoyed – let it go. If you're a visual person,

envelop the situation or occurrence in a giant, helium-filled balloon and launch it into the

atmosphere immediately. Let it go. Let the anger, frustration and stress go. Do not allow it any

more energy than you've already spend. Simply let it go. The more you practice this – the easier it

becomes and the less stressed-out you'll be.

Slow Down Your Speaking Rate When you're feeling stressed, you're amped-up and on fire and not in a good way. Something

happened and you react. But you do so at an accelerated pace. The best thing you can do is to

catch yourself, take a deep breath and slow down the rate at which you're speaking. Slow down

and you will find that your thinking is clearer and more reasonable. Instead of lashing out with an

automatic response, you think it through and calmly explain your perspective. When you're less-

agitated, you'll make more sense and you'll tend to get others to agree with what you're saying.

Slowing down your speaking slows the impact stress has on you and it gives you more power and

control. Use a trigger word like – SLOW – to use to stop the automatic response from taking over.

Improve Your Posture When you're feeling stressed, you're usually not standing up straight with your shoulders back and

chest out. That's just not the posture of someone who's tense and under pressure. Instead, you’re

likely slumped over a computer, or your head's down. When you shift your physiology – you

facilitate an easing of in the level of stress you're experiencing. Hold your head high with your

shoulders upright but relaxed.

©OxySolution.com

Give Yourself a Reward At the end of a stressful day – it's nice to have something to look forward to -- something that can

get you over the rough spots. Even if it's nothing more than a manicure, massage, shopping trip,

or a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi with a good book to read – a small indulgence gives you

something pleasurable to look forward to.

When it comes to your reward, it's important that you engage in it fully. This means putting aside

any housework or family needs and concerns for the time being. You need and deserve to fully

relax and completely de-stress. Forget about what happened – that's history. And ignore

tomorrow – it will be here soon enough. Live in the moment and enjoy your time of peace and

tranquility as you re-charge your batteries. It's essential to allow yourself the time to rejuvenate

and it will make you much better equipped to handle the challenges of tomorrow.

Focus On One Course Correction at a Time If you're anything like most people today, there are dozens of things that are causing you stress.

Chances are you're juggling multiple balls at the same time hoping you don't drop any of them. But

this is a dangerous way to live and eventually, something’s got to give. When there are multiple

unresolved issues in your life, you can never escape the burden of stress. But there's too much

going on to think you can stay on top of it all.

The best thing you can do is to tackle one stressor at a time. Choose one thing that's been

bothering you and work on a simple and practical solution – one small step you can take to ease

the stress you're feeling from this single, solitary issue. In his way, you're proactively managing

your stress in smaller doses and in doing so, eliminating the overwhelming and out of control

feeling that emotionally cripples you.

©OxySolution.com

Reframe Stressful Situations Looking at each stress-triggering issue on an individual basis can help. But you may need to go

further and create a different viewpoint. What is it that angers or irritates you? Before reacting,

consider how you might be jumping to a conclusion, basing a projected result on past

performance, or simply magnifying a problem that is relatively minor to begin with. Take a

moment to gather yourself together. Breathe deeply. Reflect on the issue and calmly choose a

positive and productive course of action, rather responding impulsively.

Tap Helpful Sources of Information If you're unsure of how to do something that you need to do, it can quickly stress you out. But

don't forget that even the smartest people in the world seek and get help whenever it's needed.

Top performers in all fields of endeavor use coaches, consultants and advisors. If you don't know

– ask. Consult a trustworthy co-worker, visit your local library and talk to librarians. These folks are

world-class when it comes to locating information and in most cases – can point you in the right

direction.

Give Yourself More Time If you're one of those people who are perpetually late – you're causing yourself – and probably

others too – unnecessary stress. Get up earlier. Give yourself an extra fifteen or twenty minutes to

get to wherever you need to go. Identify your priorities and forget about any unnecessary tasks.

Map out priority projects task by task and allow extra time for things like meetings, taking calls,

answering emails and so on. And measure the time it actually takes for each task as you go. This

will improve your ability to estimate time in the future.

©OxySolution.com

Acknowledge When You're Burned Out This one is often difficult for people to do simply because they don't recognize the signs. But if

you've been down and out for some time and things don't seem to be improving, you've got to

step in and take corrective action. It's ultimately up to you to take care of and to nurture yourself.

It's time for a serious time-out where you can step away from the situation and leave the tension

behind as you work at building yourself back. Go back to the basics. Insist on getting the right

amount of sleep every night. Eat a more nutritious diet and start a daily exercise program.

Consider getting involved in yoga or meditation as both are healthy, stress-relieving activities.

Connect With Other People Human beings depend on one another and one of our primary needs is the need to interact with

others. While we seem to be more connected electronically through technology, personal

connections are not nearly as prevalent. Yet it's this part of the human experience that can be the

most therapeutic and stress-relieving. Talk to more people at every opportunity. Connect with old

friends and acquaintances and share stories. Chat up others in line at the grocery store or coffee

shop. Exchange a friendly “hello” with strangers on the street. When you open up to others, it

seems to ease whatever burden you happen to be feeling. Even a slight shift can make a

significant improvement in your stress level.

©OxySolution.com

Conclusion

Life was never meant to be excessively stressful. Nature equipped each of us with the physical

capability to survive and recover from potentially dangerous situations. But most of today's stress

is artificial and manmade. We've brought in upon ourselves by the lifestyles we've adopted in a

general sense. But it's unlikely that society will change and lighten-up any time soon. Therefore,

combating today's stress is up to each of us as individuals.

Clearly it's far healthier to live without a lot of stress. Most of us can handle occasional stress, but

it's the chronic and perpetual cycle of stress that inflicts the most serious damages on the body.

You may not be able to change the world, or the system, or even the way things are done. And you

may not be able to change others, traffic gridlock, or the way that other people behave towards

you. But you can change your reactions, your diet, your breathing patterns and the amount of

exercise you get every day. Control what you can control and deal with what you can't in the

healthiest and most-effective manner. That's a sure-fire strategy for lowering stress and anxiety.