If left unchecked, stress caused by anxiety, sleep deprivation and depression takes a toll on your health and quality of life. Many health organizations, from the American Academy of Dermatology to the American Heart Association (AHA), encourage people with stress-sensitive conditions to practice natural home remedies for stress relief regularly.
Fitness and health recommendations for the general population, such as the National Institutes of Health 2008 tips for adults, now include stress reduction practices as well. All of these sources agree that you can raise your threshold for tension---and reduce your stress issues---by getting enough sleep, exercise and nutrition.
Meditation
Meditation is among the simplest home remedies, and is available to everyone, reports instructor Jim Malloy of the World Wide Online Meditation Center. Meditation requires no preparation or special gear. You can meditate for as little as 5 or 10 minutes, and you can count along with your breathing instead of using a mantra.
The idea that only trained minds can achieve natural stress relief through deep breathing and creative visualization is false. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) acknowledges meditation's potential health benefits and has funded research to study its mechanism on stress reduction.
Social Therapy
Stress can build when you are left alone with your thoughts, especially during periods of anxiety or depression. This state brings on symptoms of some chronic medical conditions, as well as affecting everybody's general health. AARP recommends various forms of social therapy as home remedies that provide stress reduction, including getting a pet and joining a club or support group.
Scheduled interaction helps you avert social isolation and break the cycle of tension, through contact with other people. The AHA notes that even a simple phone call to a relative or a walk and talk with a friend offer effective stress relief.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy can be considered one of the oldest natural home remedies targeted at stress reduction. The NCCAM notes that massage history is thousands of years old, and that its mind and body benefits are real.
Just one full-body massage makes a positive impact on blood pressure and anxiety, and periodic massage shows a proven cumulative effect on depression, according to the NCCAM. To improve your health, consult a licensed massage therapist for regular sessions of stress relief.
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