A lot of natural substances and herbs are being marketed today as effective remedies for your stress but a recent study say that these products are most likely not the things that can help you with your tensions.

There is only little evidence that these natural and herbal products work well long-term and there are also claims that it does not necessarily mean they are totally safe because they are herbal. Here is a closer look to some of the most common herbal supplements people use to relieve stress:

Lemon Balm

According to small studies, the lemon balm can help improve one’s mood and also promote calmness. One research was able to establish that about 1,600 mg is enough to help someone calm down for more than six hours. Lemon balm is also considered as relatively safe.

Kava

The kava herbal supplement is formulated from the kava plant roots found in the South Pacific. There are studies which proved that kava supplements do not lower anxiety significantly. It has also been said that kava might be to blame in liver failure cases. Kava is not a recommended supplement by experts.

Passionflower

Passionflower has been used in stress relieving studies and was proven to be effective in lowering anxiety levels in mice. Study in humans is still limited to one research. The study done in 2001 established that about 45 drops everyday of liquid passionflower has the same effects as the stress drug oxazepam. More studies are recommended before it can be tagged as effective and safe for humans.

Valerian root

The valerian root has been used for sleeping and anxiety disorders. Combining St. John’s wort with valerian root was proven to be as effective as the drug diazepam which lowers anxiety when used for about two weeks. Other studies though did not show the efficacy of valerian root so further research is needed. Plus, some studies found out that valerian root is related to blurring the user’s vision and also alters the normal rhythm of the heart.

Everyone deals with some form of stress in one way or another at home, school, or work. Here are some practical tips which can help you handle stress:

Eliminate your sources of stress

As much as you can, get rid of your sources of stress. It can be as simple as dealing with long lines in the supermarket during weekends, you might want to schedule your trip on another day when the lines will not be stressful for you. Clear all the clutter at home or in the office which may get in your way.

When you are running late, stop and think

You might be running late and all the stress might ruin the rest of the things that you need to do. It might be best to pause for a few minutes and list down how you will prioritize stuff. Be realistic and do not try to do too much.

Avoid stressful activities

If looking for a gift or playing a certain sport stresses you out, then do not go. Decline if you are invited to predictably stressful scenarios for you. The point of shopping or recreation is after all to relax and if at the start you will already be stressed, then there is no point of going.

Focus on one task at a time

Some say that multitasking helps them do more at work but studies have found otherwise and you might end up doing less at the end of the day. You might want to focus one task at a time and avoid the stress of the workload at hand.

Exercising does not only burn calories. Sufficient physical activity can relieve your body of stress. Aside from toning your body up, exercise have several effects that can help improve your sense of well-being:

Exercise can pump the level of your endorphins up. Endorphins are the feel good hormones of the body. It is a natural high when you feel good and a few laps around a nature park or an exciting game of basketball can shoot up your endorphins.

It is meditation in motion. When we are involved with some physical activities, we tend to forget all the problems and stressful things of our everyday lives. In the long run, movement may provide focus which allows you to center on your self just like in meditation.

Regular exercise brings good mood. Exercise aside from improving one’s body also bolsters an individual’s self confidence. Studies have shown that a good amount of exercise can help lower the risk for depression and anxiety. A good command of the body helps a lot in getting rid of stress.

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Recent research suggests that excess body fat plus a high stress level may contribute to the occurrence of Diabetes Mellitus type 2 in African American women. This group is reported to have a relatively high incident of the diabetes mellitus type 2.

Dr. Anastasia Georgiades of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina leads the case study with her colleagues. They had 62 healthy and non-diabetic African women as their case subjects and they were subjected to an emotional stress test. The women recollected stressful events in their life and during the process, the researchers measured each subject’s blood sugar and epinephrine – or the “fight or flight” hormone that is produced during times of stress.

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Some boss may want to do things at work in a very unorthodox manner. Some may be too judgmental. Some may just really be scatterbrained.

Working for very difficult employers drives the stress level of people way up the gauge. There are several ways to handle the situation:

Know Yourself More

It is very easy to pass the blame to our source of stress but some soul searching may also provide us with some answers. Examine the past if you were also in the same situation where your boss is just insane. Maybe the problem is coming from another place.

You have to make sure that the problem that brings about stress is really the person at work and not coming from somewhere deeper.

Manage Your Interactions

The key to a good boss-employee relationship is excellent communication. You have to let your boss know what works better for you and see if it fits in his system.

You can also see what you can learn from the boss. The person is running the company and there must be something good about him.

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When things are really overwhelming a lot of people give into the pressure. Commonly, anxiety rockets and we end up doing nothing at all. Things are viewed as insurmountable and the only option is to run away.

If this is a common picture to you, there are several practices that can help you overcome panic:

Put Problems in a Box

Experts say you can compartmentalize and prioritize. Make a list and bring the problem out one by one from the box. This way you will not be overwhelmed, be able to cope, and solve the problem.

Mind Power

Another way to control panic attacks or anxiety is by doing mind-body techniques. You can engage in breathing exercises, body relaxation, aerobic exercises, and meditation.

Seek Professional Consult

If the panic attacks are very frequent and for no reason at all, then it may be best to seek professional help. Most effective anxiety or panic treatments will be cognitive behavioral therapy or by taking some prescribed medications.

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Amid tough economic times, the problem of overwork takes toll on a lot of Japanese employees. A study shows about 53% of them have experienced more stress with the ongoing global financial crisis.

Experts say that thousands of workers in Japan are overworking well beyond their limits to the point of death literally. In their language, Japanese call it “Karoshi” or death due to overwork. The financial crisis even worsens the everyday picture of a hectic work life where almost everyone works late into the night.

Going home or going out with friends is also not a relief since chats will focus on the everyday stresses at work and problems with their superiors.

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How your office is designed may play a role in affecting one’s health. Researchers from the Queensland University found out that the current trend of having an open-plan workplace results to lower productivity and higher levels of stress for employees.

During the study, 90 % of the evidences point out to working in an office with an open-plan lay out is negative to your health. The situation causes high stress levels, increased blood pressure, worker conflicts, and high employee attrition.

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This is a very interesting video trying to teach you how to practice walking meditation… It’s something I’ve never tried, but I am looking forward to at least giving it a go…

Will keep you posted of my progress!

Many people still think of meditation as something strange: you know.. shaving your hair off, wearing robes and living in a cave. The truth is that meditation is a natural activity for our everyday life. Do you want to live a life that is fully alive, with less stress and more joy? Then meditation is for you.

Meditation Can Help You

Many people start meditation because they want to reduce the stress in their lives. Modern life is stressful to an incredible extent. A sociologist on the radio said that with the use of satellites, television and computers, you and I receive more information in 1 day than our ancestors of several generations ago used to receive in 1,000 days. That means our brains have to process as much input in 24 hours as our brains used to process in 24,000 hours. This results in an overload – 75% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related disorders.

A list of some of some of the mental and emotional signs of stress include:

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