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Practice deep breathing relaxation exercises. Deep breathing expands your diaphragm and triggers a calming response in your body. As part of this response, your blood pressure and cortisol levels will drop. Practice deep breathing by taking in a slow, deep breath so that you fill up your entire lung. As you do so, allow your belly to expand, and then slowly exhale. You can also practice deep breathing while you meditate or practice yoga. Mindfulness is the technique of living in the present moment and taking your focus away from regrets about the past and fears about the future. Mindfulness can be incorporated into every aspect of your daily life. You can practice mindfulness when you are exercising, eating, working, talking, or reading. Mindfulness research has shown that this practice reduces stress by decreasing rumination. Mindfulness also improves memory, focus, and satisfaction in relationships. To practice mindfulness, focus on your senses and let worries or thoughts about obligations float in and then out of your awareness. Do not linger on any one thought. Instead, try to observe them and then let them pass. Practicing yoga religiously changes the chemical patterns in the body and triggers natural relaxation responses by the body. Yoga promotes a state of biochemical relaxation in the body meaning there is ample oxygen available in the body and heart rate and blood pressure are normal. Apart from physical benefits, yoga also helps in the elimination of toxins from the body. Yoga breathing techniques also have a profound impact on both physical and mental well-being. They help clean up our system to restore balance in our thoughts and emotions. Try taking a beginner yoga class at a local yoga studio or buy a DVD to practice yoga in the comfort of your home. Essential oils can have mood enhancing benefits which aid in stress reduction. For relaxation, it helps to inhale scents of lavender, valerian, citrus, geranium, cloves, camphor and poplar for relief from insomnia associated with symptoms of mental breakdown. Peppermint essential oil can provide relief from headaches caused by stress and it can even help with nausea and stomach upset, which is also associated with stress. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with a carrier oil such as almond oil and rub a small amount onto your temples and forehead. Breathe deeply as your rub in the oil to help you relax. In recent studies, essential oils such as lavender oil and lemon oil have been shown to improve mood.
Practice deep breathing exercises. Try to live in the present moment by practicing mindfulness. Give yoga a try. Use aromatherapy techniques to help you de-stress.