How Aromatherapy Can Help To Reduce Stress And Other Ailments

Aromatherapy uses essential oils extracted from plants and flowers to treat all types of ailments. The oils can be used alone or in blends. Essential oils are absorbed by the skin and the scent can calm, uplift and invigorate. The most common forms of usage are massage, bathing, inhalation and vaporization. Aromatherapy can be used to treat menstrual cramps, depression and stress.


Warning, some oil may cause allergic reactions, not advisable for pregnant women, those with asthma, epilepsy or with high blood pressure. Consult your physician or qualified aromatherapist before using aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy Tips
Choose essential oils and experiment with aromas until what works best for you. Try some of these essential oils for common ailments in a bath, massage or vaporization.

Stress: Geranium, patchouli, ylang ylang.
Insomnia: Chamomile, lavender.
Gastric: Peppermint.
Menopause: Clary sage, geranium, lime, ylang ylang.
Rashes: Chamomile, lavender, tea tree.

1. Massage Method

You will need

10 drops of essential oil

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Step

Mix essential oil and vegetable oil in a bowl before massaging it into the skin. Can be stored in a small bottle, shake well before used.

2. Bathing Method

You will need

Essential oil

Hot water

Step

Add up to 6 drops of essential oil into your bath water or 3 drops into a basin of hot water to reduce stress.

3. Inhalation Method

You will need

Essential oil

Cotton ball or tissue
Candle
Pillow

Onto a cotton ball

Place a few drops of essential oil onto a cotton ball or tissue. Place it near you and enjoy the power of aromatherapy to diminish stress by inhaling the cotton ball or tissue. 

Burn a candle

Burn a candle and when you see a pool of wax near to the wick, extinguish the candle. Add a few drops of essential oil, then relight the candle to diffuse the aroma.

Prepare for sweet dreams
Place 3 drops of relaxing essential oil onto your pillow at bedtime. Now, let your stress fade away and enjoy a restful night sleep with sweet dreams.




4. Vaporization Method

You will need

Essential oil

Fan diffuser or vaporizer

Cotton pad

Step

Put a few drops of essential oil onto a cotton pad, then insert it into the diffuser and activate the vaporizer.

More Tips

Use aromatic plant oils sparingly.

Enhance relaxation by listening to soothing music while you enjoy aromatherapy.

Video

How to Reduce Stress with Aromatherapy on Howcast

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How to Get the Most Out of Getting Mad

Anger has gotten a bad rap! Processed properly, it can actually benefit you by motivating positive change.



Step 1: Don't suppress it

Don’t suppress your anger. Numerous studies have linked keeping anger bottled up with the development of health problems. This is especially true in marriage — one study found that couples who stew in silence instead of having air-clearing fights nearly double their chances of early death.

Step 2: Channel your anger into action

Channel your anger into action. The remark or behavior that sets you off is often indicative of an underlying problem, like low self-esteem or a dissatisfying relationship. Address the bigger issue, and the petty annoyances will take care of themselves.

Step 3: React strategically

React strategically. Blowing up at someone isn’t likely to rectify the situation, and will probably make things worse. Instead, take time to figure out a fair resolution, and then speak your mind calmly.

Force yourself to react more slowly and quietly than usual; angry people have a tendency to speak louder and faster.

Step 4: Become an activist

If it’s social injustices that have your blood boiling, channel that rage into action: join a political protest, donate your time to a charity, or organize your own philanthropic effort.

Step 5: Work out your anger by working out

Take your anger-induced adrenaline and go for a run or hit the gym; you’ll blow off steam and improve your health. Now that’s how you get the most out of getting mad.

How to Get the Most Out of Getting Mad on Howcast

Credit: Howcast

Related Tools / Resources:

The Anger Trap: Free Yourself from the Frustrations that Sabotage Your Life
The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships
Beyond Anger: A Guide for Men: How to Free Yourself from the Grip of Anger and Get More Out of Life
The Anger Workbook: A 13-Step Interactive Plan to Help You... (Minirth-Meier Clinic Series)
Anger Management (Widescreen Edition)

Read more >>

Tips For Stress Management

You can keep stress down to small doses within your control. Plan your time well. Good time management helps you complete your tasks within the given time.

• Be organised. Decide what to do first.
• List what you have to do according to their importance. A(most), B(less) or C(low). Attend to A first, then B, lastly C. Stick to your plan.
• Complete one task before starting another.
• Try to take less time to do each task, without sacrificing on quality.

Making decisions can be stressful but we can take steps to handle this problem:

• List the points affecting the decision.
• Weigh the pros and cons of each point.
• Face up to facts. Don't be blinded by feelings.
• Think calmly.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• Discuss the points with those who may be affected by the decision. In this way, they will see how the choice is made and be more willing to bear with the bad points.
• Learn from your experience.

More on Stress Busters tips to help you learn more positive ways to cope with stress.

Related Tools / Resources:
Quick & Easy Stress Busters: 5-Minute Routines for Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere
Classical Music For A Stress Less World
Family Games XS Head Stress Series Spheroid IQ Collection Puzzle
How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life (Signet)
"What Would Obama Do?" Decision Maker

Read more >>

2011 Countdown - Reinventing A New Self

Ready for 2011 countdown? Check out the following list to spark off your New Year!

Review Your Life, Identify Goals
Now is the time to take charge of your life and chart the progress you desire. Losing weight, going on a long trip or taking up a hobby, these require planning, execution and the determination to see it through. Want to loose weight? Go on a strict diet, enrol in a beauty salon or go to the gym. Whatever it is, act on it today!

Count Your Blessings
Personally, I believe the happiest people are constantly thankful for what they have. There will always be someone who is better or worse off than you. Choose to see the positive, not the negative.

Assume Personal Accountability

You are responsible for yourself. You hold the power to create the life you desire in your hands. Do not blame others when things go wrong.

Banish Time Stealers Out Of Your Life
Be it a mindless television programme, a toxic friend who is bitter about everyone or engaging in meaningless social activities. Better manage your time, weed out the things that do not matter to you.

Practise Random Acts of Kindness
Ever received a random smile? Had someone hold the lift door for you or a gracious fellow commuter letting you alight the train first? Don't wait for others to be kind towards you. Beat them to it and initiate the first kind act.

Do Something Different Each Day
Experiment with new colours, make-up techniques or taking a different route to work; add a little bits of creativity into your life and live life passionately!

Declutter

Who says spring cleaning can only be done once a year? Physically clearing out the things you no longer need allows you to declutter your physical space, life and mind.  Whether at work or at home, hoarding is a serious problem that needs to reined in.

  

Go Green. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse

We are devouring Earth's resources faster than Mother Nature can replenish. Segregate your trash. Donate your old books, old but usable clothes and appliances. Your junk may be someone else's treasure.

Increase Your Wellness Literacy
Acquaint yourself with knowledge towards a healthier you. the Internet has an endless supply of information ranging from household tips, healthy recipes, articles on losing weight and many more with a mere click of the mouse.

Be The Best That You Can Be

The way you present yourself to the world will inadvertently affect how others respond to you. Respect yourself by exercising, eating right, sleeping well and taking care of your appearance. Make full of your own qualities and live up to your full potential!

Read more >>

Do It The FITT Way

Regular exercise can do wonders to your body, mind and overall well being. The right exercise will add great fun and enjoyment to your life and provide the foundation for a lifetime of fitness and good health. The benefits of exercise are well known.

Benefits of Exercise:

• Strengthens your heart and lungs.
• Lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Increases the good cholesterol in your blood.
• Burns fat and helps you maintain a healthy weight.
• Strengthens bones, reducing osteoporosis.
• Increases strength and flexibility.
• Boosts your vitality, making you more alert with better concentration.
• Helps you relax and sleep better.
• Is a great way to deal with stress.
• Improves resistance to colds and flu.
• Contributes to a more positive self-image and greater self-confidence.

When exercising, follow the FITT formula and you won't go wrong.

Frequency

• 3-5 times per week (evenly spaced out)

Intensity

• Exercise until you perspire and breathe deeply. You should not feel any discomfort and should reach 60-90% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). This is your "target heart rate".

Type

• A combination of aerobic and calisthenic exercises.

Time

• Each exercise session has 3 parts:

1. Warm up for 5 - 10 minutes
2. Aerobic exercise for 20 - 60 minutes
3. Cool down for 5 - 10 minutes

For a great workout check out this video, New Millennium Health Workout.

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How To Practice Positive Thinking

What were your thoughts for the past few hours? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Although people around you will not be able to tell exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, unless of course, you are a great actor. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others around you feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day.

So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

A few simple attitude adjustments can make you happier and healthier. Here's how to harness the power of positivity with the following  How To Practice Positive Thinking video .

How To Practice Positive Thinking on Howcast

Related Tools / Resourses:

The Power of Positive Thinking

Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want

Learn How To Think Positively 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive: 101 Inspirational Stories about Counting Your Blessings and Having a Positive Attitude

No More Stinking Thinking: A Workbook for Teaching Children Positive Thinking

Read more >>

Stress Busters

We cannot completely remove stress as it is part of life. However, if we manage stress successfully, then we will be in better physical and emotional health.

The following stress busters will tell you some positive ways to cope with stress.

Stress Busters!

1. Plan your time well
Keep a daily planner. Give priority to the most important activities and do them first. Break large demands into small, manageable parts. Work through one task at a time. Decide how much time you need for each job. Be careful not to over organise. Leave some room for flexibility and spontaneity.

Planning ahead helps you to complete the tasks you have prioritised. This allows you to have a sense of achievement for the tasks you have completed.

2. Be realistic about what you can do
Choose your work according to your own abilities and interest. Focus on what you can do and not for the impossible. Set goals that are achievable so you don't become frustrated or discouraged.

3. Spread out the major changes in your life
Give yourself time to adjust from one change to another. For example, avoid changing jobs, buying a car or a house all at the same time.

4. Speak to someone about your problems
Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Sharing your worries and concerns with your spouse, family, friend, supervisor or religious leader helps relieve your emotional burden and provides with you emotional support. Try joining relevant support groups in your community. Call a helpline if you need to speak to a counsellor.

5. Interact with your family and friends
Family and friends are a key component of your life. They provide you with friendship, love and support in times of need. Set aside some time each day to talk and relax together.

6. Learn to like yourself and think positive

Be happy with who you are. Keep a positive attitude and outlook in life. This helps you to accept what you cannot change and make the best of what you have.

Don't be overly concerned about your looks. If you are concerned about your weight, speak to your doctor or a nutritionist, who would be able to assess your weight status and give advice on weight management, if necessary.

7. Keep healthy
Keep your body healthy and fit by exercising regularly, eating wisely and getting enough sleep. Engaging in regular physical activity releases endorphins which give you a natural "high". Eating a healthy and balanced diet based on the Healthy Diet Pyramid will provide the recommended level of nutrients to boost the immune system.

8. Make some time for yourself
Do something that you really enjoy. Take up a hobby like dancing, painting or a sport. Take a short break when you feel tense or tired. Get up and stretch, or take a short walk. When you return to your work, you can concentrate better.

9. Learn some relaxation techniques
Deep breathing exercises, meditation, massage and muscle relation techniques help to relieve stress.

Related Tools / Resources:
A Time for Relaxation, Vol. 1: Guided Relaxation Techniques for Wellness
Relaxation & Breathing for Meditation
The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)
Stress & Relaxation Explained: An Introduction to Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation and Stress Relief, Visualization Techniques DVD

Read more >>

What is Stress?

Do you have trouble concentrating? Are you always worrying? Do you feel anxious such that your hands tremble and your palms get sweaty?

These are all signs of stress. You can control stress and not let it control you!

What is Stress? Stress is the body's response to any physical or emotional changes in life. This response includes the release of a hormone, adrenaline, in the body. Adrenaline cause an increase in heart rate, breathing and in blood sugar levels. It also diverts the blood flow from your digestive system to your muscles.

This response prepares you to "fight or flight". Therefore you will feel more alert. We all experiences stress as we cope with daily events. Daily demands such as rules, responsibilities, decisions, changes, relationships, illness and money can cause stress.

Stress can give life some spice and excitement. Positive stress helps you to cope with problems might arise.

On the other hand, living under very stressful conditions for long periods of time, may harm your health, your relationships and your enjoyment of life.

Both positive and negative life events can lead to stress. Common causes could include:

Major Life Changes * Death of loved ones * Marriage * Pregnancy * New job * Divorce * Unemployment * Accidents * Legal issues * Relocation * Debt * Illness

Environmental Events * Excessive noise * Traffic jams * Time pressure * Competition * Health epidemic

Everyone reacts and copes with situations differently and thus we experience stress to different levels of intensity. Your body sends out physical, mental, behavioural and emotional warning signs of stress.

Physical Signs of Stress * Headaches, migraine, stomach aches * Muscle tension * Stomach ulcers * Fast heartbeats * Sleep disruption * Loss of appetite or overeating * Sweaty palms * Trembling * Chronic fatigue

Emotional Signs of Stress * Anxiety and being bad-tempered * Excessive worrying, moody * Sadness, fear * Feeling inadequate Mental Signs of Stress * Poor concentration * Forgetfulness * Lack of confidence

Behavioural Signs of Stress * Acting in a defensive, aggressive or impulsive manner * Nervous habits (stammering or biting nails) * Loss of interest in activities

* Avoidance of tasks * Easily distracted * Withdrawing from social activities * Drinking or smoking excessively

Prolong stress exposes our body constantly to the effects of adrenaline and will lead to many health problems:

* decreased immunity levels, thereby increasing our chances of getting colds and other illness

* worsening of asthmatic conditions

* increased blood pressure that will increase the risk for stroke and heart attacks and even kidney problems

* digestive problems like indigestion, constipation or even diarrhoea

* depression, nervous breakdown or mental illness


Some people have negative way of coping stress. They take drugs, consume excessive alcohol, smoke, binge on food and injure themselves. These only mask the stress they feel, harm their health and even cause emotional and financial burden to their family.

We could not be able to get rid of stress altogether, but we can manage it at a level that we can handle.

The stress busters, in my next post, will tell you some positive ways to cope with stress.

Meanwhile watch the following video to understand the connection between Nutrition and Stress.

Related Tools / Resources:

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)
Stress Management for Dummies
IsoFlex Stress Ball by Toysmith (Colors May Vary)
emWave Personal Stress Reliever (Silver)
A Time for Relaxation, Vol. 1: Guided Relaxation Techniques for Wellness

Read more >>