National Stress Awareness Month Activities

April is the National Stress Awareness month and it is a good time to understand how the body responds to stress and the symptoms of stress so that you can manage stress effectively.

To manage stress more effectively during this stress awareness month, doing the following:

Practice Relaxation Techniques Regularly

Practice one relaxation technique each day this month so that you get into the habit of remaining relaxed regardless of what you are going through.

For starters, you can practice abdominal breathing hourly since it is the fastest way to counter your body's response to stress. It is also one of the simplest relaxation techniques since all it involves is taking a deep breath through your nose until your abdomen rises, holding your breath for a few minutes and then exhaling completely through your mouth until your abdomen drops. 

To learn more relaxation techniques read Rules of Relaxation.  

You can combine abdominal breathing with a Christian relaxation technique like praying. Praying, which is simply talking to God, is very effective for managing stress since it is a form of talk therapy that allows you to vent about the things that are stressing you. In  addition, the Bible also urges us to pray when we are distressed for it says, Is anyone suffering? Let them pray. (James 5:13)

So, after relaxing by taking several abdominal breaths, breathe a prayer to God about your stressful situation. To do this effectively read How to Pray for Your Stressful Situation.

You can also combine your abdominal breathing with meditating on stress relieving Bible verses like In all these things I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ Who loves me. (Romans 8:37) To learn more Christian relaxation techniques, read 10 Christian Stress Management Techniques.

Reduce Conflicts

Reduce conflicts with the people you interact with in your day to day activities by express your needs and wants without hurting their feelings. To learn how to do this read Christian conflict resolution. 

Manage Stress at Work

Reduce stress when you are at your workplace by practicing relaxation techniques. 

For example, whenever you begin to feel stressed, you can close your eyes, take 5 abdominal breaths, give yourself a one-minute temple massage and then visualize yourself at your favorite vacation spot for a few seconds before you resume working.

If you are a student read Relaxation Techniques for Stress in College Students.

Buy Yourself a Stress Relieving Gift

To celebrate National Stress Awareness Month, buy yourself and a stressed friend a stress relieving gift. This can be as simple as a stress relieving ball or as pricey as a weekend in a destination spa. To learn more read Top 20 Stress Management Gifts.

Eat Chocolate

Celebrate Stress Awareness Day by eating chocolate since dark chocolate has been proven to increase levels in the body of chemicals known as endorphins which make you feel good. To learn more read 3 Reasons to Eat Chocolate for Stress Management.

Use Lavender Essential Oil

Using lavender essential oil can also help you relax during this National Stress Awareness Month. This is because a study found that it made adults feel more relaxed. Another study found that it decreased stress levels in adults. 

Therefore create your own stress relieving body oil by mixing 12 drops of lavender essential oil with 1 oz (30 ml) of sweet almond oil in a dark bottle. Use this oil to massage your body whenever you begin to feel tense. 

To learn more read Aromatherapy for Stress Management and click here to learn about persons who should not use lavender essential oil.  

Decorate your Home to Relieve Stress

Reduce the stress in your home by decorating to relieve stress. To do this buy home decor accents with soothing colors and images like the following:

White chrysanthemum throw pillow

Blue sky with sun rays wall clock

It is well canvas art

To learn more read Anti Stress Home Decor.