5 Ways to Decompress

Chronic stress is a heart health hazard. It raises blood pressure and triggers bad lifestyle habits that can accumulate and lead to a multitude of health problems, including heart disease. Try these 5 ways to moderate your stress levels before you are overwhelmed.

1. Get organised
   It may sound counterintuitive to expense energy cleaning but often, our space reflects our state of mind. We commonly find remnants of stress as piles of clutter around the home, left for cleaning only when we are sufficiently energised. But as these piles grow, so do levels of frustration. Create an inviting space for rest when you return home after a long day. Try author Gretchen Rubin’s one-minute rule to complete tasks that won’t take longer than a minute to prevent further clutter.
2. Exercise
   Exercising regularly is a sure-fire way to ease any tension as the body releases happy hormones known as endorphins to encourage relaxation. It also staves off extra weight and confers numerous health benefits that will keep you feeling good inside and out.
3. Aromatherapy
   Scents possess a special ability to evoke emotions and memories, both good and bad. Wield this knowledge to your advantage and bring scents that trigger happy memories into your space. This could be a candle, room fragrance or essential oil. The effects of lavender aromatherapy on stress have been studied and found to alleviate stress.Check out Zen Zone by Singapore Memories. Presented in different fragrance forms, it is imbued with the comforting fragrance of orchids, lavender and chamomile to help you create your ultimate space for relaxation.
4. Take a tea break
   Tea has been commonly coined as a stress reliever and this claim may not go unfounded as some studies have suggested that green and black tea yield such power. Some studies have identified theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, to have strong stress reduction effects , while results from other studies found that black tea encouraged quicker post-stress recovery.
5. Practise mindfulness
   Over 200 studies have shown that mindfulness-based therapy is effective for reducing stress, and even anxiety and depression . Mindfulness is a secular practice that calls for your attention and acceptance of the present moment. Bogged down by a negative thought? Try drawing awareness to your breath, thoughts and physical sensations you are experiencing.