Stress Relief Activities

Battling stress is something we all have to do at one time or another. It could be that you enjoy heavy metal music and that after a dull and boring day working in an office job, getting home and listening to a vibrant track by your favorite artist may be just the thing you need to help you forget the stresses of the day and focus your mind on something else.

Practice this exercise every time you feel stressed. A variety of stress management exercises are available to help relieve stress and promote optimal levels of brain arousal. As the mind focuses on 'nothing' and letting those thoughts just pass like so many clouds in the sky, the whole system starts to effectively reduce the stress experienced.

Part of the problem with anxiety and stress relief is that those suffering from it are often the busiest people around, and therefore they have no time available to invest into techniques and methods to control the adverse effects of stress in their lives.

Researchers at Stanford University (press release 2006) have said that "listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication." They noted that music is something that almost anybody can access and makes it an easy stress reduction tool.

The list above is by no means complete, music and sound affect us in all conceivable ways - even when we are not fully listening or paying attention. Studies investigating the effects of music listening on stress are typically carried out in controlled lab environments.

Listening to relaxing music is just as effective at reducing anxiety as a massage. However, some people with tinnitus may require surgical treatment. Just lofi radio like junk food increases stress in our system, a poor sonic or listening diet can do the same. Listening to jazz for 30 minutes boosts immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels.