How to reduce stress: 10 effective tips

How to reduce stress: what are stressors, and what are the symptoms

Holidays are the best moment to take care of your well-being and learn how to relieve stress.

“Stress” is a term introduced in biology by physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon, is the physiological response of the organism to situations, events or tasks, of an emotional, cognitive or social nature, perceived as excessive or dangerous.

In 1936 the Austrian-Canadian doctor Hans Selye named the reaction that occurs when the body is subject to the prolonged effects of various types of stressors “General Adaptation Syndrome” (GAS), namely physical stimuli (fatigue), environmental-cultural (obligations or demands of the social environment), metabolic (reduction of glycemic levels), psychological (a job interview or a test), emotional (a bereavement) and dietary (excessive caffeine) that lead the body and the psyche to develop stress.

The GAS has three different phases:

1. Alarm reaction: the shock phase and the antishock phase in which the organism responds to stress factors by implementing mechanisms of physical and mental defense. Examples include the production of adrenaline, increased heart rate and blood pressure, arousal, inhibition of the proper functioning of the digestive system, and stimulation of the vascular, muscular, and smooth glandular system;
2. Endurance: the body tries to combat and counter the effects of prolonged fatigue through specific hormonal responses;
3. Exhaustion: if the stressor action is prolonged, permanent adverse effects on the mental and/or somatic structure may occur.

Stress management is not the same for everyone, and even the symptoms may differ from person to person, however, they can be divided into four main categories:

1. physical symptoms: headache, back pain, indigestion, neck and shoulders tension, stomach pain, tachycardia, sweating of the hands, agitation and restlessness, sleep problems, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, sexual issues, ears ringing.
2. behavioral symptoms: gnashing teeth, bullying attitude, increased alcohol use, nervous hunger, criticizing others, inability to bring things to an end.
3. emotional symptoms: crying, the enormous sense of pressure, nervousness, anxiety, anger, feeling that there is no meaning in living, loneliness, tension; feeling that you are about to explode, unhappiness without a valid reason, feeling powerless to change things, be easily agitated or upset
4. cognitive symptoms: problems in thinking clearly, inability to make decisions, forgetting things or easily distracted, thinking of running away, lack of creativity, constantly worried, loss of memory, loss of sense of humor.

Let’s find out how to combat stress and which the ten most effective remedies to regain serenity are.

How to reduce stress: 10 tips to defeat it

Here are ten tips to reduce stress, defeat anxiety, and restore inner balance:

1. The therapeutic power of massage: the art of massage has ancient origins, and the positive effects of physiotherapy have also been found in the medical literature of Egyptians, Persians, and Japanese. The name “masophysiotherapy” comes from the union of the Greek words masso, which means modeling with hands, and therapia, meaning cure or healing. Massages are performed by a professional, or physiotherapist, so to relieve muscle or joint pain to restore relief to the body and psyche.
2. The power of the sea: thalassotherapy treatments, based on the healing action by the marine environment, help to regain psychophysical well-being and regulate the levels of serotonin also known as “good mood hormone”. From the union between the words Thalassa (sea) and thérapia (cure), thalassotherapy stimulates, remineralizes, and regenerates the body by exploiting the properties of seawater and promoting the elimination of excess fluids thanks to the draining and remodeling of sea salt.
3. Practicing yoga: yoga helps eliminate stress, relieves anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, improves muscle tone, elasticity, and balance, prevents back pain, and increases concentration. There are many yoga styles with different characteristics, and among the most popular in the West, there are Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and Ashtanga Yoga.
4. The secret is to meditate: meditation reduces stress, improves the quality of life, and is good for the body and the spirit, but to enjoy the benefits of meditation it is essential to be patient and constant. Meditation is a word that comes from the Latin term meditatio meaning “reflection” referred to a set of practices that have the aim of relaxing the mind and helping the individual to acquire self-awareness.
5. Rest and beauty: sometimes, a long weekend in a heavenly place, such as the private spa of the Forte Village Resort in Sardinia, is enough to regain energy and tranquillity. The private spa is a sanctuary of well-being where you can regenerate mind and spirit through the healing power of water and wellness treatments that help the body to regain its natural balance and contribute to the recovery of physical fitness.
6. The fragrance of serenity: essential oils are valuable allies in the fight against stress, and are used in aromatherapy treatments, an ancient discipline that foresees the use of plants or extracts of plants to help the individual to regain energy and psychophysical well-being. Essential oils have a calming, relaxing, and energizing effect and are found within various parts of the plant: from flowers to leaves, from bark to seeds, up to pericarps and roots.
7. The color of well-being: forgetting about stress with the help of colors? Chromotherapy is the ancient holistic discipline that makes use of the relationship between colors and health to restore the energy balance of the body through light irradiation produced by special devices. In chromotherapy, blue has a calming and refreshing power that helps the mind find peace and serenity, decreases blood pressure, and regulates heartbeats and breathing.
8. Cold effect: a session of cryosauna, known as “cold therapy”, brings significant benefits to psychophysical health and makes use of the therapeutic properties of cold for aesthetic and healing purposes. The cryosauna is the instrument with which we perform treatments of systemic cryotherapy, a particular therapy involving the exposure of the body to temperatures between -120 and -180 C for a duration not exceeding 3 minutes. Systemic cryotherapy improves sleep, increases stress resistance, reduces anxiety, dissolves muscle tension, and improves mood.
9. Muscle health: the body and mind’s well-being is also influenced by muscle rebalancing, regaining strength and elasticity after being put to the test by overly stressful situations or by poor physical activity. Muscular tension and stiffening of the muscles are the body’s response to various types of stress and cause pain that can limit, or in some cases prevent, the performance of normal daily activities and a correct night’s rest.
10. Healthy eating: stress is also contrasted at the dining table with the principles of detox diet or Ayurvedic cuisine, which improve the purification processes of the body and eliminate toxins, harmful to health. A healthy and balanced diet affects psychophysical well-being and helps us to live a better and longer life.

Do you want to defeat stress and have a dream holiday in paradise? Discover the Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.