In today’s lifestyles people are constantly facing stress. Whether stuck in traffic, at work, meeting people, and catching up with errands, we are always running in an emergency mode. On a positive side, stress may not be always bad. For some, working under stress, motivates them to achieve better results.

On the flip side, stress can be harmful in the long run, causing damage to health, mood, productivity, relationships and quality of life. It can easily creep up on the individual and at first it feels normal, and may not notice it is affecting their behaviour. This is why it is important to be aware of the common signs and symptoms to be able to manage the daily stress.

So how can one manage stress? The following list is a start to help in identifying ways to relieve daily stress.
Herbal tea is a good try for some stress relief. Teas like lemon balm, peppermint, or chamomile are helpful. You can incorporate one drop of doTERRA essential oils, like Roman Chamomile, Lavender or Melissa into herbal teas to sooth the body and mind.
Get outside in the fresh air and walk for a while. Reconnecting with the outside world and nature can help refocus and feel better. If you cannot go outside, reach out for doTERRA Vetiver. Its calming and grounding effect on emotions is great to diffuse, or to put on your palms, cup the hands around your nose and inhale.
Exercise improves your mood and helps you move past the day’s irritations.
Set out 10 minutes in the morning for meditation. Yoga and meditation will help to keep the mind focussed. You can also increase the effects of meditation by diffusing calming oils like doTERRA Frankincense while you practice.
Give yourself a hand massage. According to a 2008 study published by the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, a five-minute hand massage can lower stress levels. If you don’t have someone to give you one, you can massage your own hands. To reduce the effects of daily stress, put a drop of Ylang Ylang or AromaTouch® and some Fractionated Coconut Oil on the palms and massage your hand slowly using the AromaTouch Hand Technique.
Apply Past Tense® or doTERRA Peace® that both come in roll-on bottles for convenience and easy to use. You can apply either blend to your temples, wrists or the back of your neck in times when you need to quickly ease stressful or anxious feelings on the go.
Ensure you get enough sleep. You can help yourself to sleep by diffusing doTERRA Serenity® about 30 minutes before you go to bed, or take one doTERRA Serenity® softgel.
Get support and connect with others. Talking face-to-face to another person can relieve you from stress. Even just a brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look can help calm and soothe your nerves. If the stress is over something that you feel you have to do alone, at least having someone there to listen or give you a hug can help a lot.

Consult your physician if you are pregnant, nursing or under a doctor’s care as these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.