20 Simple Things That Are Surprisingly Therapeutic

Do you have too much to do and too little time? Find yourself wishing you could say “no” more often? Or perhaps you have trouble sleeping or relaxing? If you answered positively to any of these, you are under stress.

Although some stress can be a good thing, too much of it can be devastating to your health. But did you know there are many simple changes you can make in your own life to deal with it? Anything from a cup of tea to an afternoon of volunteering can be hugely beneficial. To that end, we have gathered 20 simple things that are surprisingly therapeutic. They are easy to do, low cost or free, and will have you looking at life in a whole new way.

Simple Things That Are Surprisingly Therapeutic

Make these simple changes in your life to see how much they can help stress and be therapeutic.

    1. Support : When stress comes, going to your support system can be immensely helpful. Therapy can come in the form of useful advice or just a friendly ear to listen to. Visit this site to find people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities around the world. Find one in your area, or even start your own.

    2. Do it With a Purpose : “A useless life is an early death” is a famous quote from the German philosopher Goethe. Dan Buettner of the Blue Zones agrees. In this post, he is quoted on the importance of having a purpose. Stress may be bad for you but knowing it is for a good cause can be surprisingly therapeutic.

    3. Pet a Pet : Those furry friends are good for more than wearing a sweater vest. They can also be therapeutic. Having someone there when you get home, to go for a walk with, or to just cuddle on the couch with can be very therapeutic. Adopt a Pet has both a site and 800 number if you would like to adopt one. Choose from dogs, cats, or other animals. You can also learn more about shelters in your area.

    4. People Matter, Too : According to the United Health Group, volunteers report both improved physical and emotional health. In the study, 68% of participants reported an increased betterment of their well being. More surprising was that 96% reported an improved frame of mind. If you are ready to begin your volunteering journey, click here for a site that specializes matching volunteers with organizations that need their help.

    5. Laugh : In a study by the New University of Maryland, laughter is good for your heart. Researchers found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease. If you need help laughing, visit here for the top ten funny videos free for the viewing on YouTube. They include the dancing kid, cats, and a three year old explaining Star Wars.

    6. Holistic Health Exercises : With a promise of living to the age of 100, these exercises they are worth a look. They can help with strengthening your body, increasing flexibility, and of course, calming your mind. Watch the welcome video or choose from one of the many programs on the left side column.

    7. Therapeutic Workouts : If you need something a little more intense, visit here to get workouts that are therapeutic. Choose everything from aerobic to walking workouts and everything in between. Over three hundred workouts are available. You can also choose twelve different languages.

    8. Pray : In this report available to read online, the therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer are studied. A group of coronary patients received intercessory prayer while a control group did not. The control patients required ventilatory assistance, antibiotics, and diuretics more frequently than patients in the IP group. If you need help on how to pray, click here for a guide from Belief.net.

Simple Foods That Are Surprisingly Therapeutic

These simple food and drink switches can be therapeutic and help fight stress.

    9. Pumpkin Seeds : If you feel less stressed during Halloween, there may be a reason. Those pumpkin seeds you are eating turn out to be therapeutic. They contain a substance called tryptophan, the same ingredient found in turkey that makes you so sleepy after your Thanksgiving dinner. They also produce serotonin in your brain, which helps elevate your mood. Read more to find which seeds are the best.

    10. Lavender Tea : The scent alone is a good way to receive therapeutic properties. Drunk as a tea, lavender is a natural treatment for anxiety and headaches. It also soothes upset stomachs and flatulence, and cold lavender tea can be used as an effective mouthwash. There are many other properties that go along with it and you can read more here.

    11. Chocolate : Get both stress reduction and smiles with this surprisingly therapeutic food. Researchers found that eating the equivalent of one average-sized dark chocolate candy bar each day for two weeks reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the “fight-or-flight” hormones known as catecholamines in highly stressed people. Dark chocolate is also said to help with hormone levels, metabolism, and more. Check out this report from WebMD with the whole story.

    12. Blackstrap Molasses : This is one of the oldest home remedies and cures around. Boasting fantastic properties, it is said to help with cancer, constipation, anemia, joint pain, and more. Therapeutic properties include anti-anxiety and even the ability to turn gray hair back to its original color. This site has an iced molasses recipe and a comparison of many leading types.

    13. The Stress Busting Fruit : This one might be located in your fridge, not fruit basket. The essential B and C vitamins that are found in avocados just might be the thing for therapy. It is also high in fiber and healthy fats. Try it as a guacamole dip with low fat or baked chips.

    14. But Wait, There’s More : If you love fruit, the avocado isn’t your only option. This article touts the therapeutic properties of the acai berry. Research shows that acai works to reduce stress after a mere day and with no side effects. This is due to its high concentrations of polyphenols and antioxidants. There are also similar properties in goji berries.

    15. Stress Busting Smoothie : The experts at “Men’s Health” have an impressive database of smoothie recipes. They also have one specifically to reduce stress. Surprisingly therapeutic ingredients include mint, fennel, and pineapple juice. The mint in this mojito-esque elixir both soothes and stimulates, while the B vitamins in avocado, fennel, and pineapple calm the nervous system. Simply scroll down to get the entire recipe as well as others.

Simple Online Things That Are Surprisingly Therapeutic

If getting away from your computer is too stressful, don’t worry. The below ways to reduce stress can be done with a simple click of the mouse.

    16. Sound Sleeping : If you have trouble sleeping or need something to meditate to, visit here. The site has a drum sleep aid and relaxation tool available straight from the homepage. Select up to five sounds including everything from flutes to birds to even a bonfire. You can also get slideshows, games, and more. Best of all, the sound player is completely free.

    17. Relax Radio : Similar to the above, this site offers therapeutic ways to relax through audio. Unlike the above however, there are individual programs to help you relax. Choose several programs from acoustic bass, piano, meditations, and many others. There is also a tuner you can use to listen to therapeutic music from around the world.

    18. My Diary : If you have a lot of internal stress, a journal can be a great way to get it out. Stop here to create your own personal diary or journal on the internet. You can set it to public or private to keep your entries as secret as you like. There is also the option to write anonymously or to read what others have written.

    19. Zen Habits : Get tons of tips for making your professional and personal life more stress free here. Boasting simple productivity, Zen Habits can help you with everything from decluttering your inbox to Feng Shui. Current posts are on materialism and distractions.

    20. Mind Tools : This site features many therapeutic ways to manage stress. It is for individuals seeking solutions, professionals with stressed clients, and even human resources personnel dealing with workplace pressures. Most of the site is completely free, except for a small fee to download PDFs of what is read. There are also products and services to choose from.

If stress is truly a crippling thing in your life, please see a professional. Although the above 20 simple things that are surprisingly therapeutic are useful, they are no replacement for traditional diagnosis, treatment, or medicine.

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