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5 Quick and Easy Stress Relief Tips

Many people who suffer from stress, depression and anxiety don't want to take antidepressant drugs to find relief. Here's how to find natural anxiety, depression and stress relief with these 5 easy to apply tips.

Negative self talk is a symptom common to stress, depression and anxiety. Continually putting yourself down by criticising how you look, your skills and abilities, your personality will do nothing other than make you feel bad about yourself. And recalling previous mistakes and using them to perform more self deprecation further fans the flames. So be kind to yourself and drop this destructive habit. Accept that you make mistakes - just like everybody else - and that you aren't perfect and praise yourself instead. Remind yourself regularly about all of the good you have done and give yourself a boost instead of a barb.

Stress, depression and anxiety aren't things that just happen to you and they aren't something you have to put up with for life. They have specific causes that can be addressed using a variety of natural, effective techniques. You are not in a hopeless situation and you're not helpless - stress, depression and anxiety can be beaten and it's important to accept this.

Feeling as if you're trapped in a rut or that your life is going nowhere is another part of stressful illnesses and this feeling can trigger depression. Doing the same routines day in, day out isn't good for us and although we do need some security, too much can cause problems. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. Start a course, a fitness program, try a new sport, learn a musical instrument, go on an activity holiday or take up a new hobby. New experiences add to the pleasure you get from life and keeps your spark alive.

Replace watching television with more positive and rewarding activities. Television can bombard your mind with negativity, from soap operas to news programmes and reality TV shows, as they always show the worst sides of life. Wars, famines, murders, and exploitation of people who are in dreadful situations in life, all can fuel a negative perception of life. Ditch this rubbish and do something more life-affirming instead, reading, workouts, a hobby, a course, what ever you can think of. Try not watching television for one week and you'll feel better for it.

Be mindful of the way you assign meanings to the more stressful events we all face in life. Death of loved ones, loss of a job, moving house, and relationship breakdown are prime examples of events that can trigger stress, depression and anxiety. For example, you lose your job and you react by saying: "My job meant everything to me and now my whole world has collapsed. My life is ruined." Reacting in such a catastrophic way will trigger powerful emotions and stress, anxiety and depression will result. Instead, step back, keep perspective - don't make one single event affect your whole life - remain calm and generate and move towards more positive solutions.

Each of the above techniques will help you reduce stress and get more enjoyment from life. Use them every day and you'll reap big rewards. And if you'd like to know more about conquering stress, depression and anxiety without taking antidepressant drugs, please check out the resources we've put together over on the conquering stress website.