TL;DR:
- Stress is the body’s response to demands, but long-term or intense stress can contribute to serious health issues (including mood disorders and metabolic or heart-related concerns).
- Sustainable stress management combines lifestyle foundations like regular movement, consistent 7–9 hours of sleep, and balanced nutrition.
- Mindfulness, meditation, constructive hobbies, social connection, and time outdoors are presented as practical “reset” pathways for the nervous system.
- Natural products may offer additional support: ashwagandha shows promise for stress, anxiety, and sleep, but isn’t appropriate for everyone and should be discussed with a provider.
- CBD is non-psychoactive, is being studied for anxiety/depression and pain/inflammation, and can cause mild side effects or medication interactions—so clinician input is recommended.
Stress can sneak up on you. While some amount of stress is unavoidable in everyday life, excessive stress can disrupt your sleep, mood, and overall well-being.
The good news is that there are plenty of options to relieve and manage stress, from focused breathing to exercise and natural stress relief products.
In this guide, we share suggestions for relieving stress. We’ll review some practices that can help manage and reduce stress, along with some products that can offer support as you work to build a calmer and more balanced mind.
Natural Stress Relief Practices, Exercises & Products for More Calm
Understanding Stress: The First Step to Natural Stress Relief
Stress is the body’s reaction to a challenge or demand, often feeling like physical and/or mental tension. It’s a natural reaction that, ideally, allows us to focus on that challenge or demand and respond to it. In the right contexts and in shorter or limited amounts, stress can be helpful, as MedlinePlus explains.
However, stress can be harmful to health and disruptive to everyday life. When stress is too intense and frequent, or continues after its cause has been addressed, or is due to a situation that isn’t easily resolved, it can lead to chronic health issues ranging from depression to heart disease and diabetes.
Pathways to Managing Stress
Ongoing, unmanageable stress should be managed to avoid these potentially serious health concerns. It’s important to discuss excessive stress and anxiety (stress that continues after its cause has been addressed or goes away) with a medical professional. They can provide resources that go beyond any individual’s ability to manage stress themselves.
However, stress can also be managed through certain activities, ranging from exercise to mindfulness practices. Some people find that they can deal with stress, and natural relief comes through certain actions. Options for natural stress and anxiety relief include, but are not limited to:
- Regular exercise. Exercising can help boost your mood and reduce stress hormones. Any type of exercise is an option, including low-impact exercise like taking a walk, following a yoga practice, or swimming. You don’t need to engage in intensive exercise for stress relief naturally, just some form of regular exercise.
- Good sleep structure and hygiene. Getting about 7-9 hours of sleep each night and following a consistent sleep schedule can help your mind and body recharge. It’s important to get the right amount of sleep and to sleep for roughly the same hours each night to get the most benefits in terms of stress relief.
- Eating healthy. Consistently eating a balanced diet, avoiding excess highly processed foods, and focusing on protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats (i.e., unsaturated fats) can help to manage stress and support a more stable mindset.
- Mindfulness exercises and meditation. Paying attention to the present moment and input from your senses, and letting thoughts about the past and future enter and leave your mind without judgment, can help you become more grounded and calm.
- Productive and constructive hobbies. From cooking to making music and reading to simply listening to music, taking some time to do something you enjoy may reduce your stress levels.
- Connecting with others. Spending time around people whose company you enjoy, such as friends and family, can help you relax and positively stimulate your brain.
- Spending time outdoors. Experiencing nature, even if it means simply sitting outside in your backyard or taking a walk through the local park, can help people feel calmer and more at ease. Spending time outdoors while exercising may provide a double benefit of sorts in terms of stress management.
Natural Stress Relief Products
Prescription medication, therapy, and other medical options can all support people as they attempt to manage and reduce the level of stress in their lives.
Natural stress relief products can also offer a way to manage stress. These products are not guaranteed to work for every person facing extreme stress, but they do have some level of research backing their ability to encourage a calmer and more peaceful mindset.
Ashwagandha
The National Institutes of Health notes that Ashwagandha has shown promise in terms of reducing stress and anxiety, as well as promoting better sleep quality. This evergreen shrub plant has a long history of use in traditional and indigenous medicine, and has emerged relatively recently as a popular over-the-counter option for stress management and relief as well.
Ashwagandha is also relatively well tolerated by people who don’t have major health issues, such as liver problems, thyroid concerns, and prostate cancer. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also advised to avoid using Ashwagandha. For safety’s sake, and to avoid potential medication interactions, Ashwagandha use should be discussed with a healthcare provider before starting use.
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CBD
CBD is one of many cannabinoids found in cannabis and hemp plants. Cannabinoids are chemicals that interact with the body’s natural endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Most cannabinoids have a psychoactive effect, meaning they create feelings like an altered state of mind and euphoria. CBD is different because it’s not psychoactive. Instead, it appears to have certain functional and practical benefits.
While research is ongoing and not conclusive, Healthline points out that CBD has shown some level of positive results in terms of treating certain common issues. These include:
- Pain and inflammation. CBD may help to reduce feelings of pain, as well as reduce inflammation in the body. These benefits can lead to other advantages, such as improving sleep quality by removing disruptions.
- Anxiety and depression. CBD may help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, providing relief for people who experience excess stress in their lives.
CBD is also generally well-tolerated by people who are in good health overall. CBD can have side effects, such as fatigue, but they are relatively minor. However, CBD can interact with certain medications, and it’s possible to have an adverse reaction to it. For that reason, it’s important to discuss CBD use with a healthcare provider before starting to use it.
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Ashwagandha and CBD from Delta 8 Resellers
While we won’t call them the objective best natural stress and anxiety relief options for everyone, ashwagandha and CBD are popular choices for managing and reducing stress. As you seek out options for natural stress relief, consider adding CBD and Ashwagandha to your routine!
