There's a whole article on it here on stress.
articles.grandmasherbs.com/articles/Natu...-and-stress-188.html
I'm just posting some of the suggested aides, and although it's been discussed before, if anyone would like to add natural methods of combating it, that would be good.
Natural remedies and supplements:
Natural remedies can help to support the nervous system and to keep nerves settled and soothed. Herbs and vitamins are a great tool. They can feed and strengthen the weakened resources that stress and anxiety can create. Herbal supplements can enable us to cope more easily with the everyday stresses of our modern lives. In fact, natural remedies have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years to treat nervousness, muscle tension, chronic headaches, mood swings, blood pressure, heart issues and libido for both men and women. All of these issues are symptoms that one might experience with unhealthy, uncontrolled stress or anxiety. In more recent times, research has confirmed the traditional wisdom and the healing properties that natural herbal remedies possess. There are many published clinical studies demonstrating the ability of herbs and vitamins that assist in dealing with stress, anxiety and a number of the symptoms that accompany those issues. When you’re experiencing the physical symptoms of anxiety; nervous tension, upset stomach, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and headaches, to name a few, there are herbs and vitamins that can help reduce the effects of those symptoms and lessen mild to moderate anxiety. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a supplement to help you relax or whether you have been dealing with long-term life stress there are herbs, vitamins and herbal formulas that are designed to help. Here is a short list of herbs, vitamins and minerals that have worked wonders for those who are in distress:
Valerian Root (Valerina Officinalis), Contained in NaturAll Calm
Valerian Root works as a mild sedative. Research has shown that Valerian Root helps to calm the nerves, reduce the effects of anxiety, and provide better control of the fight-or-flight response to stress. It is also used as a natural sleep aid, alleviating sleep difficulty due to anxiety.
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum: Hyperici herba), Contained in NaturAll Calm
St. John's Wort is a plant the leaf and flower of which have been used medicinally for centuries to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions
St John’s Wort has traditionally been used in Asia and Europe to support your body in fighting depression. Other historical uses include nervous conditions such as anxiety, sleep disorders, inflammation and bacterial infections. St Johns wort side effects are very minimal.
An analysis of 23 clinical studies involving a total of 1757 patients concluded that St. John's Wort is significantly more effective than placebo and as effective as standard antidepressant medications in the treatment of mild or moderate depression. (Linde, et al. 1996).
A new study on treatments for depression found that St. John's Wort outperformed the #1 selling antidepressant drug, Paxil. The researchers treated 251 patients with major depression with either a standard dose of the St. John's Wort extract (900 milligrams a day) or the antidepressant Paxil (20 milligrams a day).
Dosages of their treatment were increased in patients that did not show improvements. Neither the patients nor their physicians knew which treatment was being given.
At the end of six weeks, 71% of the patients taking St. John's Wort and 60% of those taking Paxil had responded to treatment, meaning that they showed measurable improvement. For St. John's Wort- treated patients, 50% were free of depression symptoms as opposed to 35% of the Paxil- treated patients.
The findings are published in the latest online edition of the British Medical Journal.
Passion Flower ( Passiflora Incarnata), Contained in NaturAll Calm
Passion flower is a natural sedative and anxiolytic. This means that it works to calm the nerves and soothe tension caused by stress and anxiety. It takes action in the Central Nervous System (CNS), reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety and greatly improving mood.
Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita), Contained in NaturAll Calm
Chamomile is best known for calming anxious and hyperactive children, and it is often used in teas designed to reduce sleep difficulty. This popular herb encourages relaxation and soothes nervous tension. It can also alleviate some of the physical side effects of long-term anxiety such as upset stomach, digestive problems, and restlessness.
Kava kava (Piper methysticum)
The active ingredients in kava kava have a calming, sedative effect. They also appear to relax the muscles, relieve spasms, and prevent convulsions. Kava is very useful for relieving anxiety and the symptoms associated with it, such as nervousness, restlessness, and dizziness. Kava may be used as an alternative to prescription anti-anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants. Kava can be used alone, or with St. John's wort, ginkgo biloba, or 5-HTP to relieve anxiety in those with mild to moderate depression.
Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis)
Lemon balm can help to reduce heart palpitations, lower blood pressure, and alleviate headaches. It can also reduce feelings of nervous tension and anxiety-related intestinal problems, nausea, and muscle spasms.
Calcium
The result of a mild calcium deficiency over the long term may be thinning bones (osteoporosis) or the softening of bony tissue (osteomalacia). Recent research points to calcium deficiency as being a possible cause of hypertension (high blood pressure) and of colon cancer. Severe calcium deficiency can cause sensations of numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips and painful aches and spasms of the muscles. Calcium is used in almost every function in our body including nerve functions. Calcium uptake is so important during stressful events. It can help to maintain clear communication in the nervous system.
Magnesium
In the International Medicine World Report in 1992, it is stated that; “An estimated that 80 percent of the population is deficient in magnesium. Sherry Rogers, M.D., went on to say that magnesium deficiency is prevalent in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, agitation and panic attacks. Magnesium and stress are closely linked. When a person is stressed he or she will use the magnesium in their system to counteract stress. When magnesium levels are low, the nervous system gets out of balance. The nervous system sends information to the muscles through neural transmitters. The muscles receive the information and then grow tight. Tight muscles are a sign of stress but also add to the mental stress. Magnesium can actually counteract stress. Since magnesium and stress are so closely linked it stands to reason that supplementing with magnesium during stressful events can help us to cope with the stress. At the same time, any stress, whether mental or physical, will deplete magnesium. Magnesium gained its name as nature's anti-stress mineral due to its helpfulness in combating internal stress and in the restoration of inner balance.
Vitamin B Complex
The B-Vitamin Family is a group of vitamins that all help with energy level and mood balance. They strengthen the body against stress and support healthy nervous system function, aiding in the fight against both anxiety and depression.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral. That means that the body cannot produce it. The only way to receive zinc is with foods rich in zinc or a supplement. Zinc has been found to promote proper function of the nervous system and induce a state of calm. The health benefits of Zinc include proper functioning of immune system, digestion, pancreatic function, improves stress level, energy metabolism, acne and wounds healing. Zinc is also an important supplement for pregnancy, hair care, eczema, weight loss, night blindness and eye care.
Supplementing a healthy diet with these herbs and vitamins, getting plenty of rest, cutting back on stimulants such as caffeine, participating in regular physical activity, and changing our perspective or the way we react to stressful situations. Speak with our healthcare provider before beginning use of any herbal supplement if you plan on using these herbs and vitamins in conjunction with prescription medication. Remember whatever path we choose toward anxiety treatment—there is help and we are in charge.
Other remedies and therapies:
Meditation
Meditation is a form of guided thought. It can be performed almost anywhere that you are comfortable. You can meditate while you exercise. Some exercises lend themselves to meditation usually they are exercises that use the same motions over and over like yoga, tai chi, stretching, walking or swimming, jogging or biking. You can meditate while practicing relaxation training or deep breathing exercises, you can also meditate in a quiet dimly lit room. For all of you that want the pure experience of meditating there is a meditation exercise that really works. It is especially good with people that are new to meditation. It is meditation using visualization. This is a simple visualization that helps you to reduce tension, stress and anxiety. It is totally suitable for meditation new comers. There is a rule or two. First, be patient with yourself. As you gain experience with meditation it will become more and more effective and beneficial to your health and well being. With experience and practice you will find that you are able to cleanse your mind of the toxic outer world and focus on your needs. Second learn to adapt to your style. Everyone reading this article are individuals. Every individual has a different set of stressors, a different level of tolerances and a different use of time so needless to say that what works for one will not necessarily work for all…
Below are the basic steps to the visualization techniques:
· Sit down, close your eyes, and direct your attention to your breathing.
· Be aware of every breath in and every breath out.
· Let your breathing become completely natural don’t force the rhythm.
· Observe how the air slowly goes in through your nose, fills up your lungs, and goes out again.
· With every breath in, feel the positive energy entering your body through your nose and lungs.
· With every breath out, feel all negative feelings, tension, stress and anxiety escape from your body.
· As you become more and more relaxed, choose an image, a situation, or an environment that feels restful, peaceful, and calm to you.
· Explore the situation or environment, in your imagination, and enjoy every moment in those surroundings.
· Try to involve all your senses. What are the smells, tastes, looks, and feelings that create the soft smile on your lips?
· Focus on this image and hold it in your mind.
· Enjoy this moment in all its details and pay attention to all the emotions that accompany it.
· Feel the tingling in your body, feel your muscles relaxing, and notice your body reacting directly to everything that you created in your mind
· Continue this Visualization for as long as you like.
· Any time you are ready to stop, take your attention back to the rest of your body and become aware of yourself being in the room.
· Open your eyes.
· You’re done!
Relaxation Training
Relaxation training is a more physical way to relieve stress and anxiety. It differs from meditation because it involves flexing and releasing different muscles instead of working mostly in your mind. Relaxation training is really pretty simple but simple can be very effective. Relaxation training was developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson in the early 1920s. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a popular relaxation training technique for anxiety that works on several basic principles: Anxiety is often accompanied by muscle tension, so by reducing muscle tension, you can reduce anxiety.
What PMR involves: This relaxation training technique for anxiety requires deep concentration in a relaxed setting. Mentally focus on distinct muscles, muscle groups or body parts and systematically attempt to flex and then relax each muscle, group of muscles or body part one by one. The process is sees so simple and yet it is one of the highest in recommended self guided distressing techniques today among therapists.
Stretching
Stretching can also help relieve tension. Often times stress will show up as muscle tension. One of the most common groups of muscles to be affected it the neck and shoulders. Some simple stretching exercises that focus on those groups can aid in the release of those tensions and anxieties. Again the exercises are simple but effective. All you have to do is roll your head in a gentle circle clockwise for a minute or so the reverse the motion and roll your head in a counter clockwise motion. This is NOT a fast exercise. It should be slow and methodic. You should close your eyes and focus on lightly stretching each muscle in your neck and shoulders. Next you should reach toward the ceiling with both of your hands and bend side to side slowly. Finally you can stretch or isolate your shoulders by doing a slow front swimming stroke one arm at a time on each side then repeat that using a back stroke.
You can use any or all of these techniques to help alleviate the tension that stress and anxiety create. Some of these things can be used in combination with each other. The key is to use them on a consistent basis. All of these exercises have been proven to relieve tension and stress. They are all designed to benefit those who suffer from being over-stressed in their personal or occupational lives.
ppl left me alone if i said i was meditating 
im sry i dnt mean to laugh... but im not goin out 4 the olympics n runnin a 5k...i stretch, either the kid the dog the cat or all 3 jump on me...its like askin to b tackled 
that looks better then wat i got... mine looks like catnip compared to that ^
or they were kiled off by a moron
