Stressors are one of the biggest hiccups people have, knowing that not all stressors result from a bad situation is a tangible knowledge. However, most stressors are as a result of our day to day life. As humans living in the 21st century who must work, especially in a metropolitan city known for its typical hustle and bustle life which is stressful itself. Commuting, traffic, noise, pollution and more. But most times this doesn’t come close to stress experienced while working. Be it a career job or your business, it is always tasking.
Anxiety and depression are two illnesses that could cause or aggravate themselves. Half of the people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder also suffer from depression. Statistics showed that about 40 million Americans, aged 18 and above suffer from anxiety yearly. Depression has also been discovered to be the leading cause of mental health disorders worldwide. So clearly finding a solution to this havoc is quite important.
Most people face pressure from their workplace, the pressure to meet up with deadlines, deliver quality and on-time work, for business people the pressure of bidding and winning contracts and many more. If this pressure isn’t well managed it becomes stressful and could result in anxiety and in some cases depression. So how do we handle anxiety and depression? Some years ago, we would have readily said see your doctor and get drugs. But with the series of side effects these drugs have, one would be persuaded to take a different approach.
In this case, holistic health care. Holistic health or alternative medicine has been used in recent times to alleviate anxiety and depression with a high success rate. Because holistic health uses more natural products they tend to have little or no side effects as seen with orthodox medicine. So in the face of daunting tasks and work situations how do you keep your calm and deliver awesome results, while still reducing anxiety? Let’s delve in.
Aromatherapy
Over time, research has revealed the power of scents and their equivalent effect on the mood or feelings of people. Take for instance you passed by sewage or a dumpsite how do you react? Pleasantly surprised? Of course not, you cringe, frown, and even pace up. What of when you inhale fine spices, fragrance or you walk into a well ventilated and sprayed room, you are more relaxed, calm, and it even improves your mood. That’s how aromatherapy works. It is the use of scents, fragrances, and essential oil to improve mood and general well-being.
For so many people stress and anxiety does often result in physical pain, the essential oil used in aromatherapy such as peppermint, lavender, chamomile and more do not only help you feel good but also eliminate pain. Interestingly, you can simulate this in your workspace or environment by just taking out a few minutes off work, deliberately trying to calm down and apply some essential oils and exposing yourself to amazing fragrances. It would do you a world of good. Or you can find experts who would expose you to the finest of the environment and treat you to an awesome session of the finest fragrance and essential oil tailored to your needs.
Massage Therapy
This is another proven way to reduce anxiety and any sign of depression. So when feeling overwhelmed and getting all zapped up at work, an evening with the masseuse could be all you need to feel alive again and probably even get your creative juice flowing again. Massage therapy helps manipulate your tissues and muscles thus relaxing them and helping you feel better as an individual. Most times essential oil and fragrance are also used to enhance your mood. And once you’re better physiologically it definitely affects your psyche thus alleviating anxiety, stress, and depression.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that is categorized as physical, spiritual, and mental. Physical in that it includes some bodily exercises that have been proven to increase flexibility, muscle strength, respiration, energy, and vitality. The mental and spiritual part is the meditation that helps reduce stress, anxiety, depression, helps the mind focus, and improve well-being. Yoga is very impactful and can be highly invaluable for people who experience high stressors in their day to day life.
It helps them practice mindful meditation which has been proven to drastically reduce stress and anxiety. Meditation helps slow down the thought process and helps the mind think clear, concise, and precise thought. Yoga’s focus on deep breathing and mindfulness helps reduce stress and anxiety as it helps you think better by focusing your energy on brainstorming up solutions rather than focusing on the problems. Hence, minutes of yoga can help keep anxiety and depression at bay during a hectic week.
CBD (Cannabinoid)
They say save the best for last right? We sure did. Why is it the best? It can be used right there in your place of work, you get an almost instantaneous impact and you can get back to work feeling better and thoroughly refreshed. CBD is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant especially the hemp. It has medicinal benefits and is not psychoactive like its close relative THC. CBD can be extracted from the plant, processed and used in different forms, oil, edible and plant form. CBD oil is the most used medical marijuana for depression and anxiety.
CBD reacts with the endocannabinoid receptors in the brain and helps the brain release helpful hormones like serotonin that help alleviate anxiety and depression by improving the mood. CBD helps treat all types of anxiety from generalized anxiety disorder to social anxiety disorder, PTSD, and many more.
There are other alternatives such as Red Maeng Da Kratom that are available for treating depression and anxiety, but similar to CBD, depending on where you live there may be limitations to how you use it, so make sure you check with your local authorities if you choose this route.