20 Natural Ways to Reduce Worry, Stress and Overthinking

If you’re searching for natural stress reducers, you’re certainly not alone and hopefully knowing that provides a little bit of comfort. Worrying and overthinking is something that a lot of people struggle with. Fortunately, there are ways to find relief naturally, and there are changes you can begin to make in your life right now.

Stress can have a profound effect on you; both physically and mentally. For example:

• - You might feel sore for what seems like no reason. Stress causes muscle tenseness.
• - Stress can cause an increase in your heart rate.
• - A weakened immune system can be attributed to stress.
• - Stress may cause you to become short of breath or breath faster than normal. This is because of how your airway can get constricted.
• - You may notice that you have more headaches than usual.
• - Abdominal or intestinal discomfort because of bloating could be stress-related.

You may also find that you start having problems with sleep, or that you seem to become increasingly more stressed. That’s because you haven’t found a way to deal with it properly. Let’s talk about 20 natural ways that you can reduce stress, ease your worry and stop overthinking.

1. Sleep More

SleepHealth.org reports that 70% of adults state that they get enough sleep at least once a month. 11% of people claim to have sleep problems every single night. Clearly, the U.S. has a problem with sleep, and it is a known contributor to stress.

It can be hard to fall asleep when your mind is spinning because you’re worried, or with thoughts about your day. But because adults are recommended to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night, it’s worth figuring out how to make it happen. You’ll find that better quality (and quantity) sleep can have a profound effect on your stress levels.

If sleep has been alluding you, try these tricks:

• - Take a warm bath or shower.
• - Read a good book.
• - Turn off all screens, including your television.
• - Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bed.
• - Try some deep breathing exercises.

2. Cut Out Your Vices

If you find yourself overthinking everything or worrying all the time, it might be time to take a look at some of your habits. Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine can all contribute to stress. It may not be easy to quit them all together, but you might get some relief if you’re able to at least cut down.

When you drink alcohol excessively, it can act as a depressant. But in moderation, it can be stimulating, which can cause more stress. Both nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, so while people use them to relieve stress and take off the edge, sadly, they’re actually having the opposite effect.

You may be surprised to learn that excessive sugar intake can also lead to stress. If sugar is something you crave, it might be time to switch to healthier snacks and stop the “stress eating” cycle.

3. Talk to a Friend You Trust

Quite often, when people carry a lot of stress, or when they worry a lot, they just need to talk with someone. It can be so helpful to spend time with someone you know and trust. Talking about the issues you’re worried about is therapeutic, and it can help you work through them. Also, your friend may have suggestions for you that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.

Not everyone is comfortable with pouring their hearts and souls out to friends and family. If that’s you, going to therapy might be the best place for you to start. Sometimes it’s helpful to talk with someone who doesn’t know you or your situation. They may be able to help you see things a bit more clearly.

4. Try a Stress-Reducing CBD Oil

Taking CBD oil for stress may help you stop the overthinking and kiss those worries goodbye. Your body is equipped with its own endocannabinoid system, and that system has receptors that help restore balance in the body. CBD works by acting on those receptors, which may produce those calming feelings you’re looking for.

When the brain is overwhelmed by stress, endocannabinoid receptors have a two-way communication system allows for cells to talk to each other and find a way to quiet the mind and achieve balance or a baseline stress level.

At Receptra Naturals, one of our newest products is called Serious Relax + Lavender Tincture (Link Here). It combines CBD with this powerful essential oil, along with passion flower and limonene. With this powerful combination, you may find that your mind stays more balanced.

5. Don’t Procrastinate When You Have Problems

Unfortunately, we often create our own stress due to procrastination. If you’re someone who constantly puts things off that you know you need to do, you could be guilty of this. Once a person starts procrastinating, it can be difficult to stop. You procrastinate because you’re stressed about the task, but putting things off only leads to more stress. The result is a compounded effect that feels like the heaviest of weights.

Taking control of your life and avoiding procrastination could be the key to alleviating your worries. There are rewards that come along with it too! You may find that you spent a lot of time putting things off that really weren’t that difficult after all.

6. Get Enough Exercise

It might seem strange that stressing your body out a little physically could help you worry less, but it’s true! Physical stress has been shown to relieve mental stress, but the benefits are only experienced when you do it regularly.

Exercise lowers the stress hormones in your body. It also helps your body release endorphins, which act as natural painkillers. They also help you feel better emotionally. You may find that you start sleeping better when you exercise; not to mention, it can give you quite a confidence boost too.

7. Consider Starting a Supplement Regimen

There are many supplements on the market that may reduce stress and overthinking. This might be something to consider if you’re finding it hard to escape your worrying thoughts.

These are some great options:

• - Omega-3 Fatty Acids – In one study, students who supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids experienced stress reduction by 20%.
• - Green Tea – This has been shown to have many health benefits. It may help your stress levels because it increases your serotonin.
• - Valerian Root – This herb may help with stress during the day, and you can also take it at night to help you sleep better. It has a tranquilizing effect on the body.
• - Lavender – This essential oil has been shown to be very calming. It may help you relax both your mind and your body.
• - Passionflower – Passionflower has sedative effects, so you may want to wait until bedtime to take it. But it may work for you all day long, and you may even find that it improves your memory.

8. Organize Your Space

It’s not surprising that people who are frequently stressed out are often very disorganized. You may think that you know where everything is, but spending time in cluttered spaces is only contributing to your stress levels.

Take a moment and look at the places where you spend most of your time. Is your desk at work always messy? That could be causing you to have a hard time focusing and restrict your productivity on the job. Is it hard for you to fall asleep at night? If your bedroom is messy, this can impact your sleep schedule, which impacts your stress levels.

It might take a little time for you to get organized, but it will be time well spent.

9. Learn How to Better Manage Your Time

It could be that your to-do list is stressing you out, and that would be understandable. A lot of people have a hard time managing their time. Do you feel overworked? Do you feel like there are never enough hours in the day? Better time management skills might be just what you need.

First things first – please know that you are only one person. If you overschedule yourself or expect too much from yourself, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Take a real, honest look at what you can get done in a day and focus on only those things. It can be freeing when you set realistic expectations, and much less stressful.

10. Try a Relaxation Technique

It may help for you to set aside some time to try some relaxation techniques to help manage your stress. There are many of them, so try a few and find out what works best for you.

Self-hypnosis is one option that you might find to be helpful, even though it may sound strange. Some people like to recite affirmations to themselves every morning before going to work. Even taking just 10 minutes to clear your mind and do some deep breathing exercises, could be beneficial.

11. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy works by activating the smell receptors in your nose. Their job is to carry messages through your nervous system to your brain. When you use certain types of oils for aromatherapy, they activate the parts of the brain that deal with your emotions.

Essential oils like lavender, chamomile and Ylang-Ylang may impact your hypothalamus, which releases serotonin. Higher serotonin levels will lift your spirits and may reduce your stress levels.

12. Start Saying "No

This is a tough one because in our culture, saying yes sounds better than saying no. But the reality is that you probably have too much on your plate. You may not have enough time to do everything you’ve committed to doing, which is not a good way to alleviate stress.

It can be hard at first to say no; especially because the people in your life are used to you saying yes. But trust us, you’ll be better for it. Saying no can act as an instant stress reducer, and it becomes easier the longer you do it.

13. Chew Some Gum

If you’re not a gum chewer and you battle a lot of stress and worry in your life, now might be the time to start. It’s something small that you can do almost anywhere, and no one will even know you’re chewing it because you’re stressed out.

One study showed that when people chewed gum, it resulted in lower stress levels and more happiness. This may be because chewing gum produces relaxing brain waves. It also helps the blood flow more freely to your brain. Whether or not it works for you, it is probably worth a shot.

14. Try Journaling

Journaling can be incredibly helpful at allowing you to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the paper. It can be a very effective stress management tool as long as it is used the right way.

While it’s important to journal about the good things that are happening in your life, write about the overwhelming parts too. As you write, you may find yourself looking at your problems in a different light. Keeping your journal private may help you be more honest as you write.

15. Make Time For Yourself

This one can also be hard, but it is so important to carve out some time for yourself every week. You need that time to de-stress and let go of the worries that have weighed you down all week long. This is a time for you to do whatever you want to do. For example, you could:

• - Make an appointment for a spa day.
• - Go on a hike.
• - Go shopping (within your budget).
• - Volunteer at a local animal shelter.
• - Hit the gym.

We’re often not trained to make ourselves a priority, but doing so can be a great stress reducer. It may help you clear your mind and get ready for what lies in the week ahead.

16. Start Doing Yoga

Yoga is a very popular natural option for stress relief, and anyone of any age can do it. The goal of Yoga is to join your body with your mind, and this is done by making you more aware of your body and your breath.

Yoga has been shown to have a profound effect on mental health. It may drastically improve your mood and it even acts as a natural antidepressant.

You can practice yoga right at home if you have enough space. Or, you might want to consider joining a local class at a gym near you. If you want to stop, drop and yoga right now, there are countless youtube videos and apps to give you guidance. If you are worried about flexibility and balance, rest assured that yoga is for everyone.

17. Get a Massage – Regularly, if Needed!

Have you ever walked out of a massage feeling stressed? Not likely. Most people view getting a massage as something they only do on special occasions. You might get one every year as a gift, for instance, but getting one more often can dramatically reduce your stress levels.

Massage has been used as a natural stress reducer for thousands of years. Today, it can be used as a tool to relax your tense muscles and improve your circulation. It can also reduce pain, which is important if you’re concerned about stress.

18. Laugh!

It seems so simple, but laughter is something that most people don’t get nearly enough of during the course of their day. It truly is the best medicine because it’s nearly impossible to be stressed out when you’re laughing. It has been shown to relieve your body’s stress response, and it also helps with tension because it relaxes your muscles.

The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or worried, try watching a funny television show or movie. Spend time with people who make you laugh and make you feel good about yourself. You might discover that your long-lost funny bone was really there all along.

19. Try Meditation or Praying

Meditation and prayer have been shown to calm down your mind and help you focus on what truly matters in your life. You should only need to carve out about 15 minutes each day, but they will be minutes that are well spent.

When you meditate, try to clear your mind and reduce any distractions that might be around you. Focus on your breathing as you let your thoughts roam free. You may find an incredible level of peace in those moments; more than ever before.

20. Re-evaluate Your Diet

If you typically eat a lot of junk food or processed food, it could be causing your stress to be higher than normal. Those types of foods have been proven to lead to depression, which contributes to worry and stress. It’s best for you to choose healthier options that help you feel better overall.

When your diet is more balanced, you’ll find that you have more energy to tackle the challenges of each day. Also, your mind will be more settled and focused, so the things that usually stress you out might not as much.

Reduce Your Stress, Worry and Overthinking and You Could Change Your Life

At Receptra Naturals, our goal is to help you live your best life. No one wants to constantly deal with stress and worry. Overthinking too much can ruin even the brightest of days. Our hemp oil, Serious Relax + Lavender Tincture could be the answer you need to reduce stress. Can you imagine a life in which you’re more focused and calm? It’s possible!

Do you have questions about CBD oil for stress? We’re here to help. Contact us or check out our shop to learn more.