Stress is the reaction of our body to something that upsets the normal balance in our life. Women are easily stressed and all women have stress. A corporate woman can be stressed with her work. A busy mom is stressed sometimes with her kids and all the work that she has to do at home. When you feel stressed, you should find ways to reduce the tension and find time to relax for yourself. Reducing stress reduces your risk for all chronic diseases including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and certain types of cancer. Untreated stress also leads to depression, anxiety, headaches, and many other health-related complaints. Reducing stress is important in improving your overall health.

Ways to Reduce Stress

There are many simple and inexpensive ways in which a woman can reduce stress on her own. Here are some effective ways in which you can reduce stress:

* Live a healthy life. Cut off or reduce your alcohol intake and quit smoking as they can hide the symptoms of depression and they rarely resolve the problem.  They only can make the situation worse. Avoid taking in too much caffeine. Eat a balanced diet which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Maintaining a fit body gives you the energy you need to fight off stress.

* Exercise and go outdoors whenever possible. Commit yourself to having a walk each day as a form of exercise. If you want, you can join a health club. Spending time with nature can help you unwind and enhance your outlook towards life. This could help you improve your attitude and soon the stress that you feel may be trivial.

* Try aromatherapy. This process can help you alleviate your stress. Try putting five or six drops of lavender oil in a warm bath or try using healing flavors of tea like chamomile, passionflower, valerian and ginseng.

* Give yourself time to enjoy life and have fun. Be creative and learn to express yourself and give yourself the freedom that you want. Just allow yourself to relax and enjoy the moment.

* Be assertive and not aggressive. Learn when to say “no.” We always feel that we must respond in a positive way when someone asks us a favor but there are some instances when the favor becomes a burden to us. When that time comes, think it over and say no.

* When you are in an unpleasant situation, remember to take a deep breath and count to 10 before you say and do anything else. The pause acts as a tranquilizer that produces a calming effect. The pause also allows you to take time to evaluate the situation and think of a solution before doing some regrettable actions on impulse.

There are many other ways in which you can beat stress. If these suggestions fail and you still have a lingering stress for two weeks or more, you should try talking to your physician.