Stress affects everybody from time to time, but taking steps to relax is vital for your physical and mental wellbeing. Ahead of Stress Awareness Day, November 6, some wellbeing experts share their personal anxiety-busting tips.

By Abi Jackson


:: Annie Aulds, wellbeing expert and holistic therapist (www.wisteriaholistichealth.co.uk)

"People tend to deal with stress in different ways, so it's important to find what works for you. For me, stress subsides the moment I walk in the countryside. The combination of exercise, the peaceful opportunity to relax and reflect, and being surrounded by the fresh smells, intense colours and effortless beauty is a certain remedy for me."


:: Marisa Peer, best-selling author, behavioural expert and 'Britain's best therapist' (www.marisapeer.com)

"One of my favourite instant stress relievers is to think of a song that you love and hum it to yourself, like Feeling Good or Simply The Best! If you're about to go into a meeting and you hum particular lyrics to a song, it changes your mental state immediately. If you just had a row with your husband or your kids are stressing you out, singing a happy song works because your mind can't hold conflicting emotions.

Also, smells are incredibly relaxing because smell is linked to regression more than anything else - for example, rubbing coconut oil in your hands will remind you of being on a beach. Burning lavender is very relaxing, and putting some lavender on your pillow helps you sleep."


:: Steve Tromans, hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner (www.justbewell.com)

"For me, THE best fast way of becoming more relaxed and centred is to spend 10 minutes a day doing nothing... Well, I say nothing but actually I mean sitting down in a chair with my back supported and feet on the floor, and resting my hands on my abdomen. Then I breathe slowly and easily, proper abdominal breaths, and I imagine two things; firstly, a healing warmth spreading through my abdomen and into my whole body, slowly, like ink through blotting paper. I then alternate that with the visualisation of a clear soft blue healing light travelling in through my mouth and down through my entire digestive system. When thoughts come, I acknowledge them and then bring my awareness back to the healing warmth."


:: Kam Birdee, wellbeing consultant (www.kambirdee.com)

"To help de-stress, I take a step back from the situation and focus on my breathing. This helps me to get out of my head (and any self-talk which may be going on) and come back into my heart centre. I also go for a walk in nature to unwind and get a change of scenery, as connecting with the Earth reminds me of the bigger picture and trivial things just fade away."


:: Andrew Barton, celebrity hairdresser (www.andrewbarton.tv)

"Juggling my work between glamorous photo shoots around the world and tending to clients at my flagship Covent Garden salon is a balancing act. I combat stress with regular daily exercise, swimming, running, yoga and weight training. It's often an effort to get up early and exercise, but I know the benefits far outweigh the extra time in bed."


:: Dr Sarah Brewer, author of The Essential Guide To Vitamins, Minerals And Herbal Supplements (RightWay, £9.99)

"Rhodiola rosea is one of the best traditional herbal medicines for stress. It increases resistance to a variety of physical and emotional stresses and, as it's also energising, is particularly helpful when burn-out leads to fatigue, reduced work performance, sleep difficulties, poor appetite, irritability and headaches. It can improve alertness, concentration, memory and stamina as well as sleep quality. Also, I combat stress by going on-line and playing Scrabble at www.isc.ro! I love getting lost in word games."


:: Robert Hobson, head of nutrition website Healthspan (www.healthspan.co.uk)

"We all have busy lives that can get really stressful at times. Sometimes, I find dropping off to sleep impossible due to over-thinking about work, but cooking delicious, nourishing food helps. Nothing beats a nurturing bowl of chicken stew with a big dollop of creamy mash. It doesn't only taste great, but the amino acid, tryptophan, in the meat works with the high GI carb in the potato to produce serotonin in the brain, which helps calm and relax you. Team with a hot bath for maximum effect!"


:: Dr Uchenna Okoye, celebrity dentist (www.londonsmiling.com)

"If you grind your teeth due to stress, have a bite splint made by your dentist. It's a precision-made piece of plastic designed to create a stable bite for grinders. There's been a huge increase of these in my practice recently, because of everyone worrying about recession fears. You wear the splint at night and it helps the muscles relax, as plastic is softer than teeth. It's really good if you suffer from migraines too. Personally, I have a Thai massage once a week; 90 minutes of someone walking over your back does not sound relaxing, but the effect afterwards is heavenly!"


:: Anna Magee, Healthista editor and co-author of The De-Stress Diet: The Revolutionary Lifestyle Plan For A Calmer, Slimmer You (Hay House, £12.99) (www.healthista.com)

"Classical music has been shown to have an emotionally uplifting effect. In fact, one experiment took subjects and played them Pachelbel's Canon in D Major three times. The result? Stress-induced anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure all significantly decreased. Experts say that rather than having this music on in the background, taking five minutes a couple of times a day - or whenever you feel stressed - to close your eyes and immerse yourself in the sound has the most reviving effect.

There's also no better soother than made-from-scratch chicken soup. Nutritional therapist Charlotte Watts suggested this, as it's full of B-vitamins which are the nutrients we lose when we're stressed (not replacing them can lead to cravings for instant sugar hits like chocolate).

Lastly, I love a salts bath for the deep and instant relaxation coming from the magnesium in the salts (you can get a tub of it for a fiver at the chemist). Lusciously relaxing."


Tried and tested

Abi Jackson sits on a new concept for improving posture


What it is?

BackJoy Posture+ is a soft, rubbery moulded seat cover that you put on top of any chair. It's lightweight, weather-proof, supports bodyweights of up to 21 stone and is designed to help improve your posture and reduce back pain by encouraging you to sit in a proper position, rather than slumping and slouching.


What's it like?

My first thoughts when seeing it is that it's going to be very wobbly and unstable and I fear I may topple off my chair. That's not the case at all though. It's completely stable and very soft and comfortable - in fact, I soon forget I'm even sitting on it. The mechanics are very subtle; it doesn't feel like an extra effort, but I am aware I'm holding my posture more throughout the day. It encourages you to stay upright and not slump the lower back, and I found myself getting up from the desk for a quick stroll when my back became tired, rather than slouching in the chair. It's small and light so would be easily transportable. For me, it's going to be the new office staple.


::Information

BackJoy Posture+ costs £34.95 from www.backjoyeurope.com

 

:: Stress Awareness Day is Wednesday, November 6