For Busy People on the Go: Relieve Stress Fast with Portable Stress Relieving Kits

Stress is an almost unavoidable part of modern life. It is so common, in fact, that many of us don't even know we're under stress but its effects eventually show up in our ability to perform our jobs, maintain our health and preserve our relationships. Wouldn't it be great if there was an easily-accessible way or, better yet, a number of ways that you could quickly and easily take a stress break?

Since most of us don't have the wherewithal to keep a professional massage therapist at our beck and call, here are six relatively inexpensive and easily-transportable ways to de-stress and get some peace of mind when you're frazzled.

Deep Breathing: Most people breathe very shallowly. Shallow breathing is a common, unconscious response to stress. Stopping what you're doing and just taking ten deep, measured breathes can do wonders to calm you down.

Music: Stock your car and your MP3 player with soft music. Stick with New Age, Soft Jazz or soft classical tones and stay away from hard rock, dance music and hip-hop. Also, listen to recorded music or subscribe to a satellite radio service to avoid the jarring, rapid-fire pace of most commercials.

Calming herbs: Bach Flower Remedies , available at most health food stores, work well to help reduce stress and come in small bottles that are easily carried in your pocket or purse. Most herbal remedies are very subtle in their effects but they seldom if ever have the often nasty side effects of prescription drugs and, they're usually much cheaper!

Aromatherapy: Inhaling the vapors of essential oils made from essences of various herbs, spices and flowers, such as lavender. You can apply the oil lightly under your nose or onto a tissue for inhaling. Our sense of smell is tied strongly to our emotions. Inhaling the vapors of essential oils can have a powerfully calming effect on your mood.

Food and Drink: Minimize or even eliminate your intake of caffeine. Try drinking herbal tea instead, such as chamomile. Instant soups can be very soothing as well. Both items are easy to carry and can be ready very quickly to help you take the edge off your day. EFT: Emotional Freedom Technique . This method is rapidly growing in popularity and can be learned in about ten minutes. It utilizes "tapping" of certain points on the body while repeating a problem statement. Although there is little science to support its efficacy, anyone who has used it often enough will tell you it works.

So, whenever life throws you a curve or you've reached the point of emotional and/or physical overwhelm, take a break! Breathe deeply, inhale some essential oil, take a few drops of a Bach Flower Remedy, listen to Enya or some other calming music and relax. Your heart, your nerves and your friends, family and coworkers will all be thankful!

Sources:

*Enya - New Age Music, Enya.com

*Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), EMOFree.com

*Bach Flower Remedies , BachFlower.com