We live in an increasingly stressful world. Stress and anxiety can cause many different health issues including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. It can also cause physical tension: when the body is stressed, muscles tense up which can lead to chronic pain.

 5 easy ways to banish tension from your body

1.  Meditate and breathe

Research shows that just a few minutes spent each day practicing meditation and breathing exercises will substantially reduce stress levels. Sue Thomas explains how to find that inner calm with meditation and our visualisations (see right-hand side menu when viewing the article) will help you relax, breathe and meditate.

2.  Get the right amount of sleep

It is important to get enough sleep, which for most people is between 7 and 8 hours per night, but is equally important to ensure quality sleep. Find out how sleep affects your health and ways to improve your sleep here.

3.  Eat the right foods

When we are stressed we tend to want to snack and eat comfort foods which can start a vicious circle as bad nutrition exacerbates stress and tension. Follow a mediterranean diet as much as possible with a variety of different coloured fruit and veg. Here are some of the best foods to help with stress:

Asparagus is high in folic acid which can help relieve depression.

Avocado is rich in B vitamins which are essential  for healthy nerve and brain cells

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and are a great source of Vitamin C

Spinach is packed with magnesium to help regulate cortisol levels and is an excellent source of fibre to help minimise hunger.

Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring are high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and a good source of vitamin D.

4.  Supplement with green tea and CBD oil

If you relax your mind, you will help relax the tension in your body. The antioxidants in a cup of green tea calm your nervous system. Similarly, you can leverage the calming and muscle relaxing properties of CBD oils. Choose the right quality and correct dose for yourself and ensure you use a supplier of quality oils such as CBD Oils UK so that your body muscles and mind relax without leaving any side-effects.

5.  Exercise

Working out in any form is great for your body and mind. To relieve stress, focus on gentle workouts rather than intense body building sessions at the gym. You can simply have 15 minutes of stretching different body parts, yoga, tai chi or even a walk around the block!  Don’t avoid exercise because you think it will take up too much of your time. Do a little, but stay consistent. A regular workout habit is a great remedy to avoid tension in your body.