I’ve been using alternative therapies to reduce financial stress for a very long time now.
I get acupuncture every week, go to yoga, get reflexology and massages twice a month and I can truly say the difference is obvious to everyone around me.
People associate alternative therapies with hippies, tree huggers, new-age thinkers; others even claim that alternative healing goes against science and western medicine.
My only rule is: if it works for me, then I’m in favour of it.
Alternative therapies focus on the relationship between mind, body and spirit and encompass everything from yoga to herbs.
Here are some awesome alternative therapies I recommend:
1. Meditation
Many people have a vision of meditation as something that monks or the truly enlightened do.
But meditation isn't that hectic – it’s about focusing on your breathing and observing your thoughts and your breath.
It was started in India as a tool to help people become enlightened but it can also help you clear your mind and relax your body, which helps you reduce stress.
2. Balance your energy with ACUPUNCTURE
I’m a huge fan of acupuncture, because it requires no pills and can be done on a regular basis and I have found that it makes me happy.
According to Chinese Medicine negative emotions can impact the flow of energy in our bodies.
Stress and anxiety can stop the flow of energy in various parts of the body and when this energy stops, we experience tension and pain in the body.
Acupuncture unblocks this stuck energy and allows energy to start flowing again.
Research has found that acupuncture releases endorphins (hormones for happiness) and increases blood circulation, which reduces cortisol (stress hormones).
3. Understand the cause of your stress by using EFT Tapping
EFT tapping has been around since the 1980s and is used to clear limiting beliefs and emotions that cause us to remain stuck.
But beyond that EFT can help you understand the cause of your stress and can help you clear this cause.
Studies have shown that EFT can reduce anxiety, depression and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
4. Learn to breathe
Yeah, I know. You already know how to breathe or else you’d be dead.
But here’s something I didn’t know until I started meditating and focusing on my body: when you’re stressed or experiencing a negative emotion your breathing pattern changes.
When you’re stressed, you take shallower breaths and you breathe faster. You don’t use your diaphragm to take in breath.
Shallow breathing releases less stress toxins from your body.
One of the best ways to relieve stress is to breathe in the positive and breathe out the negative.
Breathing is something we have to do to live but specific breathing exercises such as pranayama, yoga and tai chi can help calm us down and give us insight on the way our minds work.
If you've a bad day and feel tension, the simplest thing is to take deep breaths in and out to calm your mind.
Once your mind is calm take stock of the situation - accept the positive experiences and don’t let the negative ones go.
Take note of what you did wrong and resolve to be better the next time around but don’t hold onto the story.
What alternative therapies have you tried for stress relieve?
What was the result?
Let me know in the comments section below.
