Our Branru Farm philosophy is that less stress is always best. Yet, you can't start to eliminate your stress effectively until you acknowledge it. What better time is there to do that than during April? First of all, it's tax time, which is definitely stressful for some. It's also National Stress Awareness Month. So, let's talk about stress a bit and then discuss some ways you can get some stress relief.
What is Stress?
Stress is a natural response that occurs within your body under certain circumstances. For example, if you are under mental pressure, worried about something big going on in your life, or afraid of something it can trigger
a stress response. Specific situations that might be stressful for you include such things as:
Problems at Work
Going Through a Divorce
Planning to Move to a New Home
Dealing With Illness or a Death in the Family
Some stress is a response to one large event and might be difficult to avoid. For example, it's hard not to feel stressed if you need to give a presentation and have a fear of public speaking. However, a lot of stress is a response to the “daily grind” of life, and much of that can be alleviated. All you have to do is find stress
reduction techniques that work for you, which is where items like our body lotion , goat milk soap , and scented candles can help.
The Negative Impact of Stress
According to the Mayo Clinic , there are several ways stress can negatively impact not only your body and mind, but even those around you. That's because it can also change your behavior. Here are some examples of the common effects of stress as reported by the clinic:
Sadness/Depression
General Fatigue/Tired Feelings
Difficulty Sleeping/Insomnia
Mood Swings
Headaches
Stomach Trouble
Memory Trouble
Stress can also cause the development of bad habits in an effort to make yourself feel better. For example, you might start overeating, smoking, or drinking more alcohol than an average person. Attempting to change your habits for stress relief can be a good thing, but you have to select the right habits.
Bathing to Reduce Stress
One of the best habits you can adopt to relieve stress is bathing, especially at night before bed. A long soak in a hot bath can help all the troubles of the day drift away. Even if you make it a once per week ritual, you may see a drastic change for the better in terms of your general stress levels. While you're at it, whenever you take a hot bath it's a great time to employ other stress relief techniques. One of the best is aromatherapy. You can create a “scent haven” in the bathroom by using products that give off certain scents you find relaxing. One of the best aromatherapy scents is lavender. It can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality , among other things. We produce several lavender scented products for those reasons.
Using Body Lotion on the Go
You can also use aromatherapy on the go to reduce stress. You can't always take a bath anywhere you are at any moment. You also can't always burn candles in certain places. What you can do is use scented body lotion like our Spring Mint lotion to help you lower your stress levels wherever you go. Lotion also has other useful benefits like moisturizing and hydrating your skin.
Meditating, Exercising, or Deep Breathing
Another healthy habit to help you reduce stress is through some type of meditation, deep breathing, or even a regular exercise routine. The first two can help you relax, and general exercise releases endorphins within your body to help you feel happier. Also, exercising regularly can help you use up energy so you sleep better at night. You can use some of our candles and wax melts to add a little aromatherapy to your meditation sessions.
Get in Some Animal Time
Here at Branru Farm we love our animals. Our goats are so much fun to be around! We highly recommend adding some animal time to your own daily life to cut back on your stress. If you are financially stable, consider adopting a pet. If not, you can still get animal time in by volunteering at a local shelter, ranch, or farm. You could also offer to pet sit for friends. Regardless, a friendly animal is bound to make you feel better.