In today’s society, people everywhere are being plagued by stress.  From hectic work schedules, lack of nutrient enriched diets, not drinking enough water, a lack of sleep, and the pressures of juggling family, life, and work stress and stress related illnesses are prevalent.

Studies have proven just how serious stress is to the human body and how it is the cause of many diseases.  One of the leading causes of heart ailments is stress and those who have suffered heart attacks are instructed to remove stress from their lives and to live a “quieter and more peaceful&r dquo; existence.

For many people, however, this advice is often trickier to obtain than it seems.  Removing stress sometimes requires a lot of hard work, which may be stress causing in itself.  Sometimes life just doesn’t offer us the benefit of removing all stress factors.  If you have a co-worker or boss that is causing stress, you may feel that changing jobs would be the solution to the problem, but not everyone is afforded the luxury of “changing jobs” at whim.

Sometimes tragedies such as divorce can be the trigger of deep-rooted stress, and there is no way to remove the stress without going through a process of grief and emotional and spiritual healing.  However, we are not destined to be turned over to these causes of stress and its effects without a way of escape.  There are many steps that one can take to lessen the effects of stress in their lives and to regain a sense of control and strength while restoring peace and tranquility.

 Some of the basic ways to lessen the effects of stress is to make sure that you are eating a well balanced diet and abstaining from heavily processed, and overly sweetened foods.  These “Comfort Foods” such as chocolate, candy, and fried greasy meals may bring temporary satisfaction, but will load the body down with waste and defeat the purpose of health and healing by bringing stress to the body from the inside out.  Now the body is suffering from external and internal stress.  This is a time to think of cleansing the body, nourish yourself with plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and drink plenty of water.  By boosting your immune system you can rest assured that you will be able to deal with the stress (and its root cause) with health and vitality, and not succumb to sickness, which is often the result of an overly stressed system.

Try adding some peaceful times of meditation and prayer as well as aromatherapy to bring peace to your mind, body, and spirit.  Using aromatherapy candles during quiet times, whether meditating, praying, or simply reading a favorite book can do wonders.   Some herbal scents that are known for reducing stress and anxiety include Lavender, Lemon, Rose, Chamomile, Black Cohosh, Hops, Passionflower, and Valerian. 

You can enjoy the aromatherapy benefits of herbal teas as well as by adding a few drops of any of the above listed essential oils to a hot bath, and then soaking for 20-30