Stress is part of our 21st Century lives, so how can you stress less? If you are feeling the effects of stress, you might be surprised to learn that there are natural steps you can take to reduce its impact on both your body and mind.

Prompting you to find a healthier lifestyle

Having difficulty coping might be just the wake-up call you need to prompt you to adopt a healthier lifestyle, so start by:

• Cutting back on alcohol and carbohydrate-rich or sugary foods
• Making sure you get regular exercise, aiming for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days of the week
• Adopting clever stress management strategies like seeking the assistance of a counsellor or talking to a trusted confidante

Among many other issues, severe or long-term stress may contribute to symptoms like fatigue, mild anxiety, irritability, muscle tension, sleeping problems and concentration difficulties. Luckily, there are a number of herbal and nutritional supplements that may help you to manage those symptoms and improve your resilience during stressful circumstances.

Relieve stress symptoms with Sacred Basil

Also known as Tulsi, Sacred Basil has a long history of use in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. In more recent times, a standardised extract of the herb called OciBest^® has been the subject of clinical research, in which it has been shown to significantly reduce stress symptoms such as fatigue, disturbed sleep, forgetfulness and other cognitive difficulties. OciBest^® is ideal to take on days when you’re feeling overwhelmed, but for even better results, we recommend that you take it for at least six weeks – ideally in combination with other herbs that are also used to help relieve stress-related symptoms, such as the traditional Chinese herbs Poria and Polygala.

Magnesium soothes tense muscles and frazzled nerves

Magnesium helps relieve stress, nervous unrest and mild anxiety, along with accompanying symptoms such as irritability, muscle tension, cramps and spasms. It may also help to maintain healthy moods and enhance restful sleep. Unfortunately though, magnesium levels may become depleted during times of prolonged or intense stress – especially if you’re burning the candle at both ends or consuming large quantities of caffeine, alcohol or soft drinks in an attempt to cope. Taking a magnesium supplement helps boost your levels of this important nutrient. We recommend choosing a formula containing magnesium glycinate, which is highly bioavailable and more easily absorbed than some other forms of magnesium.

Stress less with herbs to help you sleep soundly

Are stress and tension interfering with your sleep? When you’re under pressure, it’s more important than ever to get the recuperative rest that helps your body and mind perform at their best. Unfortunately though, many of us find that during stressful times we have difficulty falling or staying asleep, or that our sleep becomes restless or disturbed by dreams. In traditional Chinese medicine, these sleeping difficulties are commonly attributed to agitation of the mind and spirit (collectively referred to in Mandarin as Shen) and are treated with non-habit forming sedative herbs such as Zizyphus (Suan Zao Ren), Albizia (He Huan Pi) and Polygala (Yuan Zhi).

Mr Vitamins recommends

Fusion Health, premium quality Australian-made supplements that combine the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine and the science of modern Western herbalism:

Find out more and shop online below for:

• Fusion Health Stress & Anxiety: A synergistic herbal formula containing a clinically-tested dose OciBest^® to aid the management of stress symptoms
• Fusion Health Magnesium Advanced Powder: A high potency magnesium glycinate supplement to relieve stress, mild anxiety and muscle tension
• Fusion Health Sleep: Natural relief for insomnia and disturbed sleep, without daytime drowsiness

Also ask for expert advice from our Naturopaths, on which sleep supplement is best for you