In our modern world we are under increased pressure to perform and be profitable whilst under risk of downsizing, outsourcing and off-shoring. Both men and women are increasingly stressed with the strains of work and family life. Women in particular become stressed from trying to juggle their full time job and caring for their family.

You may find that you suffer from headaches, a lack of sleep and mood swings, so you go to your doctor for help. The doctor listens to what you have to say and then prescribes you some drugs. If you are fortunate, you may even get some time off too.

The drug alleviates and suppresses the symptoms so you start to feel better and then you go straight back into the situations without any changes; except to increase the drug dosages you are taking.

Whether you take the drug or not, the stress levels are still there. The problem with the medicine is that it masks the symptoms of stress so you believe you are ok and not stressed.

There are a number of natural alternatives to prescription medicine that you can use to reduce your stress. Even the busiest of people can fit this into their life, so find out what works best for you.

When you start to feel yourself getting stressed take some deep breaths. As stress is the triggering of the fight or flight mechanism you will find that you start to breath shallowly, usually without even being aware of it.

Breathe from your stomach so it inflates (sticks out) when you breathe in and pull your stomach in so it expels your breath as you exhale. This oxygenates your system which helps prevent muscle cramp and headaches. As you breathe deeply, you will find you relax. Deep breathing like this makes it almost impossible to be stressed.

If you start to feel a headache then take these deep breaths and gently massage your neck and shoulder muscles to relieve the tension. Pay particular attention to your jaw muscles and make sure you relax those too. You will find you are tensing the muscles unconsciously and by relaxing them you can let go of the stress.

Human beings have been talking to each other for as long as they've been capable of speech, and it's an excellent stress reliever. A problem shared is a problem halved. Even just general chit-chat to people will help to reduce your stress levels.

Exercise is one of the best forms of natural form of stress relief. When you get stressed a hormone known affectionately as ACTH is released into your system. Usually it would be worked out of your system through the fight or flight response. In modern society, it is not generally practical for this response to be engaged so the ACTH remains in your system and builds to dangerously high levels.

Taking some exercise will work this ACTH out of your system and help you feel better. Not only that, but it releases endorphins into your body too, which is nature's happy drug. Whether you choose to join a gym or go for walks is up to you, but make sure it is something that you enjoy.

Your diet contributes greatly to your stress levels, believe it or not. These days people consume a lot of caffeine and sugar which add to your stress levels. Caffeine actually triggers the fight or flight mechanism and causes stress! By taking care of your body you can help to alleviate your stress.

If you can plan your day in advance then you can reduce the stress of running around from pillar to post being pulled in all directions. Take some time the night before to (realistically) plan what you want to achieve the next day. Plan your errands for the day and makes sure you perform them efficiently. This will help immensely in reducing your stress levels.

Stress is a natural physiological response and is best when dealt with naturally. Natural methods may take slightly longer to work, but will have a better long term stress reducing effect.