Get Zen with Your Stress - How Mindfulness and Stress Relief Patches Work Together

Everyone deals with stress - but overwhelming or chronic stress can be detrimental to physical and mental health. Instead of resigning yourself to days of waking up anxious, nights spent struggling to fall asleep, and the physical and mental tension that comes with stress, consider another option.

At OnMi, we value community wellness and education. To inspire others to feel better, we offer tons of free resources on our blog, covering health strategies from experts in the field, new studies on the benefits of plant-based ingredients, and our favorite wellness tips. Check out some of the top science behind mindfulness-based relaxation techniques, vitamins for stress relief, and how you can use both to feel calmer, starting now.

How Do I Manage Daily Stress?

Most stress is situational, meaning that it is caused by the things going on in your life. It might be work stress from a toxic job environment or an important project you’re concerned about. It could be relationship stress like going through a breakup or living with a roommate you don’t get along with. Any situation in your life that makes you feel overwhelmed or anxious can be a stressor.

You might also have stress related to or resulting from medical conditions. Mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, can make you feel stressed more regularly. Similarly, physical ailments like chronic pain and other health concerns can increase or produce stress.

The best thing to combat situational stress is to remove yourself from the situation that’s causing the issue: finding a new job or a new roommate, seeking mental health treatment, etc. But that’s not always possible. In fact, it’s very rarely possible. And even when you can remove yourself from stressful situations, there will always be something else that comes up to replace it.

Because stress is unavoidable, the next best option is to make lifestyle changes to help your brain and body manage stress. We’ve covered some of our favorite tips for dealing with stress, like starting an exercise routine, eating well, and maintaining sleep hygiene. Along with those strategies, mindfulness-based relaxation techniques are proven to aid in stress relief - and act as a powerful tool against mental health conditions. Learn how to start practicing mindfulness and what it can do for you.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is not a new idea - it’s been around for at least 2500 years. The practice of mindfulness originates in Buddhist teachings and has been found in numerous ancient eastern ideologies. It’s not just traditionally supported - it’s also proven by recent research.

Several systematic reviews have found that the research on mindfulness attests to its efficacy for stress reduction. One review of 17 studies on the benefits of mindfulness found that 16 showed positive changes for participants dealing with stress or anxiety. Another found that mindfulness can positively impact psychological health by bringing on feelings of well-being, decreased emotional reactivity, and improved behavior regulation, among other benefits.

With so much research touting the benefits of mindfulness, it’s worth a try for your stress-free sanity.

How Do I Practice Mindfulness?

One of the most helpful parts of mindfulness is that there are numerous ways to practice it. Here are some of the most popular mindfulness-based relaxation techniques:

• Mindfulness Walks: To practice a mindfulness walk, take a stroll around your neighborhood or in a natural space near you, like a park or wooded area. As you walk, pay attention to the world around you, concentrating on each sense for a few minutes. Notice the sounds you hear, from your breathing to birds in the distance. Look around, observing the colors and movement. Walk for as long as you like, bringing your attention back to your surroundings whenever it wanders.
• Mandalas: With the recent interest in mindfulness in the west, there are now thousands of coloring books you can find that are designed to help you practice mindfulness through art. Following the traditional use of mandalas, drawing and coloring can help you focus on the present moment. You can color in a book or printout or draw freehand, it’s up to you.
• Meditation: A daily meditation practice can help reduce stress throughout your day. Sit comfortably and start to focus on your breathing. Notice your body, how it feels on your seat and the sensation of your hands on your lap or to the sides. Listen to your inhales and exhales. When your mind wanders, bring it back to your breathing without judgment. Sit for as long as you’d like, but start with a timer of 5 minutes as you learn your practice.

There are limitless other ways to practice mindfulness: mindfully eating, listening to music, using a sensory bin, yoga, and practicing during chores are all options you can do at home.

Mindfulness is about practice, grounding, and the absence of judgment. Remember that it’s not easy to stay present straight off the bat. So, if you struggle to start a routine or feel like you’re just not getting it, try approaching the situation with kindness and gentleness.

With regular mindfulness practice, you may start to notice yourself feeling less stressed or better able to manage those stressful moments without feeling overwhelmed, angry, or distressed.

Along with that, you might benefit from adding a natural product to your routine to work with mindfulness and other stress-relieving activities, so you can feel more powerful relief.

How Can Natural Ingredients Help Soothe Stress?

Adding a natural calming agent to your routine won’t fix everything if you’re not using other stress-relieving strategies. But, if you have healthy habits with exercise, mindfulness, or other tools, natural resources can be a welcome addition to help you reach the level of calm you’re looking for.

Like mindfulness, plant-based tools have been used for thousands of years by cultures worldwide. From herbal teas to aromatherapy, botanicals have been a traditional resource for calming stress and promoting relaxation.

Some of the most popular natural resources that work against stress are:

• Chamomile: This herb is often added to stress-relieving teas and has even been found to treat anxiety.
• Lavender: Aromatherapy and other practices utilize the power of lavender to soothe participants, calm stomach issues, and even help bug bites, among other uses.
• Passionflower: A climbing vine from Central and South America, passionflower is often used for sleep, discomfort, and physical issues.
• Valerian: Known to help with stress and anxiety, valerian is also a popular bedtime addition to improve sleep.
• Vitamins: When vitamins are lacking in your diet, the physical symptoms of the vitamin deficiency can appear as stress. Adding them back into your body can decrease those symptoms and help you feel less stressed.

Do Stress Relief Vitamins Work?

Studies have evaluated the efficacy of some vitamins against stress, anxiety, and related feelings of overwhelm. Much of the research backs up the knowledge that specific vitamins are effective for relieving stress for some people.

One study from 2017 assessed essential fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc on stress and anxiety in women. The research found that:

• Essential fatty acids may be effective at reducing prenatal stress and premenstrual anxiety.
• Magnesium and vitamin B6 were helpful in combination against premenstrual stress.
• Vitamin B was helpful alone in reducing anxiety in older women.
• High doses of vitamin C may reduce anxiety and physical responses to stress.

An earlier study from 2014 found that B vitamins added as dietary supplements may be a cost-effective and sustainable strategy for managing occupational stress or stress in the workplace.

What Vitamins Are Good for Stress Relief?

Overall, the research shows that some vitamins, specifically B vitamins, may be helpful against stress. Other stress relief vitamins that have been studied include magnesium, zinc, and vitamin C, among others.

While more research is needed, adding the recommended serving of vitamins to your diet may be a safe and effective tool for stress management.

Which B Vitamins for Stress Relief?

Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are the most recommended stress relief vitamins. However, vitamin B12 may only be effective for people that suffer from a vitamin deficiency, as B12 deficiency can show symptoms similar to stress symptoms.

Vitamin B6 is a good vitamin for stress relief because it helps regulate certain neurotransmitters. It can produce serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), two neurotransmitters that directly aid the body’s ability to manage stressful situations. That power gives it the potential to act as a resource against not only stress, but also anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. However, more research is needed on its effects on those conditions.

Stress-Free Vitamin Patches

Vitamin patches let you add stress-free vitamins back into your system without having to remember to take a handful of pills every morning. Made with transdermal technology, vitamin patches are an easy, safe, and effective option to add to your healthy routine for reduced stress.

At OnMi, our vitamin B stress relief patches are made with some of the top botanicals for plant-based support. Each patch includes:

• Passionflower
• Valerian
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B6

Using B vitamins for stress relief alongside calming activities like mindfulness and exercise gives your body the extra push to ease into relaxation any time of the day. And with vitamin patches, you can get your vitamin serving without having to worry about swallowing pills, so adding them first thing in the morning or right before bed is an option. From proven vitamin B6 stress relief to the botanical strength of passionflower, valerian, and vitamin B1, the OnMi Relax Patch makes every day go that much smoother.

Try the Relax Patch from OnMi

Explore our collection of stress relief patches, wellness patches, energizing patches, and more - all at OnMi. Whether you’re fighting off a hangover, starting an exercise routine, trying to get to sleep faster, or working on other wellness goals, OnMi has an option to support your journey.

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