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According to a survey conducted by the American Institute of Stress National Center, 54 per cent of Americans are worried about their stress levels, pushing them to seek therapy to reduce the stress caused by their day to day activities. There are various natural ways that are scientifically backed to reduce stress levels. Here are a few of them.

Passion Flower

Dr Manny Alvarez, Fox News Channel's senior managing editor for health news, states on the Fox News website that passion flower has almost the same effects as benzodiazepine drugs, which are used to reduce stress. It has also been known since long that the flower helps treat insomnia and anxiety. Adding it to your diet will help you stay relaxed, he shared. However, Alvarez also strongly recommends the need to consult a doctor before adding the flower in the diet.

Music

According to the research published by the American Psychological Association, music is a great reliever of stress. Joanne Loewy, the study's lead author as well as the director of the Armstrong center and co-editor of the journal Music and Medicine, said that music therapy helped enhance sleep and reduce the stress levels of the participants. It is seen to decrease the level of cortisol, which is a hormone responsible for stress.

Tea

Tea has several health benefits ranging from being an anti-oxidant to helping in weight loss. According to the Huffington Post, tea especially black tea helps reduce cortisol levels and provides a great sense of relaxation.

Exercise

Exercise keeps you in good shape and increases the level of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are feel good neurotransmitters, which makes you feel relaxed and great, states the Mayo Clinic website. It is the best therapy for stress, depression and anxiety. Jeff Dolgan, an exercise physiologist at Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, shared in an interview with Well and Good that aerobic exercises initially have the same impact as medication on stress levels. Hence, any form of movement helps reduce weight.

Massage

A recent study found that massage helps reduce stress drastically as it decreases the sympathetic nervous activity, which causes a decrease in the overall autonomic activity that leads to autonomic balance. The mind and body relax as a response to the massage.

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