Without a doubt, stress is a killer. It can increase your heart rate and blood pressure and be a precursor to a number if health conditions. Medications can be expensive and have side effects and seeing a professional is expensive.

There are a number of different methods of stress relief that you can take that will help reduce and eliminate stress and the good news is you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home, empty your wallet or worry about potentially dangerous side effects.

Stress can affect muscles; the more stress the tighter the muscles become. Give yourself a treat with a simple hand towel. Place the towel in water and wring it out just enough to eliminate dripping water. Place it in your microwave and heat for a couple of minutes. Lay the towel over your shoulders, around your neck or on your face. The heat has a soothing effect and you will feel the stress melt away.

After feeling the soothing effects of a hot towel, take a short rest. Sit or lie down and let your body relax. If possible, close your eyes for a short 15 or 30 minute nap.

Transferring your anger or stress to a physical activity works wonders. Pick up a rag and start cleaning, actually start scrubbing. In short order you will be focusing on the task at hand and you will have an opportunity to clear your mind and thoughts. In addition to lowering stress, your house will be clean.

Don’t pen up your frustration or anger until you explode. Grab a piece of paper and pen and start writing. Research has actually indicated that writing for as little as ten minutes will lower your stress. Describe the situation that has you so frustrated. When you see it on paper you can look at the situation from a different standpoint instead of running it through your head over and over again.

Light a few aromatherapy candles. Scents such as jasmine or lavender are known for the calming effect. Take a few minutes and, whether standing or sitting, do some deep breathing exercises. Slowly breathe in and picture the stress leaving with each exhale.

Don’t be afraid to have a good cry. There’s nothing shameful about crying and it actually has a calming effect. Relax and just let your emotions flow instead of keeping everything penned up inside.

While it might seem like the last thing you’d do, turn on some music and just flow with it. In other words, get up and dance. Pay attention to the words and the beat and just let your body go. At first it may be aggressive, but it won’t take long before the music has taken over and the stress has gone.

There are steps you can take to relieve the day-to-day stress that plaques most people. Doing it in your own home gives you greater leeway and control over which method you use.