Although it is not generally viewed with the same seriousness as other ailments, stress is a serious medical problem. In addition to greatly increasing a person’s risk factor for contracting illnesses like hypertension, type II diabetes, heart disease and cancer, stress can also have a negative effect on your day-to-day life by disrupting your sleep cycle causing significant muscle tension and afflicting sufferers with an increased anxiety level. As such, engaging in stress busting activities on a regular basis should be a priority for everyone, regardless of age, gender or profession.

If you’re interested in learning some different ways of keeping your stress at a manageable level, this Psychology Today feature has a number of useful suggestions. For example, one study has found that washing dishes is a highly effective way of reducing anxiety. Turns out the combination of performing a repetitive action, the pleasant smell of dish soap and the warm water have a calming effect on the nervous system. Another study found that observing fish in an aquarium has the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rate. And yet another study found that spending extended periods of time in natural settings can be highly effective at reducing a person’s stress. Follow the link below to learn more unconventional ways to beat stress.

Read the full article here: 11 Weird, Fun, and Easy Ways to Reduce Stress