**SPONSORED CONTENT BY GATEWAY MEDICAL CENTER**
Past regrets, present demands, future worries — anxiety comes at us from every side. Fight back with these natural stress-relievers.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million American adults are living with an anxiety disorder. If you struggle with social phobia, panic attacks, generalized anxiety or chronic stress, don’t let daily worries put a damper on your enjoyment of life. Try the following strategies to help relieve stress in 10 minutes or less:
• Take a breather. Spend at least 10 minutes each day practicing focused deep breathing. Slowing your breathing while concentrating on the physical sensation of breathing is an easy, effective way to reduce stress.
• Steep for relief. Green tea has long been used to boost mood and increase mental focus. A study published in 2009 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests it may melt away stress, too. Participants who drank several cups of green tea every day reported less psychological distress than those who drank less than one cup.
• Don’t skip breakfast. A U.K. study titled “The Cognitive Effects of Breakfast” reveals one more reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day: It improves your ability to handle stress. People who ate breakfast experienced 89 percent less stress during a challenging situation than those who didn’t.
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This publication in no way seeks to diagnose or treat illness or to serve as a substitute for professional medical care.