Stress Management Effects on Health 7 Alternative Treatments for High Blood Pressure By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD Twitter Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Learn about our editorial process Updated on August 08, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Steven Gans, MD Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Stress and other factors can lead to high blood pressure, a potentially dangerous health condition. While there are several ways to lower blood pressure, one effective and natural strategy is to use stress relievers that have also been shown to reduce high blood pressure. These stress relievers tend to steer clear of negative side effects and carry with them other health benefits. Learn more about healthy and natural treatments for high blood pressure that also relieve stress and promote overall health at the same time. 1 Meditation PeopleImages.com/DigitalVision / Getty Images Meditation is a very effective stress reliever that carries many health benefits as well. Chief among them is lowered blood pressure. If you think of meditation as a challenge, you may be pleased to know that there are different types of meditation, and some include easy strategies for beginners. You can find a practice that works for you. 5 Meditation Techniques to Get You Started 2 Yoga BJI / Getty Images Yoga is great for your body, mind, and blood pressure. Whether you're able to bend into a pretzel or can barely touch your toes, there are many different levels of yoga, so there's a yoga workout that's perfect for you. Learn about the benefits of yoga and fine the resources you can use to get started. How Yoga Can Improve the Stress in Your Life 3 Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) Geri Lavrov / Getty Images Progressive muscle relaxation is a very effective stress reliever that can be performed in many places including your office as well as your home, making it convenient as well as effective. It's a great stress reliever as well as a blood pressure reducer. Learn more about PMR and find out how you can get started right now. Reduce Tension with Progressive Muscle Relaxation 4 Breathing Exercises zianlob/ Getty Images. zianlob/ Getty Images Breathing exercises are one of my favorite stress relievers because they can be done virtually anywhere—even as you navigate stressful situations like conflicts with others and racing to meet deadlines. Because breathing exercises are included in this list, you can probably guess that they can also lower blood pressure. Learn more about how to use breathing exercises to lower blood pressure, relieve stress, and promote overall health. Breathing Exercises for Relaxation 5 Music Therapy FrancescoCorticchia / Getty Images Music has been shown to be a great stress reliever by calming the body and the mind, and has other health benefits as well. In fact, music therapy is actually a tool used in hospitals to relieve pain and promote healing. Listening to music can speed up or calm down your physiology, and has been shown to aid in lowering blood pressure as well. Learn more about the benefits of music, and find how to use music in your daily life to lower blood pressure and relieve stress. 7 Ways to Use Music for Stress Relief 6 Sex Tom Merton / Getty Images Besides being enjoyable, sex can be a very effective stress reliever. Within the context of a healthy relationship, sex brings many benefits for stressed individuals, and has even been shown to bring physical benefits such as lowered blood pressure. Learn more about how stress can affect your sex drive, how sex can be a great stress reliever, and how to get in the mood for sex, even when you're under stress. How to Relieve Stress With Sex 7 Natural Treatments Blend Images - Mike Kemp / Getty Images There are other natural approaches to lowering blood pressure including reduced sodium intake, caffeine reduction, certain supplements, and fitness plans that can help improve your health. Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed physician. It is not meant to cover all possible precautions, drug interactions, circumstances or adverse effects. You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues and consult your doctor before using alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Struggling with stress? Our guide offers expert advice on how to better manage stress levels. Get it FREE when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 6 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Park SH, Han KS. Blood Pressure Response to Meditation and Yoga: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2017;23(9):685-695. doi:10.1089/acm.2016.0234 Chaudhuri A, Goswami A, et al. Comparative study of effect of progressive muscle relaxation and walking on stress and cardiovascular profile in young adults of health sector. Saudi Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016;(16)1:47-52. doi:10.4103/1319-6308.167754 Ublosakka-Jones C, Tongdee P, Pachirat O, Jones DA. Slow loaded breathing training improves blood pressure, lung capacity and arm exercise endurance for older people with treated and stable isolated systolic hypertension. Exp Gerontol. 2018;(108):48-53. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2018.03.023 Harvard Medical School. How music can help you heal. American Academy of Family Physicians. Health benefits of a good sex life. Johns Hopkins Lupus Center. Blood pressure medications (anti-hypertensives). Speak to a Therapist for Stress Management Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.