Stress Management

Your kids are screaming, you are hungry and tired of trying to grocery shop for the family’s dinner, the dog is at home waiting to be walked and your husband has to work late again.

Imagine your boss is watching your every move because the company needs to make some cuts, your twins are about to start at an expensive college and the bills never seem to stop.

Or perhaps you have a college final tomorrow morning, a research paper you have not yet begun due the next day and your roommate has friends over, who are now loudly getting drunk.

No matter the age, sex or place in life, everyone has daily stress. Stress is normal as people adjust to constantly changing environments.

Stress is more than just a feeling. It can have both physical and emotional effects, creating positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help push people to achieve and perform; it can also help people grow and mature, creating new perspectives as they learn.

Stress can also be negative; it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger and depression, leading to health problems such as headaches, upset stomachs, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, frequent colds and a weakened immune system. To stay healthy and relaxed, stress management is important.

Some stress stems from things people can control, but much of it they have little or no control over. People, however, do have control over how they allow stress to affect their lives through effective stress management techniques.

Here are some stress management tips:

1. Become aware of your stressors and how you emotionally and physically react to their presence. For example, when you are nervous, do you always get a headache?

Try to recognize what level of stress pushes you to exceed expectations and what level of stress pushes you over the edge.

2. Recognize what you can change and what you cannot.

The best stress management technique is to avoid the things most responsible for causing negative stress. If you cannot, then identify ways to reduce its intensity, either by taking breaks or making goals for yourself to work on ways to change your attitude or situation.

3. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress.

Stress reactions are triggered by perceptions of imminent danger, whether physical or emotional. As a stress management technique, positive thinking can help reduce how you react to a stressful situation. Practice moderating your thoughts to make them less critical and negative. Try to put situations in perspective and avoid focusing on the negative aspects.

4. Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress.

Breathing exercises and mediation can help reduce the tension resulting from stress.
Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can provide short-term help. However, learning to moderate these reactions on your own is a preferable long-term stress management solution.

5. Build your physical and emotional reserves.

Living a healthy and balanced lifestyle is one of the biggest ways you can fight stress. Regular exercise (even just brisk walks), enough sleep, healthy meals and supportive relationships provide your body and mind with the stress management resources you need to deal with the changes in your life.

Sources:
http://www.ivf.com/stress.html
How Can I Manage Stress (American Heart Association).
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stress.htmlhttp://www.reutershealth.com/wellconnected/doc31 .html