STRESS MANAGEMENT

Understanding the word STRESS

Many people ask & also define stress in many ways:

Basically, stress is: being out of harmony with oneself and the world around us. To effectively manage stress, it is important to be cognizant of the causes of stress and to understand that good health and stress management strategies are important issues to address in order to gain and maintain a high quality of life.  One of the biggest, if not the biggest cause of stress in our society today is financial pressure.  When the bills just keep stacking up and there is not enough money coming in, one cannot help but fret over how to make ends meet.  This is also the leading cause of fighting amongst couples.

At the same time, there are people in countries that live on very, very little and yet, they have a high quality of life in that they are happy and satisfied with the life they have. Money cannot buy happiness, yet the devil’s advocate would say “it sure makes misery a lot more comfortable”! However,even financial stress can be measured and improved.

Another major stress inducer is on-the-job or work related stress.  This could come in many forms; not getting along with our boss, excessive work hours, not enough work hours, tension amongst co-workers, and probably the biggest of them all, fear of being terminated.

Stress management in business situations is necessary for all people who are in the work force; so along with work skills, in today’s business world, it’s a good idea to take your stress management skills.

Strained relationships are also high on the list.  This can be with our significant other, a sibling, a parent, our children.  These are especially hurtful types of stress because they involve people that we love the most.

Stress - 6 Ways to Manage Your Stress Effectively
By my research on Mark Bellinger- Expert Author Mark Bellinger

Manage Your Stress Before it Manages You, We all know that stress is a complex thing and can have many negative effects on our bodies and minds. However managing it takes more than a few deep breaths & positive thoughts for most of us. So how do we manage this beast called stress?

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to anything that happens to disturb the harmony of our lives or our personal equilibrium in some way or other.

The problem with the body's stress response process is that as there are so many situations that can trigger stress, eg traffic jams, work situations etc, that the more often your body responds to these crises the harder it is to shut off and your stress hormones, heart rate, & blood pressure remain elevated even long after the crisis has passed.

This obviously places a heavy toll on the body which can result in long term health problems.

How to Manage Your Stress

You will agree it is therefore essential to learn how to deal with stress in a way that has a positive influence & reduce its negative impact on your daily life.

6 Ways to Effectively Manage Your Stress

* Healthy Body = Healthy Mind Exercise never fails to help relieve the intensity of the stress in     your life
* Deep Breathing Calms Anxiety Breathing deeply from your diaphragm will reduce general anxiety and provide additional benefits, such as lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Also, it is estimated that deep breathing eliminates about 70 percent of the toxins and wastes in our bodies.
* Help Others Doing something positive will help you work your way out of your negative inner thought circle.
* Healthy Mind = Healthy Body Out of the approximately 60,000 thoughts an average person has every day, nearly 80 percent of these thoughts are negative which effects your thought patterns and behaviors subconsciously and subsequently has an extremely unhealthy impact on your body.
* Stimulants Reduce your intake of stimulants as too much caffeine stimulates the central nervous system stimulator that works against your attempts to relax the body and calm the mind - the result of course is anxiety, insomnia, a racing mind - all contributing to stress.
* Relax Easier said than done but by practicing certain relaxation techniques you can counteract the negative effects of stress. If practiced regularly Yoga is extremely effective in serving as a protective quality by teaching you how to stay calm and collected in the face of life's curve balls.

In conclusion whilst stress is undeniably damaging, there are many things you can do to manage it effectively and reduce its harmful effects on the body and mind. Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come. Healthy ways to relax and recharge are stated below;

    Go for a walk.
    Spend time in nature.
    Call a good friend.
    Sweat out tension with a good workout.
    Write in your journal.
    Take a long bath.
    Light scented candles.
    Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.
    Play with a pet.
    Work in your garden.
    Get a massage.
    Curl up with a good book.
    Listen to music.
    Watch a comedy.

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.