*INTRODUCTION ABOUT STRESS AND ITS MANAGEMENT-LEARN AND STAY FOCUSED

What Is Stress? --Stress is an interpretation of an event or circumstance which is understood to be a threat. It can be any force or pressure put on a system (living or nonliving) which may result in a need for the system to adapt or change. Stress on human beings is like a rubber band. You also stretch to meet the environment around you, the demands of your lifestyle, and the pressures you put on yourself. If pulled too far, stress manifests itself in real conditions mentally, physically, and emotionally. Like a rubber band breaks when stretched too far, human beings have a breaking point too. The secret is to learn how to handle stress in your life and avoid becoming over-stressed

• --The A B C’s of Stress-
• Activating event
• Belief about the event
• Consequences of the event
• --Stress Management involves learning about: -
• How stress affects the mind and body(both)?
• How to recognise the warning signs of stress ?
• How to develope and acquire better stress-management techniques and principles ?
• When to get and adhere with the professionals help ?
• --The Signs Of Various Stresses includes-
• Stress can cause both mental and physical symptoms. The effects of it's are different on various different people.Which shall be followed herewith-
• -The mental symptoms of stress involves: -
• Tension and worry
• Irritability and agitation
• Inability to concentrate
• Inadequate sleeping

-The physical symptoms of stress shows: -

• Dryness in mouth parts
• A troublesome heart
• Difficulty in breathing process
• Stomach malfunction
• So much urination
• Sweated palms and feets
• Pain in tight and flexible muscles

--Stress is the internal pressure we put on ourselves from external factors. Living with moderate stress keeps you sharp and ready to move forward, however extreme stress can put you out of commission. It depends on your stress levels---how much you can deal with effectively. Some people thrive with stressful situations and some people snap at the slightest uncomfortable circumstance. Depending on your current stress level, when confronted with a stressor, you may respond with shock or feel stuck.

• --The fast-paced, technologically advanced, complicated world has brought many changes to our lives. The pace of change does not seem to be decreasing, but rather increasing all the time. These changes put more demands and pressures on each of us to make adjustments to do more with less. While stress is a definite modern world reality, being “stressed-out” is not. We mistakenly believe that being stressed-out is “just the way it is.” And we often get in competition with each other about who feels the worst!
• --This is crazy thinking. Stress can be a powerful motivator in our lives, and in fact, you can learn to use stress to your advantage. If you think about it---one form of stress or another is responsible for everything big and small in our world. For example, the earth “stresses” a piece of coal until it turns into a beautiful diamond. The key is to find out how you can use the stress in your life to create a diamond out of a rock!
• --As with most things in life, prevention is the best medicine. By learning about your personal health risks, family history, current health, and life choices (eating, exercise, smoking, drinking, stress) you can make smarter decisions. Ultimately, your life choices affect how you feel and how you function.
• --Stress management comes down to self-management. It is about selecting appropriate options as well as making smart decisions.
• --The best way to avoid “burn out” is to become aware of your unique stressors and coping mechanisms. Burn out comes from experiencing stress over a prolonged period and often leads to a visit to the doctor. There are many ways to alleviate stress, however, you must find what works best for you and commit to doing it on a daily basis.

***Adapted from NEW ebook, Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management: Your Personal Guide to Living a Balanced life About The Author Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed., is a Whole Life Coach, Speaker, and Author of the Get Smart! LearningBook Series, which includes books and workbooks on romantic relationships, career development, life purpose/life strategy, and stress management. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching. She empowers people to live with passion, purpose, & possibility and inspires people to freely shine their brightlight to the world. To learn more or to subscribe to the Get Smart! Live Smart newsletter, Visit virtually: http://www.getsmartseries.com/ or http://www.brightlightcoach.com/ coach@getsmartseries.com

*STRESS - HOW IT AFFECTS YOU AND HOW YOU CAN TREAT IT

• --Your life is full of stress! Any arguments? Didn't think so. Your life is full of pressure, frustration, and stress. Worrying about job security, being overworked, driving in rush hour traffic, arguing with your spouse, even dealing with medical bills - all of these create stress in your life. So how do you control your level of stress? How do you treat it so the stress does not lead to disease and illness?
• --Your life is full of stress! Any arguments? Didn’t think so. Your life is full of pressure, frustration, and stress. Worrying about job security, being overworked, driving in rush hour traffic, arguing with your spouse, even dealing with medical bills - all of these create stress in your life.
• --According to the American Psychology Association, more than half of all Americans report being concerned about the level of stress in their lives. Most people are feeling overscheduled, overextended, and overworked. By far, the most commonly reported source of stress is the workplace.
• --Studies suggest that stress is a contributing factor in the development of chronic and degenerative conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. High stress levels at work can lead to job burnout, reduction in productivity, ill health, job dissatisfaction, and absenteeism. As these problems add up over time, you worry more about keeping your job while your boss becomes more dissatisfied, leading to more stress and an ever-growing vicious cycle.
• --When you experience stress, glands within your body respond by releasing a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone - we’ll call it ACTH for short. When your glands send out a burst of ACTH it is like an alarm system going off within your body. ACTH tells other glands to flood your body with the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These two hormones cause your heart rate and blood pressure to increase. They shut down your digestive system and even alter your immune system. When you remove yourself from the stressful situation, the levels of cortisol and adrenaline decrease. As cortisol and adrenaline decrease in your system, your heart rate, blood pressure, digestive system and immune system return to normal.
• --As you pile one stressful situation on top of another, your body has no time to recover. If you are in a constant state of stress, or experience many stressful situations, your body’s stress response system can disrupt nearly all of your body’s processes. Some of the effects can lead to chronic illness and disease.
• --Stress affects the digestive system so much that stomachaches and diarrhea become common. The hormones related to stress slow down the release of stomach acid and the process of emptying the stomach. The same hormones stimulate your colon which speeds the passage of its contents - a.k.a diarrhea.
• --Chronic stress dampens your immune system making you more susceptible to colds and other infections.
• --Stress affects your nervous system and has been linked to depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and dementia. Over time, chronic release of cortisol can even cause damage to several structures in the brain.
• --Stress affects your cardiovascular system by causing an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
• --Unlike most other diseases that affect Americans, there really isn’t any routine medical treatment for stress. Some doctors prescribe antidepressants. But drugs have a limited ability to alleviate stress.
• --The most effective way to reduce or relieve stress is through lifestyle habits.

• --Lifestyle habits such as spinal alignment, exercise, breathing exercises and coping strategies are the most effective ways to reduce stress.
• --Exercise is a good way to deal with stress because it is a healthy way to relieve your pent-up energy and tension. By getting physically active, you can decrease your levels of anxiety and stress, and elevate your moods. Numerous studies show that people who exercise exhibit a marked improvement in their ability to concentrate, sleep better, suffer fewer illnesses, suffer from pain less, and report a higher quality of life.
• --One of the consequences of stress is a tendency to unconsciously tense up your muscles, especially in your upper back and shoulder regions. This chronic tension, coupled with poor posture, causes the vertebrae of your spine to become misaligned. Misalignment causes irritation. Irritation causes more tension.
• --More tension causes greater misalignment. And the cycle continues and you continue to get worse. Most people experience a notable improvement in their own stress levels almost immediately after a spinal adjustment. You can reduce your level of stress by visiting your local chiropractor to have a spinal adjustment.
• --There are two types of nutritional supplements. There are nutritional supplements that help reduce stress and there are nutritional supplements that help the body better cope with the effects of stress. Supplements that help reduce stress belong to a class of herbs that helps the body relax. Herbs such as chamomile, skullcap, valerian, and lavender help to clear your mind and calm intense emotions. Many of these herbs are taken in the form of a hot or warm tea.
• --Supplements that help the body cope with the physical effects of stress are the B-vitamins and zinc. When you experience stress, your body needs more zinc and more of the Vitamin-B complex. Your health suffers and you are more prone to illness when you don’t have enough of each in your body. Taking a B-complex with zinc in the form of a liquid nutritional supplement will help protect your body from the negative effects of stress.

• --The final key to treating stress is healthy thinking. Most stress is caused by two factors - dealing with change and feeling out of control. While you can’t predict the changes that will occur in your life, you can - control how you plan each day, - you can positively respond to change, and - you can act with purpose.
• --The combination of these three positive thinking habits can help remove stress from your life and diminish the effects of stress. These three simple ‘attitude adjustments’ will help you feel more in control and once adopted as a habit, can be quite relaxing.
• --Don’t let prolonged or repeated episodes of stress lead you to chronic or degenerative disease like diabetes or heart disease. Lifestyle habits such as spinal alignment, exercise, breathing exercises and coping strategies are the most effective ways you can reduce stress and the effects of stress on your body.
• --=AUTHOR-Ronald Godlewski has published several dozen articles on health, wellness, and the value of nutrition in disease prevention. Do you want to learn more about reducing your health risk related to stress? Join the discussion on the benefits of nutrition in reducing stress and learn how to receive your FREE quart of a nutrient dense supplement that helps provide zinc and Vitamin B to your body during times of stress. Got a question? Call Ron toll free at 1-888-LFI-CUST (1-888-534-2878) to discuss your own feeling fit success story.
• Article from Copy & Paste Articles – find quality content for your blog or website

Related tags dealing with stress, effects of stress , exercise and stress , good ways to deal with stress , heart attacks and stroke , heart disea , most effective ways to reduce stress, reduce stress , stress nutrition , stress related hormones , vitamin-b complex , zinc .

*STORM CLOUD OF STRESS

The effects of stresses are:-

• Stress can induce chronic fatigue, digestive disorder, head pain, and back strain.
• Stress may effect the blood cells that help in fighting off infection. eriodic stress can induce blood pressure and can stimulate the risk factor for stroke.
• Stress enhances the danger risk of heart attacks.
• Stress can make an worse in attack on asthma.
• Stress stimulates behaviours that contribute tin death and disability.
• Stress can lead to reduce sexual affordibility and an inability to achieve orgasm.
• Stress makes it stiffer to take other steps to improvise health, such as giving up smoking or changing in diet supplements.
• Poor work performance, losing sleep, irritability, losing interest in favorite activities, and depression. These just a few things caused from stress. There are many things in life which can cause stress and many different reactions, both physical and emotional, to stress.
• Stress can be the cause of other more serious problems. Stress has been linked to medical problems such as chronic headaches, lower immune system, heart attacks, stomach problems, and age faster, just to name a few. You may start to become jumping, anxious, short tempered and think negatively about your abilities which can produce a poor self image.
• Stress has been linked to medical problems such as chronic headaches, age acceleration, lower immune system, heart attacks, and stomach problems, just to name a few. Many people under stress are also short tempered, grouchy, anxious and jumpy.
• Rapid heart rate, sweaty, nervousness or simply not feeling quite normal are some ways others have described how they feel under stress. You know what your stress feels like much better than someone else. You know what causes stress in you life. Maybe it’s your family, job or money. People get stressed over many things. It is time for you to take a look at your life and how stress is affecting it.
• It is time for you to take a look at how stress is affecting your life. You know how your mind and body react to stress. Some have a rapid heart rate, become sweaty, or feel nervous. You know what causes stress in your life, maybe it is your children, money or simply your job.
• Some people manage stress through a counselor, medications and others turn to hypnosis. Since there are so many different treatments and options for stress management, it is important to research all aspects of the treatments to decide what is right for you.
• Hypnosis can help with stress management through many avenues. It allows you to change your response to stress and help address what triggers stress in your mind. You will find you are calmer, relaxed and more rational. Your body will be more relaxed, your breathing more steady which will calm your mind. All of this will help fight tension from stress which can cause chronic medical problems. It will also allow you to address the behaviors you have while experiencing stress such as anger or frustration and help you to remain calm in these situations.
• Stress is a part of everyone life in one way or another and chances are, you will always have stress. However stress does not have to rule your life, there are options out there. You must decide how you want to live your life and how you want to feel. How do you want to be seen by others, no one wants to be thought of as a ticking time bomb. The time is now, make a choice. Weight Loss in Oregon with Glancy Hypnosis
• Get free content for your website at Copy & Paste Articles

Related tags- alternative healthcare , alternative weight loss systems , beauty and wellness , diet , diet & nutrition , diet articles , dieting , dieting and weight loss , dieting and weight-loss , diets , different diets , general health , habits , health & fitness , hypnosis .

*VIABLE EFFECTS OF STRESS

• --Stress is a part of daily life. Everyone has stress. Some people appear to have more stress than others. Stress is one way we react to specific events in our life. There are times when you might feel that too much is happening at once and feel overwhelmed. Other times, you feel the pressure of time or a deadline and realize you need to take care of something before it is too late. Having been in a similar situation before will create anxiety. How we perceive a situation will effect how we respond to it. There is good stress and bad stress.
• --Good stress can be a motivator. Knowing that you have an obligation to address and a timeframe. That type of stressor puts you into action in order to meet a deadline. Or you might be in an unexpected situation where you need to make a split second response in order to avoid danger. This could be slamming your foot on the brake to avoid an accident. Anticipation of a competition or performance will cause tension and nervousness prior to the event. This nervousness is due to an increased flow of adrenaline going through your body. Your body is preparing for the “fight or flight” syndrome. The release of adrenaline prepares your body to take the steps to deal with the situation, including improved focus, strength, stamina and heightened alertness.
• --People also have bad stress in their lives. Whether we perceive a situation as being stressful or not depends on previous experiences. One person might see being in a multi tasking job as very stressful, feeling overwhelmed and becoming anxious about their work. Another person might find multi tasking enjoyable because they continue to stay busy and time goes by faster. Your body is capable of dealing with stress for short periods of time. When the stress is ongoing i.e. dealing with a divorce or bankruptcy, this can wear a person down. Long term stress contributes to feeling tired, overwhelmed and contributes to lowered immunity.

The body’s reactions to stress: -

1. Once you view something as being stressful, whether positive or negative, your body reacts to that perception. The response is a survival technique and a defense mechanism. The reaction is referred to as the “fight or flight” response. Either you are going to fight the attacker or you will choose to flee from the threat. This includes increased heart rate and blood pressure, perspiration, hearing and vision become more acute and hands and feet might become colder since blood is being directed to larger muscles in preparation for a fight or to flee. Your body is being prepped to handle the situation. When the threat is over, your body will return to normal.

• If your body has difficulty returning to normal, then you would experience stress overload. This is when you stress out too much or have ongoing stress in your life and never get a chance to relax. Pressure in your life might be too intense or go on for too long without a break. People that have experienced trauma are likely to have stress overload. If trauma is not resolved then you might become hypervigilant, a sense of being overly aware of possible danger. You might always be “on guard.” Stress overload has an emotional and physical effect on the body. This could include panic attacks, depression, sleep problems, physical pain i.e. headaches and allergies as well as abuse of alcohol or other drugs. Having unresolved trauma will effect your perception. Situations that might not have caused tension prior to the trauma can have the ability to create anxiety after the trauma. Becoming aware of how your perception has changed and seeking support to address the trauma issue can be helpful to reduce ongoing stressors and to reduce anxiety. Seeking counseling that focuses on cognitive perceptions will help to decrease hypervigilance and will help to reduce the likelihood of continuing to be retraumatized. In addition, your body has memory of the event as well. Being able to release that reaction to the memory of the event from your body will help to reduce stress overload and triggers.
• -Stress and control:-
• Stress is contributed to the desire to be in control. This not only includes control over yourself, but control over other people and your environment. Trying to control others and your environment, however, is impossible. You only have control over your own thoughts and actions. In order to relieve stress and anxiety it is important to let go of trying to control things outside of yourself. We are unable to foresee the future and cannot control what events will happen next. Focusing on future potential problems contributes to anxiety. On the other hand, people are able to prepare for things that might occur and have a plan of how you would like to respond to events. This could be as simple as having a repair kit in your car for getting a flat tire or preparation for an interview and the questions that might be asked during the interview process.
• Part of living life is that things always change. Change is normal. How you perceive something will impact how you react to it. This is where the fight or flight reaction occurs. You can decide to be proactive and address the situation. Making a choice to take care of things when they occur. Or you can expend a lot of energy avoiding issues and letting them build. Taking action will actually help to reduce stress and anxiety in the long run. In addition, there will be a feeling of empowerment as you begin to deal with problems as they arise. Trust your intuition and creatively think of all ways you could resolve the issue at hand. Even if you try to tackle a problem and don’t succeed, you could then view this as a temporary setback. Review what happened and try to approach it differently. Setbacks can be temporary. Find who your friends are and develop a support system. Another option is to seek counseling in order to have someone that is impartial as part of your support system. You don’t have to always take care of problems by yourself. Ask your friends, counselor or other support persons what they think about a situation. They might have ideas that you would not think of on your own. Learning to address problems as they occur will help you to change your perception of things from problems to challenges. Doing so will continue to help you build your sense of self esteem and empowerment. Identifying challenges as they occur, developing a plan to deal with the challenge, asking others for their point of view, taking action and keeping focus on the goal you are working toward will help to strengthen your resiliency.
• -Steps to reduce stress:-
• Each one of us is a unique individual and we all have different experiences throughout our lives that affect our perception. What might be a stressful event for one person, might not be viewed as stressful for someone else. In addition, some activities are more stressful than others. Self care including eating well and getting enough sleep are important for stress reduction. Making time for doing activities that are relaxing is preventative to reducing stress overload. Relaxation is important, but there is no one right way to relax. Some people find that sleeping or going to the beach is relaxing. Others choose to be involved in an enjoyable activity or hobby as a way of relaxing. The goal is to find an activity that allows you to escape from everyday worries and problems. There is no right way to do that. Relieving stress can be done by meditation, exercise or doing an activity. Making the time to care for yourself is a priority that helps to reduce stress overload.
• As you focus on making positive change in your life that will help to reduce stress and anxiety, be forgiving of yourself if you don’t resolve your problems immediately. Being critical of yourself is very easy to do, especially when people close to you have been critical of you for a long period of time. That critical voice can be very loud when you don’t get it right the first time. A suggestion is a positive response to the changes you are trying to make and to be forgiving of yourself when things don’t go perfectly as planned. These are some suggestions that might work or to come up with your own.
•  “As things develop, I will, through listening to guidance from my unconscious, adapt to changing circumstances and grow with them.”
•  “I may not get what I want when I want it; I trust that things will work out in their own good time, for my ultimate benefit, as long as I remain calm and peaceful.”
•  “I may not get what I want at all, and yet, in remaining calm and attentive, I may discover something else that I need even more than what I thought I wanted.” How you perceive a situation will affect how you respond. Whether you choose to address the issue or to avoid it. If you have a negative perception then you are more likely to experience anxiety and not be able to effectively take care of the problem. This will then reinforce that you have no control over the outcome and reinforce the perception of being helpless. On the other hand, a positive perception will help you to find a way to deal with the challenge you are presented with. If you choose to take responsibility for your feelings and actions then you are more likely to have a positive outcome. This will reinforce the sense of resiliency and empowerment. Breaking old patterns of behavior is difficult, especially when trying to do it by yourself. Being willing to look at yourself and to identify changes you would like to make takes a lot of energy and time. The more effort you put into making a positive lifestyle change, the greater the feeling of accomplishment you will experience. Develop a support system, whether family, friends or a counselor. Having someone that helps you to make positive change will increase the likelihood that the change will be long term instead of temporary.

About The Author Loren Fogelman is the co-owner of Kolpia Counseling. Her education includes a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters in Community Counseling. She is an Oregon Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and an advanced certified EFT practitioner. Since 1984, Loren has been working as a therapist. Her experience includes Mental Health units in hospital settings, schools, residential and outpatient treatment programs. Her specialties include addictions, chronic conditions, trauma, and spirituality. Loren’s goal is to help people reach their peak potential, whether personally, professionally or in sports performance. “Part of my approach to counseling involves energy work using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). EFT is the most effective, gentle, yet rapid method for personal growth I have ever found.” Maintaining a sense of safety while working on issues is a priority. EFT focuses on perceptions and helps to change negative beliefs into positive ones. EFT has the ability to clear emotional traumas without additional anxiety and to remove physical pain. Contact www.kolpiacounseling.com for a free consultation.

*DEALING WITH STRESS

• --One method of stress management is called the TARP method, and it has been proven effective for many.
• --Dealing with the stress is not an easy thing for a beginner. Yet there are some useful hints which can help you to reduce the stress, relax a bit, and thus be able to efficiently deal with the stressful situations in your life.
• --When level of the stress increases, try to take a few deep breaths. Long and deep breathing can help you to settle down so you will be able to rethink the situation once more instead of acting in anger or fear.
• --Always remember to take some breaks during your work. Every time when you see that your efficiency is decreasing or when you can’t concentrate on a given problem any longer, you should get up and take a walk or get some fresh air. When it is impossible try to think about something else for a few minutes it can also help you to get rid of stress.
• --To stay in a balance and not fall into the stress trap, you must remember about regularly doing some exercises. Still, each of us needs a different amount of them, so you should experiment a bit on the time and the difficulty level of exercises your mind and body need. Remember that too much exercising won’t help you deal with the stress better, it will only make you feel tired and thus increase your stress level. Also, don’t forget about the right diet. It is necessary to keep your mind and body in good condition.
• --Reduce the amount of coffee you drink. Try to have one or two cups in the morning, but later drink tea instead of it. Coffee tends to increase stress level and in larger quantities can be dangerous to your health. Never use drugs or alcohol to relax. They are highly addictive and can cause more problems than you can imagine.
• --When you see that you can’t organize your time and manage your schedule, it means that it is the right time to start working on yourself. Don’t get frustrated with the initial failures, remember that with constant practicing you will soon make progress, so try to think positively. Negative thinking won’t solve any problems, it may only create a few more. Even in perils you should have a positive outlook on life, only then you will be able to act efficiently.
• --Remember to take care of your sense of humor. Without laughing and having some fun in your everyday struggle, you will soon be defeated by stress. When it is not absolutely necessary don’t hide your emotions, both positive and negative. It is much better to learn to control them than to suppress them. When you fall into a conflict with somebody, settle the matters as fast as possible, don’t let the negative feelings burn in your heart and poison your mind.
• -Author Mini Bio: Andrew John writes about health related topics that really matter and are of great concern today. For more detailed, helpful info on Stress relief and Natural Stress Relief , just click on the links. Article from Copy & Paste Articles – find quality content for your blog or website.

Related tags-

anti-stress,anxiety, career , depression, diet , exercise, finances , fitness , health , insomnia , mental health, money , relationships , relaxation , stress , tension .

*NATURAL STRESS AND ANXIETY RELIEF

• -All of us experience stress and anxiety in our lives. We are all familiar with the sources of stress and anxiety. They include financial concerns, work deadlines, providing for our children, countless tasks to do and errands to run, heavy traffic, relationships with co-workers, family relationships, and the list goes on. The irony is that the responses of our physical bodies that are designed to protect us can turn against us when stress and anxiety is without relief or prolonged. Under stress, our heart rate and blood pressure increase to provide our brains with more blood flow for oxygen and nutrients. Our blood sugar increases to provide us with more energy as we would need in a crisis. Our blood is routed away from our intestines in order to provide energy for the large muscles in our arms and legs for fight or flight. If the source of our stress and anxiety subsides after a brief period of time, our bodies return these functions to their normal process. If the source of our stress and anxiety remains constant then our physical responses become harmful to our health. We begin to experience insomnia, joint and muscle inflammation and pain, fatigue, hypertension, perhaps heart constriction, indigestion, higher cholesterol levels, impotence, either lack of or excess appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain, weakened immune system making us vulnerable to colds and flu, and so on. Emotionally we experience feelings of irritability, impatience, lack of sexual interest, lack of concentration, depression, restlessness, excessive alertness and reaction to normal external stimuli, or feelings of being constantly overwhelmed and helpless.

• -Our bodies need time to recover from being in crisis mode due to stress and anxiety in order to restore normal physical balance and functioning. We need a break from and relief from the stress and anxiety in order to maintain our health. Some of us have had experience with prescription, synthetic drugs to ease anxiety and stress, but have suffered the potentially harmful and discomforting side effects which, ironically added to our feelings of stress and anxiety. Fortunately, many of us have discovered substances provide by nature that our bodies readily absorb and utilize to deal with stress and anxiety without the possible harmful side effects of prescription, synthetic drugs.

• -When dealing with stress and anxiety, our bodies need a proper balance of vitamins and minerals that can be obtained in multivitamin formulas some of which are specially created to provide extra stress protection with calcium, potassium, magnesium, a full spectrum of B vitamins and pantothenic acid.

• -Essential fatty acids provide us with Omega 3 and Omega 6 which help balance blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and provide our neurotransmitters in our brain to function quickly and efficiently. Essential fatty acids help reduce joint and muscle inflammation and fatigue, and enhances the functions of our respiratory and intestinal digestive system providing our muscles organs, and brains with the oxygen and nutrients needed to deal with stress and anxiety.

• -Flaxseed oil with lignans and fish oils which have been filtered to remove heavy metals can provide us with the essential fatty acids that we need for dealing with stress and anxiety. GABA i.e. Gamma-aminobutyric Acid, which is an amino acid, effects the neuro-receptors in our brain. This helps us deal with stress and anxiety by lowering over-reaction to potentially stress causing stimuli and enables us to be detached in an emotionally healthy way providing us with the calmness and poise we need to deal efficiently and effectively with what we are presented.

• -Herbs e.g. skull cap and passion flower can help us relax and receive the rest and sleep that we need. L-tyrosine is an essential amino acid often used to treat insomnia, depression and anxiety as well as helping to control appetite and elevate our mood. Melatonin and herbal formulas are available to us to provide the restful, restoring sleep we need in order to deal with anxiety and stress. Aromatherapy which is the use of aromas from plant essential oils can be added to our baths, used in massage oils, or released into our living space with aromatherapy candles. As we inhale these aromas, they quickly reach our brain and help provide us with feelings of calm and relaxation. The aromatherapy essential oils that are most effective in easing stress and anxiety are bergamot, cypress, geranium, jasmine neroli, rose, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Lavender is the most popular essential oil used to provide us with a feeling of calm and well being. These are just a few of the all natural substances and formulas available to us to help keep our bodies healthy as we experience the stress and anxiety that accompanies our too often hectic and prolonged stressful life experiences. Other all natural formulas that increase the functioning of our brains in the areas of attention, concentration and performance are also available to us. Our bodies need extra help in dealing with stress and anxiety.
• -Cognitively and emotionally we need breaks and periods of rest and release from stress and anxiety. The safest, non-addictive way to obtain the help we need for dealing with stress and anxiety is with all natural health care products that do not present the possibility of harmful side effects that actually increase stress and anxiety.

About The Author- Jennifer Kays has more than twenty years experience with all natural health care products. More information about all natural products for restoring and maintaining physical and emotional health when experiencing stress,depression and anxiety is available at => http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-depression-relief-c-35.html

*MENTAL EFFECTS OF STRESS

• --Effects of stress are not limited to our bodies. Perhaps our minds suffer even more as they change themselves from solution finders into sources of stressful thoughts. Yes, one of common causes of stress is the so-called mental stress coming from lack of ability to focus, short concentration period and feeling of weakness and lack of will to do anything.
• --Stress is going to reduce your ability to logical thinking, but increase the strength of your emotional responses in return. This means that you are bound to react impulsively even in those situations that call for something different. It will be impossible to stay cool and panic attacks, anxiety and anger are going to become a part of your life, greatly impeding your activities both at work and at home.
• --When your mind gives up, the body will soon follow. Tightened muscles are the sign that your body does not relax properly and is in a state of a constant alert. This leads to weariness, digestive and sleeping problems, not to mention increased blood pressure.
• --Physical problems will also soon start to create even more mental stress on their own. In the end you may find yourself lacking will to get up in the morning, but even earlier your performance a work will be down due to emotionality and weariness, and your family will suffer from your temper. When you notice such problems, call for help immediately, before the worst phase begins.
• --If you do nothing to cope with stress and let it grow, after a few years you will notice that your physical and mental condition will have gone to pieces. Heart diseases, obesity, muscle problems, arthritis, depression all of those conditions are likely to show up if you don’t stop your stress now. If you choose to do nothing, you risk death whether due to your medical condition or a suicide attempt out of depression. This is a “do or die situation”. --Stress can be coped with even during its last stages. However, one cannot do it alone. The reason for stress being so dangerous is that it limits people’s abilities to cope with it. What is more, it increases with every your failure. If you try to get rid of stress without external assistance, your attempt is doomed from the very start. You have to find someone to help you - what is a titanic task for a single person is often only moderately difficult for two.
• -About The Author: Andrew John writes about stress and it's damaging effects. without medication or prescription drugs. For more information and detailed studies on how to fight stress without drugs, go to: All-Natural Stress Relief.This and other unique content stress articles are available with free reprint rights. Get free content for your website at Copy & Paste Articles -Related tags
• anxiety
• career
• exercise
• finances
• fitness
• health
• mental health
• money
• relationships
• relaxation
• stress

*CHRONIC TEEN STRESS AND RELATED DANGERS OF IT

• -As one example of stress related to a life transition, the teen years often bring about an increase in perceived stress as young adults learn to cope with increasing demands and pressures.

• -Studies have shown that excessive stress during the teen years can have a negative impact upon both physical and mental health later in life.

• -For example, teen stress is a risk factor for the development of depression, a serious condition that carries an increased risk of suicide.
• -Fortunately, effective stress-management strategies can diminish the ill effects of stress. The presence of intact and strong social support networks among friends, family, and religious or other group affiliations can help reduce the subjective experience of stress during the teen years. Recognition of the problem and helping teens to develop stress-management skills can also be valuable preventive measures. In severe cases, a physician or other health care provider can recommend treatments or counseling that can reduce the long-term risks of teen stress.

What is the healthy response to stress?

-A key aspect of a healthy adaptational response to stress is the time course. Responses must be initiated rapidly, maintained for a proper amount of time, and then turned off to ensure an optimal result. -An over-response to stress or the failure to shut off a stress response can have negative biological consequences for an individual. Healthy human responses to stress involve three components:-

1. The brain handles (mediates) the immediate response. This response signals the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine and norepinephrine.
2. The hypothalamus (a central area in the brain) and the pituitary gland initiate (trigger) the slower maintenance response by signaling the adrenal cortex to release cortisol and other hormones.
3. Many neural (nerve) circuits are involved in the behavioral response. This response increases arousal (alertness, heightened awareness), focuses attention, inhibits feeding and reproductive behavior, reduces pain perception, and redirects behavior.

--There are two types of stress. The first type is acute stress. That’s the kind where your body senses danger and adapts to the threat by making physical changes which enable you to quickly get out of harms way. This occurs because your body secretes chemicals and stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals are secreted in response to your thoughts and cause your body to prepare for “fight or flight.” For example, let’s say you are crossing the street and you notice a car quickly approaching. You see the car which causes you to feel fear and anxiety. Your body then adapts to the stress by secreting chemicals and hormones which send messages to your heart, lungs and organs in order to prepare them to handle your crisis. Your heart rate increases, blood flow is diverted to muscles allowing for quick movement, your pupils dilate and more oxygen flows through your lungs for an extra burst of energy. These changes allow you to react quickly, enabling you to jump onto the curb to safety. Within a short period of time your body calms down and things return to normal. This protective mechanism is crucial to your safety and is designed to protect you against danger.

• --The other type of stress is called chronic stress. With chronic stress, chemicals and hormones which were only intended to be secreted for a short period of time are continually being released. The stress response is engaged and never turned off. Glands which secrete these chemicals don’t have an opportunity to replenish or restore themselves to pre stress levels. Your body remains in a state of hyper arousal, hormones are over secreted and eventually depleted. It’s like turning on the shower at full force and leaving it on. Eventually, you’re going to run out of hot water.
• --Stress and the immune system are very closely linked. Your immune system maintains internal harmony within your body. When it is healthy and strong, it is in fighting shape to protect you against unwanted invasion. One of the biggest dangers with chronic stress is that the over secretion of chemicals suppresses your immune system. When this occurs, your body doesn’t have the ability to fight off invaders as effectively, so you have less protection against illness, stress related conditions and disease. The immune system is directly affected by the way we handle stress. If it’s strong, it offers us protection, if it is weak, it is unable to fight for us.(Have you ever noticed how you may get a respiratory infection when you’re under a lot of stress? The stress you were under caused a release of stress hormones which weakened your immune system and couldn’t protect you against the invader).
• --Stress hormones and chemicals are released according to the way we think, feel and act. The way we think, feel and act is based on our ideas, beliefs, value system, religious upbringing, personality, culture and past conditioning. All of these variables determine how we are affected by stress because they create how we view the world around us. One event can be viewed so differently by two people depending on their perspective. For example, have you ever noticed how two people can view traffic? Once person can be seen banging their steering wheel, cursing and flooding in a sea of stress induced hormones. The other person can be seen catching up on phone calls, listening to music and enjoying a quiet moment.

• --It’s the same event for both, but how the event is regarded is completely different and is based on the way each one interprets the event. While we are all affected by stress differently, people who are better equipped to handle the stressors in their lives are the ones who enjoy the greatest health and wellness benefits. Their bodies aren’t continually releasing stress hormones which are causing immune system damage along with other bodily wear and tear.
• --When these chemicals are being constantly secreted, over time they can also cause stress induced conditions, illness and disease because they alter the chemistry of your cells while weakening your immune system. When hormones such as cortisol are depleted, autoimmune diseases can occur and conditions like arthritis are common. When levels are abnormal, other problems arise. Sleep quality, skin disorders, infertility, anxiety and delayed healing are all common when stress hormones are out of balance.
• --Stress also affects the nervous system which is directly tied to the digestive system. Ever notice how you many feel gassy, bloated or like you haven’t fully digested when you scarf down lunch? Your body interpreted the stress you were feeling and decided that it was more important to prepare you for the perceived battle than to effectively digest your meal. Digestive disturbances are so widespread that they are now the largest emergency room complaint. Conditions like reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers are all so common and can all be tied to stress.
• --If things weren’t bad enough, stress also causes us to age more quickly. This happens when cortisol is over secreted, there isn’t enough and more needs to be produced. Levels are regained by borrowing chemicals from your estrogen stores which are needed to help retain youth and vitality. Have you even noticed someone and thought “Wow, that person looks like they’ve had a hard life.” The way they’ve handled their stress is written all over them.
• --When you thought things couldn’t get worse, stress can also make you overweight! Here’s what happens. When you’re stressed the stress hormones are released and increase your appetite for high fat, high calorie foods. You then eat those foods and those are the foods which encourage the release of stress hormones! It’s an endless cycle leading to the over secretion of stress hormones, weight gain and frustration. These hormones also encourage fat to be stored in your abdominal region, increase the amount of glucose floating around in your blood and lay the groundwork for insulin resistance, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. So, the stress you interpret encourages you to eat foods that make you heavier which causes the release of more chemicals. If you’re an emotional eater, you’re in even bigger trouble. Now you’ve added extra eating as way to self medicate to feel better from your stress. You may choose foods high in fat and carbohydrates which give you a boost of the feel good chemical serotonin.

• --This lifts you up but then drops you hard and you are left with less energy than before. At this point, you’re left with your original stress, the feelings regarding your eating habits, excess weight, a starting point for illness or disease and stress hormones on a rampage.
• --It’s important to realize that the stress response was designed to be effective when used for short term safety. Unfortunately, those same chemicals which protect you from immediate danger, hurt you when they continue to be released.
• --To make matters worse, the body doesn’t know if the stress is real or merely imagined. It will secrete stress hormones whether you’re grieving over the death of a loved one, reacting to your kids making you crazy or replaying the pain, hurt or argument you had with your mother ten years ago.
• --We often don’t realize how the stress we feel can lead to a physical response. It may be easier to accept that a physical response is due to a physical cause. For example, you stub your toe, you scream out in pain. But think of this. You hear something embarrassing or something that makes you angry. The message is heard and interpreted by you according to the way you’ve learned to think, feel and act. As a result, you turn beet red or blush! If you’re nervous about something, you may feel “butterflies” or your hands may get clammy. If you’re angry you may feel “your blood boil”, you may have a “sour stomach” or you may feel heat coming off of you. All of these examples are physical reactions to emotions. The message was heard, interpreted, chemicals were secreted and you had a physical reaction to the message. That’s just one incidence! Now imagine the stress of motherhood, trying to be a good wife, coworker, daughter, sister, friend or neighbor. Add the need to be perfect, liked, approved, admired and respected. Mix it with the stress, strain and anxiety of past hurts, grievances and negative feelings stemming from an outlook or perspective that doesn’t serve you well. What have you got? A recipe for stress related conditions, illness and disease. While this may seem frightening, the beauty is you are in a wonderful position to stop the stress response.
• --Remember, your stress may not change. What can change however is the way you choose to react to it.
• --Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach and President of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc. Debi is a Lifestyle Expert who has worked exclusively with moms for nearly 20 years inspiring and empowering them to become physically fit and emotionally strong through gradual, lifestyle changes. For more on the Lifestyle Fitness Program, please visit http://www.lifestylefitnessinc.com/
• --Article republished from Copy & Paste Articles Related tags- balance , empowerment , fitness , inspiration , lifestyle change ,, motivation , self esteem , self growth , stress control , weight loss .

*HOW TO MANAGE STRESS EFFECTIVELY

• -Throughout the lifespan of stress management research, experts have argued about the exact definition of the word stress. There are many opposing viewpoints, and like many words in our language, the conflict lies in the way the word is commonly used in popular culture. When most people hear the word stress, their muscles tense and they expound on feelings produced by situations like time restraints, emotional pressures and the responsibilities of the daily grind. To the man on the street, the word stress is associated with negative or, at the very least, uncomfortable feelings.

• -Medically speaking, stress is anything that makes your body work harder. For example, your doctor might administer what is referred to as a “stress test” to gauge how your heart is working. The usually form of this procedure is gradually increase the amount of strenuous physical activity you’re performing until you’ve reached your limit. Theoretically, that limit will reveal a lot about the condition your body is in.

• -So technically, stress doesn’t have to be the monster we make it out to be. There are good kinds of stress too. It can be a creative energy, like an adrenaline rush for artists, or even writers in a hurry to make their deadline. Basically, stress is responsible for the internal flight-or-flight mechanism that alerts you to danger and could even save your life. However, researchers say not having to hunt our own food or fight for survival anymore has dulled our more feral instincts and we typically aren’t in enough control to use fight-or-flight as nature intended. A lot of people just panic.

• -The situation doesn’t have to be life threatening to initiate a flight-or-flight response. Studies say we tend to get a small does of it anytime we are startled or interrupted. When we are so stimulated, that it becomes an everyday part of our routine, we develop what is called General Adaptation Syndrome. Think of the syndrome like a callous. It’s your body’s way of coping with constant stress and allowing you to function in spite of it.

• -No matter how adept you become at handling whatever stresses you, your body will eventually rebel. Sighs of exposure to prolonged stressors can creep up in unexpected ways such a chronic headaches, muscle pain, insomnia, weight loss and a variety of digestive issues. You can only take so much. Sometimes what you think you can deal with and what you can actually handle are not the same. Pay attention to your body because it will let you know, even when your brain isn’t listening.

• -There are all kinds of ways to manage stress, and different methods work for different people. Some like to soak in a hot bath at the end of the day while others would rather sweat it off at the gym. Studies have shown that certain scents such as lavender trigger a calming effect for most people. It is commonly used in infant-care products for that reason.

• -As wide and varied as the things that stress us are the things that sooth us and perhaps even more so, the ways in which we perceive stress. The circumstances which trigger feelings of anxiety in one person may seem pleasant or at least benign to another. The key is to take a minute to evaluate the way you respond to the stimuli and adjust the way you thing and feel about it. Maybe if seeing a spider usually causes you to jump up and down, next time you see one try taking slow, deep breaths. Rather than perceiving the spider as something that might bite you, practice thinking of it as something you can simply step on.

--About The Author Kelly Hunter operates http://www.stress-management-help.org and writes about Stress Management.

*STRESS MANAGEMENT - 5 EASY WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

• -If you are reading this article, you have already fulfilled your first step in identifying that you may have a problem, and are taking active steps in learning how to cope with it. Whilst stress is sometimes seen as a negative problem, there is positive stress as well, which can help us to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency at our optimal stress level.
• style="color:#3333ff;">
• -Stress refers to the conflict we experience when we face pressures and react to the external environment, and this can take the form of both psychological and physical reactions. Be it competition at your workplace, or conflicts at home or with friends, stress is everywhere and certainly unavoidable. Hence, it is important that you learn how to manage your stress levels to ensure that they continue to remain positive, and not cause a negative effect on your lifestyle.
• Below are 5 easy ways to manage stress:-
• 1. Identify the Causes- --There are many causes of stress, which we refer to as stressors. These stressors are likely to occur in your everyday life, and you can identify them simply by your own reactions to different events or situations. For example, if you find yourself getting a headache when you are required to give a speech, you are likely to be suffering from performance stress. There are many different stressors, and these can range from bereavement and boredom to frustration.
• 2. Taking Deep Breaths- --This is perhaps one of the easiest and most effective relaxation techniques. When you feel your body tensing, or a headache approaching, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths and slowly accept the situation without panicking. Tell your body and mind to calm down, and this will help to stave off the approaching reactions that your body has to the stressor.
• 3. Think Positive- --Your subconscious mind picks up and magnifies your positive and negative thoughts! It is important that you maintain a positive attitude towards stress management, and this will help your subconscious to magnify on the positive aspects. Remember that no matter how stressful it may seem, you will learn something from the situation.
• 4. Take care of yourself - --If you take care of your body, it will help your mind to function better. A well rested body and mind can work wonders for stress relief, so make sure that you get the recommended dosage of 8 hours of sleep a day. A balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables will keep your systems healthy and working. Regular exercise at least twice a week will help your body to relax and unwind from the daily stressed you face. It does not need to be something that is extremely taxing – a brisk walk or yoga practice sessions work just as well as aggressive sports.
• 5. Relax- --Learn to slow down your pace and relax! The psychological and physical reactions are your body’s way of telling you that it needs a break, so take heed. Often, we are the most demanding on ourselves, and you need to remember that taking a break can be more productive than slogging on. A quick break or a power nap can help to rejuvenate your mind, and leave you more motivated than before!

About The Author Greg Frost is a leading innovator in the field of Stress Relief and the director of http://www.HowToRelieveStress.org which specializes providing a whole range of stress relief topics to improve the quality of your life

*JOURNALING FOR STRESS RELIEF

• -Journaling is a great way to deal with chronic stress. It is one of the most powerful tools for self growth and can help you release negative emotions, clear confusion and sort out puzzling or traumatic events.
• -The best way to begin is to set a time to write and put down whatever thoughts and feelings pop into your head. Your journal can be used to reflect on the events currently affecting you that are particularly traumatic or overwhelming. It can also be used to process other things, such as dreams, childhood events, and long and short term goals.
• -Research has shown that writing not only about your feelings but also your thoughts about your feelings is more helpful than just venting your feelings. In other words, write from both an emotional and an intellectual angle.
• - Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. The purpose of what you’re doing is to relieve stress and release pent up emotions, not to cause yourself more stress by censoring your own writing. Keep what you’ve written private. If you think privacy is an issue, keep it under lock and key. If you’re journaling on a computer, password protect your file.
• -A journal can be written on lined or plain paper, in a special bound book or a plain spiral notebook, or you can use a computer. The important thing is to make a commitment to write for 10-20 minutes each day if you can. Schedule a time to write, whether it’s first thing in the morning or last thing before you go to bed, preferably a time when you’re free from interruptions. Experiment with writing at different times of day and in different locations.
• -Don’t think of journaling as a chore. If you miss several days of writing, simply pick up and write again when you can. Chances are the more you practice journaling, the more you will look forward to it. Your journal can be thought of as a friend who is always willing to listen. In a journal you have the freedom to express deep emotions that you may not be able to share with anyone. No one will be affected by what you write.
• -If you review what you’ve written over time, you’ll be able to see your own growth. If you’re processing a traumatic event, you’ll be amazed to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve healed.
• -Journaling is a lot less expensive than most other methods of stress relief. It’s a great tool for self-knowledge and emotional healing. Like other healthy habits, you will improve with practice, and the benefits you attain from journaling will build the more you work on this life-changing habit.

About The Author Valerie Dansereau is a banker turned entrepreneur. She is the owner of http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com