By: Dr Jeff Bailey

Some years ago my wife and I conducted research into students who had significant reading disabilities. We were worried that there might be a positive correlation between reading underachievement and elevated stress levels. This seemed to be an area that no one had bothered about in their research. The connection between a reading disability and emotional well-being, specifically stress, seem to be an obvious one. We identified a cohort of fourth graders who had a serious reading disability and we measured their stress levels using a ‘self-report’ system, that is, a pencil and paper survey.

This was one research study with a socially positive outcome. We were delighted to find that at least in this sample of boys in this particular school that while the boys were significant underachievers in reading, their stress levels were normal and no stress relief program was necessary.

I firmly believe in careful and frequent measuring of stress levels in my patients. How else can I know if my stress relief therapy is working? I don’t know anyone who does not want to relieve their stress? Do you think your results would be accurate using a self-report instrument? The answer is – ‘Yes’. You can measure your own stress levels just as easily and reliably as you can tell a psychologist how well you feel, your level of depression and anxiety and so on. When people start to understand themselves and become attuned to the variations in their ‘wellness’, they CAN report reliably. After all, emotional well-being is a personal and subjective business, don’t you agree?

There other physiological stress testing programs – urine and blood analysis. Both require medical analysis and the chemical of interest is cortisol. There seems to be substantial evidence that cortisol levels increase with psychological stress. There is little doubt that as your stress levels rise, there are increases in physiological responses too. These include elevated heart rate, blood pressure, flushing, skin changes and so on. For many people there are also headaches and even migraines and associated aura.

If you want self-report stress tests – go online! There are plenty of online tests of nearly anything. Unfortunately, you would never know how reliable these tests are. I use a 10 item Stress Test to understand how my clients feel about their levels of stress and anxiety. If we use this test several times over a period of months, we can both track the client’s changes in mood. To meet the challenge of managing stress I have to check that my stress relief therapy is working.

When I assess patient stress before introducing stress relief programs, I ask whether people have been feeling worried and upset, if they have noted changes in sleeping or eating, whether they feel refreshed after sleep, able to relax, feel physically ill, are inattentive and unproductive and have mood swings. These responses can be grouped under four main headings: Physiological and Physical Responses; emotional responses, inter-personal responses; and cognitive responses.

I think it is important to know my patients’ levels of stress. The more you know, the easier it is to manage the stress and anxiety. I believe that we should know and understand ‘the enemy’. High levels of stress, being stressed out, experiencing burnout are all symptoms of a system that is disordered and unproductive. Small amounts of stress can be very helpful to us but excessive stress levels are seriously disabling. So we need information on stress. We need to know how stressed we are. We need to be able to identify the stressors.

To get the best out of stress relief therapy, we need to know how to respond to stress. I have identified 15 ways that people typically respond to stress. The trick is to choose those responses and stress management strategies that work best and fastest. Life is too short to waste valuable time being miserable.

Unfortunately, stress often interferes with relationships because we feel tense, anxious and worried. The sad part of this is that the best form of stress relief is social support. Being able to share our feelings with a friend or loved one reduces stress and tension. And this costs nothing. A trouble shared is often a trouble halved. Of course sometimes the issues are much more difficult to manage. A good case in point is the current problems many people are experiencing in regard to home loans and mortgage foreclosures. These and other more serious stressors require professional help.

It is my hope that this information on stress and stress relief is helpful. Naturally, these short articles are like icebergs – we can cover a small amount of the issue but much remains under the surface and requires deeper reading and investigation. My final point is that the more you know about your personal psychology, mental health, stress levels and anxiety, the more YOU can take charge of your life, successfully relieve and manage stress.

Dr Jeff, a psychologist, writes about stress. He has consulted with many employees and organizations to reduce stress and increase morale. He knows that most people experience higher levels of stress from time to time. To understand how to manage stress and the key principles of stress relief, we need to know a lot about the psychology of stress and stress management. For more stress relief information, visit http://www.drjeffbailey.com to get a free book that will introduce you to effective stress management. For Dr Jeff’s full book on stress management, go to http://mightydigitaldownloads.com/dr-jeff681632552752156691045/stress-management-by-dr-jeff/ for a comprehensive guide to stress management and stress relief.

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By: Raymond S
Stress occurs when a situation is perceived as stressful. Stress is often associated with situations that are difficult to handle. The way of seeing things also affects your stress level. If you have high expectations, it is likely to experience more than its fair share of stress. Learn to cope with stress is a good way to go.

1 – Be realistic – Set realistic goals. Emphasize quality over quantity. Working at a leisurely pace, take frequent breaks. 

2 – Show the best results – How to cope with stress is knowing how to cope with a stressful situation before it happens. Rehearse how to handle the situation. Imagine having success in dealing with stress. 

3 – Take a break – is a good idea to do fun things, like watching a movie or play a game or take a drive for a while so every day. The development of an active hobby like gardening or drawing or playing, so music is a great destroyer of stress. 

4 – Get Organized – How to cope with stress has to do with planning. You can plan an error or a plan to succeed. Organize your time working, family, hobbies, spiritual time, time with friends and time alone, time to exercise and time for relaxation. 

5 – One of the best strategies for dealing with stress is not put out of action until tomorrow if you can do today. The situations become more difficult when it postponed. Do your homework to the top seed, followed by rewards. 

Coping with stress is also to be flexible and live a balanced life. Not to let others impose their views on you or reject it completely. Try to be patient instead of judging, listen to others and I think more before making a decision.

Relieve your stress now by downloading the audio and video about Stress management tips.

Full stopping panic attacks can be downloaded for limited time only! Click the link to download now!

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By: Leslie Waler
Life is full of obstacles it isn’t always able to please us, easy or flexible. In many situations, life can be really stressful at all times, especially in our jobs, and most of the time, we don’t know how to overcome stress at work. Stress kills! But the truth is, it is not the stress that may harm us, rather our response and approach toward the stressful situation were about to face in our daily life.

Click Here For Beating Stress Now Instant Access Now!

Simple exercises should lend a hand to lessen some of that work stress, by inhaling through our nose and exhaling it in the mouth several times while sitting at your office desk when you suffer from stressed.

How to overcome stress at work? Prioritize your task and don’t overdo it for yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you feel that you have too much work to do.  You don’t want to suffer from stress than to be so overwhelmed with the work that you do.

Keeping the whole thing to yourself will not help you; open up a good conversation with a close friend or psychotherapist to talk about the stress you are dealing at work. It is a great opportunity to let out your stressful work troubles with someone you can depend.

On a piece of paper, sit down and write what is the cause of your stress at work. Talk to a friend or analyst for them to help you on finding the best solution on your problem and to see what are they concern to your solution and how you can put it into action so you will be able to cope with it and you will not be carried away with your problem that so easy cause you know these steps on how to overcome stress at work.

Click Here For Beating Stress Now Instant Access Now!

This author writes about Beating Stress Now and Techniques For Stress Management.

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By: dr. sarkozy
Stress, either quick or steady, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, insomnia, nervousness and muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems.

They may also affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Read more on Home Remedies for Stress and Natural Anti-Stress Herb and Natural Stress Relief

Stress is a normal physical reply to events that make you feel in danger or upset your balance in some way.

When you sense danger – whether it’s real or imagined – the body’s military protection kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic procedure known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.

Stress is simply a fact of nature — forces from the outside world moving the individual. The individual responds to stress in ways that involve the individual as well as their environment.

Hence, all living creatures are in a stable interchange with their surroundings (the ecosystem), both physically and behaviorally.

This interplay of forces, or energy, is of course there in the relationships between all matter in the universe, whether it is living (animate) or not living (inanimate).

Stress is a feeling that’s created when we react to exacting events. It’s the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough state of affairs with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.

The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations — everything from complete physical danger to making a class appearance or taking a semester’s worth of your toughest subject.

Stress Treatment

Natural antidepressants are flattering more and more popular as a treatment for mental illness. Many anxiety and depression treatments do not pose any removal symptoms or side effects.

Natural antidepressants are the alternatives to depression anxiety stress action drugs as they are more effective, less luxurious and less intrusive.

They are without side property and can be used by everyone. These natural depression treatments can be safely used over long period. They are able to prevent relapse in the future and also to treat the existing symptoms.

We can put the brakes on once we have been accessed. If there is nothing in immediate need of repair, we can take responsibility for our actions. It’s time to re-assess what we are doing in our lives.

And so alcohol, drugs, tranquillizers and anti-depressants are frequently turned to in an attempt to escape from and cope with the often overwhelming and frequently incapacitating effects of stress.

Home Remedies for Stress

1.    The most effectual way to treat stress would be to chew 10-20 leaves of Holy Basil everyday.

2.    Another effectual home remedy would be to prepare a decoction of Holy Basil leaves. For this, add 20 to 25 leaves in half a liter of water. Boil this decoction until it gets reduced to half. Strain the mixture and drink it while it’s still warm.

3.    Prepare a paste with dry ginger and water/ milk. Apply this on your forehead. Its cooling properties will help ease off the stress a bit.

4.    Take some betel leaves and wash them in water. Place the leaves on the brow and leave them there for sometime. This is likely to bring relief from stress.

5.    Bishop’s Weeds (Ajwain) are helpful in treating stress. Put a handful of the seeds in a handkerchief and sniff them for sometime.

Read more on Home Remedies for Stress and Natural Anti-Stress Herb and Natural Stress Relief

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By: Sarah Labdar
Stress is a natural part of life. These days there are very few who don’t get stressed over money, the economy, the housing market, jobs or even family. Our bodies naturally react to stress through blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, body temperature and muscle contractions. Everyone deals with stress on different levels and in different ways.  However, if one is not able to deal with stress it can ultimately lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

It wasn’t until the 1930′s that the word stress was used to characterize a condition where a stressor causes stimulus. Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, witnessed an inappropriate physiological response to demand placed on a human or animal.  Before coining the term stress was considered a normal part of daily function and encounters that results in strain. Now, we know that stress plays an important part in physical, emotional and mental well being.

Stress is defined as a failure to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats whether they are real or imagined. The signs of stress are easily recognizable and can present themselves as cognitive, behavioral, emotional or physical symptoms. Therefore when presented with stress one’s whole demeanor, attitude and presence can change. Cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms include poor judgment, negative outlook, anxiety, worrying, moodiness, irritability, agitation, inability to relax, loneliness, isolation, depression, lack of concentration and absentmindedness. Physical symptoms include increased heart rate, breathing, energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and production of sweat. Stress can also cause physical symptoms of aches and pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chest pain, upset stomach and headache. Chronic stress that occurs over a longer period of time consistently can cause both physical and psychological damage to a person. Long-term stress depresses the immune system leaving it susceptible to infections, disease, and illness. Stress promotes the accumulation of visceral fat, which is a leading cause of obesity. Additional chronic stress has been connected to ulcers, cancer, heart disease, increased outbreaks of psoriasis, depression and diabetes. In children who experience chronic stress a stunt to developmental growth is normally seen.

Stress is normally given a bad connotation, which implies it is negative.  However, most people forget or don’t mention good stress. When Hans Selye discovered stress, he studied all types of stress and realized that stress even when its good is still a stress nonetheless. He developed eustress or good stress and distress or bad stress. Eustress is a condition that enhances ones physical or mental function such as exercise, marriage, having a baby or a promotion. Where as, distress is persistent stress that is not resolved through coping or adaptation, which can lead to symptoms of withdrawal or anxiety. The difference between good and bad stress is based upon one’s past experiences, personal expectations, and the resources to cope with stress.

Coping with stress is not an easy task. Everyone adapts to stress differently and some people have an easier time dealing with stress than others. The way that the body reacts to a stressor is understood through the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which describes the effects of stress on the body. Depending upon the intensity and duration of the stressor will determine if the stress is acute-short term or chronic-long term.  At the first sign of stress the bodies stress response is in a state of alarm. The body reacts by producing adrenaline which causes a fight or flight response. Fight or flight is the body’s way of preparing to fight (cope, adapt) or flee. The second stage is the resistance to stress. If a stressor persists the body must find a means of coping with the stress.  Does the body have a way to adapt to the strain or demands of the surrounding environment? As we cope with stress, the body’s resources (nutrients, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals) are gradually depleted. The final stage is exhaustion where the body’s resources are completely used up, leading to inability to function normally. Weakness, fatigue decreased energy, inability to concentrate or think clearly are all signs of exhaustion. Long-term exhaustion can be detrimental to ones health and can manifest disease. Although, these stages represent a model of how stress affects the body, stress can manifest itself differently in every person.

No two people will respond to the exact same stressor in the exact same way. Life experience and social background play a role in determining ones ability to cope with stress. Normal responses to stress include adaptation, coping, anxiety and depression. Coping mechanisms include stress management. Stress management provides individuals with techniques to handle stress on a daily basis. Learning to cope with stress will help you live a happier, healthier life.

Graduated with a BA in exercise science and have worked in the medical field since.  My focus is alternative medicine however all aspects of health interest me.  Check out my health website!

Everyday Health, Live your Life to the fullest!

http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Stress.html

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