10 Health Problems Related to Stress

What are some of the most significant health problems related to stress? Here's a sampling.

1. Heart disease Researchers have long suspected that the stressed-out, type A personality has a higher risk of high blood pressure and heart problems. We don't know why, exactly. Stress might have a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels. It's also possible that stress is related to other problems -- an increased likelihood of smoking or obesity -- that indirectly increase the heart risks.
   Doctors do know that sudden emotional stress can be a trigger for serious cardiac problems, including heart attacks. People who have chronic heart problems need to avoid acute stress as much as they can.
2. Asthma Many studies have shown that stress can worsen asthma. Some evidence suggests that a parent's chronic stress might even increase the risk of developing asthma in their children. One study looked at how parental stress affected the asthma rates of young children who were also exposed to air pollution or whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. The kids with stressed out parents had a substantially higher risk of developing asthma.
3. Obesity Excess fat in the belly seems to pose greater health risks than fat on the legs or hips -- and unfortunately, that's just where people with high stress seem to store it. "Stress causes higher levels of the hormone cortisol," says Winner, "and that seems to increase the amount of fat that's deposited in the abdomen." 
4. Diabetes Stress can worsen diabetes in two ways. First, it increases the likelihood of bad behaviors, such as unhealthy eating and excessive drinking. Second, stress seems to raise the glucose levels of people with type 2 diabetes directly.
5. Headaches Stress is considered one of the most common triggers for headaches -- not just tension headaches, but migraines as well.
6. Depression and anxiety It's probably no surprise that chronic stress is connected with higher rates of depression and anxiety. One survey of recent studies found that people who had stress related to their jobs -- like demanding work with few rewards -- had an 80% higher risk of developing depression within a few years than people with lower stress. 
7. Gastrointestinal problems Here's one thing that stress doesn't do -- it doesn't cause ulcers. However, it can make them worse. Stress is also a common factor in many other GI conditions, such as chronic heartburn (GERD) and IBS, Winner says.
8. Alzheimer's disease One animal study found that stress might worsen Alzheimer's disease, causing its brain lesions to form more quickly. Some researchers speculate that reducing stress has the potential to slow down the progression of the disease.
9. Accelerated aging There's actually evidence that stress can affect how you age. One study compared the DNA of mothers who were under high stress -- they were caring for a chronically ill child -- with women who were not. Researchers found that a particular region of the chromosomes showed the effects of accelerated aging. Stress seemed to accelerate aging about 9 to 17 additional years.
10. Premature death A study looked at the health effects of stress by studying elderly caregivers looking after their spouses -- people who are naturally under a great deal of stress. It found that caregivers had a 63% higher rate of death than people their age who were not caregivers.

USEFUL INFORMATION !!!!!!

Feeling like there are too many pressures and demands on you? Losing sleep worrying about tests and schoolwork? Eating on the run because your schedule is just too busy? You're not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times — adults, teens, and even kids. But there are ways to minimize stress and manage the stress that's unavoidable.

What Is Stress?

Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation 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 outright physical danger to making a class presentation or taking a semester's worth of your toughest subject.
The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment.
This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.

Good Stress and Bad Stress

The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure's on but there's no actual danger — like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed.
But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too.
Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other problems.

Continue

 

What Causes Stress Overload?

Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story — too much stress isn't good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn.
Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload. Here are some of the things that can overwhelm the body's ability to cope if they continue for a long time:

• being bullied or exposed to violence or injury
• relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one
• ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, such as ADHD (usually once the problem is recognized and the person is given the right learning support the stress disappears)
• crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go

Some stressful situations can be extreme and may require special attention and care. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape.
Some people have anxiety problems that can cause them to overreact to stress, making even small difficulties seem like crises. If a person frequently feels tense, upset, worried, or stressed, it may be a sign of anxiety. Anxiety problems usually need attention, and many people turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming them.

Signs of Stress Overload

People who are experiencing stress overload may notice some of the following signs:

• anxiety or panic attacks
• a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried
• irritability and moodiness
• physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain
• allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma
• problems sleeping
• drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs
• sadness or depression

Everyone experiences stress a little differently. Some people become angry and act out their stress or take it out on others. Some people internalize it and develop eating disorders or substance abuse problems. And some people who have a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.

Keep Stress Under Control

What can you do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most helpful method of dealing with stress is learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge, good or bad. Stress-management skills work best when they're used regularly, not just when the pressure's on. Knowing how to "de-stress" and doing it when things are relatively calm can help you get through challenging circumstances that may arise.
Here are some things that can help keep stress under control:

• Take a stand against overscheduling. If you're feeling stretched, consider cutting out an activity or two, opting for just the ones that are most important to you.
  
• Be realistic. Don't try to be perfect — no one is. And expecting others to be perfect can add to your stress level, too (not to mention put a lot of pressure on them!). If you need help on something, like schoolwork, ask for it.
  
• Get a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, making you better equipped to deal with any negative stressors. Because the biological "sleep clock" shifts during adolescence, many teens prefer staying up a little later at night and sleeping a little later in the morning. But if you stay up late and still need to get up early for school, you may not get all the hours of sleep you need.
  
• Learn to relax. The body's natural antidote to stress is called the relaxation response. It's your body's opposite of stress, and it creates a sense of well-being and calm. The chemical benefits of the relaxation response can be activated simply by relaxing. You can help trigger the relaxation response by learning simple breathing exercises and then using them when you're caught up in stressful situations. (Click on the button to try one.) And ensure you stay relaxed by building time into your schedule for activities that are calming and pleasurable: reading a good book or making time for a hobby, spending time with your pet, or just taking a relaxing bath.
• Treat your body well. Experts agree that getting regular exercise helps people manage stress. (Excessive or compulsive exercise can contribute to stress, though, so as in all things, use moderation.) And eat well to help your body get the right fuel to function at its best. It's easy when you're stressed out to eat on the run or eat junk food or fast food. But under stressful conditions, the body needs its vitamins and minerals more than ever. Some people may turn to substance abuse as a way to ease tension. Although alcohol or drugs may seem to lift the stress temporarily, relying on them to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.
  
• Watch what you're thinking. Your outlook, attitude, and thoughts influence the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best of stressful circumstances. Even if you're out of practice, or tend to be a bit of a pessimist, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits.
  
• Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. But avoiding them can leave you feeling like you have little control and that just adds to stress. Develop skills to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life's bigger ones — and it and can serve you well in times of stress.
  
  

  Build Your Resilience

  Ever notice that certain people seem to adapt quickly to stressful circumstances and take things in stride? They're cool under pressure and able to handle problems as they come up. Researchers have identified the qualities that make some people seem naturally resilient even when faced with high levels of stress.
  If you want to build your resilience, work on developing these attitudes and behaviors:
  
• Think of change as a challenging and normal part of life.
• See setbacks and problems as temporary and solvable.
• Believe that you will succeed if you keep working toward your goals.
• Take action to solve problems that crop up.
• Build strong relationships and keep commitments to family and friends.
• Have a support system and ask for help.
• Participate regularly in activities for relaxation and fun.

Learn to think of challenges as opportunities and stressors as temporary problems, not disasters. Practice solving problems and asking others for help and guidance rather than complaining and letting stress build. Make goals and keep track of your progress. Make time for relaxation. Be optimistic. Believe in yourself. Be sure to breathe. And let a little stress motivate you into positive action to reach your goals.

 

Natural Remedies for Anxiety

There are many natural remedies for anxiety, a problem that plagues far too many people worldwide. First of all, anxiety is the body's automatic response to stress. Anxiety provides the body with a boost of adrenalin when a lion crosses our path in the jungle--it's a life-saving response. Unfortunately, anxiety has become a way of life for a myriad of people around the globe. Now it's bills and cubicles and traffic and computer meltdowns crossing our paths in the suburban jungle. While the body's response hasn't changed, it still cannot survive in a constant state of "5 Alarm Fire" like this. When experiencing anxiety, one's heart rate and blood pressure increase, blood sugar elevates, sweating often becomes excessive, and it may be difficult to breathe and swallow. Rather than running to the doctor for a pharmaceutical medication, first consider some of the many natural remedies for anxiety.
Meditation is a favorite natural remedy for anxiety--it's fast, easy, and free. (All three of these should automatically reduce anxiety!) If you've never tried meditation, start by downloading or purchasing a guided meditation CD. Get yourself into a comfortable, upright position in a room that is quiet and free of distractions. Put the CD in to play and just listen to the instructions. A peaceful, calming voice will instruct you on how to breathe and where to let your thoughts go. After just 5 or 10 minutes of meditation, even the most anxious person will notice a dramatic shift towards tranquility.
Another fast, easy, free, and natural remedy for anxiety is using affirmations. Affirmations are simply positive statements that you repeat in your head to yourself throughout the day. Begin your affirmations by saying, "I am..." For example:
- I am relaxed.
- I am happy.
- I am safe.
- I am in control.
- I am at peace.
Affirmations should be repeated 10 times or more consecutively each time you feel anxiety coming on. They can be even more effective when combined with some of the tricks you learn in meditation, such as deep breathing.
Still fast, easy, and free, visualizations are another great natural remedy for anxiety. In line with meditating and using affirmations, visualizations also help create a peaceful state of mind that counteracts the effects of anxiety. Visualizations are best done in the morning before getting out of bed or at night before falling asleep (when the mind is alert but less cluttered with mental chatter). Use all of your 5 senses to see yourself peacefully responding to an upcoming stressful event or going through your daily routine with ease--taste what it's like to be peaceful, see it, feel it, hear it. The more "3-dimensional" your visualizations are, the more powerful will be their impact on your mental state.
One final tip on dealing with anxiety naturally is in using the "Serenity Prayer." This non-denominational prayer says, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." This powerful little prayer can also help you reduce anxiety without expensive Western medicine.

How To Be Patient

Patience is one great virtue to possess but it doesn't happen that easily. Personally I am constantly working out ways of how to be patient especially in dealing with difficult people. When we talk of patience in the Bible, the reference is always drawn to Job; the fact that he didn't curse God nor sin against him in his mouth during his tragedy is worthy of emulation. Patience is the quality of endurance under trials - an attitude of the heart with respect to things and people. Here are powerful keys on how to be patient.

1. Identify the trigger points.

The fact that we're wired differently is the reason you've to identify in your life the issues or persons that trigger the spirit of impatience in you. The Bible calls for self examinations to gain proper perspective in our walk of faith. Once you can identify the triggers, then you'll be able to work at getting better in cultivating a patient spirit.


2. Practice the acts of breathing.
When you feel the rush of emotions, the tense feeling, tightening and clenching, pull away in your mind and take scoops of deep breaths. I've applied these methods in several occasions and it's really very effective. It relaxes your emotions and brings clarity to your mind. Do this as many times as is necessary to re-established calmness in your whole person.


3. Have right priority about life's challenges.
Job said naked was I born into this world in like manner shall I return to the grave. He didn't place so much priority on the riches he had just lost or even on his children. Many times our priorities are out-of-place forcing us into the spirit of impatience. Job's dialogue was mainly with God as he must have deemed him to hold the answer to his predicament. At one point, he affirmed heartily, "I will wait until my change come". This is a sure way of how to be patient, put your priority by the grace of God at where it should be.


4. Break away and pray.
Prayer is one of the powerful keys on how to be patient. If you wait patiently on the Lord in a time of prayer, you'll emerge relaxed and calm. Take short prayer breaks if you're becoming impatient.


5. Engage in meditative study of the word.
The bible says that we should study to be patient. When you meditate on God's word, the life in the word will penetrate your soul, working out the fruits of the spirit in you. The patience that develops during trials creates in our hearts a deeper understanding of the working of God in our circumstances. Patience is a commandment. See James 5:7-11. Once you've learned how to be patient, you'll avoid running into situations that could impede your walk with the Lord. Patience is a skill developed out of real life challenges and experiences and is worth its weight in gold after all.


The costs of impatient are regrettable actions and decisions that leave you worst than at the beginning. Many people wonder how to be patient without any reasonable effort on their part. Human life demands that we exhibit patience. Learn how to be patient in a relationship, how to be patient in love, how to be patient with God and how to be patient when things don't go your way.
In all, there are more to gain in developing the spirit of patience than anger and irritation.

10 Tips To Minimize Stress

Tip 1. Get proper rest. When its time for bed, it can be difficult for us to fall asleep if we can't turn off our minds from the stresses of the day. We toss and turn all night thinking about what needs to get done the next day that before you know it, its morning, we hardly got any rest and now we enter our day feeling very irritable and unrested. Commit to giving yourself at least 7 hours of sleep every night.


Tip 2. Pray/Meditate. Begin and end each day with prayer or meditation to mentally prepare yourself for your day as well as to end each day. When you begin each day with a calm and positive attitude, you will be less likely to allow stress to overtake you. When you end each day in the same fashion, it will be easier for you to rest your mind therefore rest your body.


Tip 3. Exercise. Exercising is a great stress reliever as well as a great way to get in shape! Start small by walking and gradually incorporate other exercises to your routine. Don't cheat yourself by saying you don't have the time to work out; make time and make the commitment!


Tip 4. Put yourself on a fast. Take a break from the things that aren't contributing to a better you. Do you have to engage in gossip over the phone with your friends every night? Doing without this, you cut off the chance of letting others stress affect you. Or how about charging unnecessary items on your credit cards that you could do without? You can alleviate the stress of wondering how to pay those high interest payments by only using credit cards for emergencies.


Tip 5. Get involved in a home based business. It doesn't take much time to get involved and who wouldn't benefit from some residual income? Focus on something you are good at and build on it. Do you have items around the house that you don't use but could be of use to others? How about selling them on EBay? Do you like to cook? How about creating an e-book with your best recipes? The sky is the limit to what you can get involved with in home based businesses! You will only be successful at doing what you are good at and everyone is good at something!


Tip 6. Make a list. You wouldn't go grocery shopping without a list, right? To curb some of the stress of everyday tasks, make a list of the things you need to accomplish and as you complete them, cross them off the list. This is such a simple tip but it can aid in cutting the stress of trying to remember everything you need to do and getting frustrated when you forget some things.


Tip 7. Find your sanctuary. What types of things relax you? A massage? Bubble bath? Gardening? Curling up with a good book? Everyone has their own sanctuary but we often get too busy with the whirlwinds in our lives that we don't seek out places we can go to for refuge and relaxation. Tap into that and take the time to clear your mind.


Tip 8. Pamper yourself. Every now and then, it's perfectly okay to indulge in yourself. When you feel good mentally, your body has no choice but to follow!


Tip 9. Smile. This is one of the simplest gifts you can give yourself. Smiling sends out the message that all is well with you. The best part about smiling is that it is contagious and what you give, you receive.


Tip 10. Enjoy yourself. Have you ever been out with a friend who was just not good company and you didn't enjoy being out with them? Well, if you wouldn't want to be them, why would others want to be around you if you are always stressed out, irritable and moody? Learn to enjoy yourself, life, and those around you and it can make all the difference!

Stress Management Techniques

The simple realization that you are in control of your life is the foundation of stress management
Living with high levels of stress, can putt your entire health at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional stability, as well as your physical health. It tapers with your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.
Causes of Stress
Stress may be because of any physical, chemical, or emotional factors that cause bodily or mental unrest and that may even cause physical sickness. Stress also has effects on the immune system. Chronic (long-term) stress has the effect of (wearing down) the immune system, leading to an increased susceptibility to colds and other infections.
Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins, illnesses, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied.
How to Manage Stress
Stress is a daily part of our life; it would be absolutely foolish to think that we can eliminate it from our lives completely. What we can do is to manage it and not let it cripple us.
Learn to say (no) : This is the most important step,know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept extra responsibilities that you know will cause you distress.
Avoid people who stress you out : If someone constantly causes stress in your life and you can not turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
Take control of your environment : Avoid environments that stress you, if traffic is got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If shopping is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online or ask someone to help out.
Avoid heated topics : If you get upset over religion or politics, avoid talking about them. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people you are bound to be stressed.
Know your limits: evaluate your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you have got too much on your plate, drop tasks that are not truly necessary to the bottom or eliminate them entirely.
Express instead of bottling up- If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and polite way. If you do not voice your feelings, resentment will build creating unnecessary stress.
Compromise- When you ask someone to change their actions, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend a little, you will find a middle ground.
Be more assertive- If you need something ask for it. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them.
Manage your time better- Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you are stretched too thin and running behind, it is hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead, you can avoid these stress-inducing pitfalls.
Do not try to control the uncontrollable- Many things in life are beyond our control particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control.
Look for the Bright side- When facing major challenges try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth.
Share your feelings- Talk to a trusted friend or a therapist. Expressing what you are going through can be very therapeutic, even if there is nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.
Learn to forgive- Let go of anger and resentments.Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.
Include relaxation time-Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Do not allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
Create a Support system- A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life
Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
Eat a healthy diet- Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
Reduce caffeine and sugar- The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you will feel more relaxed and you will sleep better.
Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs- alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Later the stress simply piles on plus your health starts to suffer.
Get enough sleep-Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

8 Ways to Lose Weight - by Just Reducing Stres

Let's get honest. Are you really just a little overweight? By 2030, according to a Baylor University study, 100 percent of U.S. citizens will be obese by current standards. For many, being overweigh is stressful. For others, stress is a significant cause of extra weight. It's stress that holds the key to shifting this paradox.
To understand the importance stress plays, we need to understand that it's a survival response that's always activated. To survive, we either do fight or flight, so we need quick energy - sugar. We crave survival food under continuing stress. Simultaneously, our bodies are shutting down other functions such as digestion. Complex adjustment of body functions makes us crave foods that we should not eat.
Then there is the culture we live in, which shows anorexic models, and movie stars that have lipo-sucked every once of unwanted fat. If that's not enough there is Photoshop morphing of humans into super humans. These unreal images create huge stress, particularly for our young girls, to the extent that they are experiencing puberty earlier than ever and getting plastic surgery to be perfect. These images become subliminal. Then we are consciously blind - we don't realize we are seeing them. They linger in our unconscious, drive us to spend our money on merchandise to be beautiful, and stress out about our imperfections.
Whatever we may stress about will impact our bodies. Often the influence will effect the disposition of our fat. A new study will be based on the phenomenon that stress creates a pot belly. Because of the hormone released under stress, pot bellied people develop a more dangerous fat, a visceral fat that lies between the organs.
Fat is a symptom of stress. We can continue to treat the symptom as we have for the last 50 years or we can shift to treating the cause. There are external factors, such as the media, which we can't change. More powerful and more immediate are the internal factors, our response to stress. After 30 years of working with clients and students who often sought my help for addressing the cause of their weight, I can say often reducing stress will take weight off and create a body that you will inherently accept.
Here are 8 approaches to losing weight through reducing stress. Some of what I discuss may not be comfortable to read. My goal is to assist you in escaping your stress, not making you feel good.


1. Leave survival behind. Begin to understand the power of stress. Fighting stress and its response (craving survival foods) is a losing fight. You are going up against your biology and genetics. You are hardwired to survive, so stop trying to repress a natural behavior. Focus on taking yourself out of the survival state.
Another view is to realize you are stuck in post traumatic stress. The body is experiencing trauma when stress is not actually present. You need to unwind tension and unlearn stress behavior. Your body will transform itself when this occurs.
About 15 years ago, when I had a clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, a woman came in asking if I could do for her what her friends claimed I did for them. I told the woman that if she lost her chronic stress and learned to not recreate it, after several months she probably would be thinner. She saw me for ten weekly sessions. Her body changed some, but we both agreed it was not transformed.
Six months latter, I saw a very attractive woman in a black dress at the end of my long hall. Not until I was close to her did I realize it was my former client seeing someone else in my office. I told her I did not recognize her. She said few months after finishing with me she started dropping pounds without dieting or exercising. Her parting comment was, "this is the body I always wanted, but thought I would never have." It was the body of an unstressed woman.
When we release old stress, we learn to not recreate it. The cellulite women often complain about disappears. The fascia (the connective tissue which is also scar tissue) that holds the stress also holds fat. When the stress is released, the fascia is released and the fat can dissolve away.
Be aware of when stress or tension is going into your body. Then breathe and express your feelings. These two simple behaviors will change your life.


2. Challenge your beliefs. What are your unconscious affirmations? What are your mantras that you keep repeating? These internal voices become self-fulfilling statements. For example, if you tell yourself and others "I am fat," you will continue to be. I am not suggesting the opposite, that you go around staying "I am thin" when you don't believe it. There is a middle ground that allows for change. This ground is where you stand in the present experiencing what is true while holding the possibility and intent of change. For example, you might say to yourself - "I am losing weight."
As you begin to accept being overweight, along with the corresponding emotions, you hold the in you mind the intent of being your thinner self. At first, your mind will want to escape to the old patterns of denial, self-loathing and setting unreal goals before it settles in a place of acceptance. This acceptance can then lead to creating a vision of what you want while still maintaining the experience of your negative emotions. The juxtaposition of acceptance and goal setting may seem counter-intuitive, yet it in this space you create an opportunity for something new to occur.


3. Give up unreal images. What literal and metaphorical images do you focus on? Do you have pictures of thin bodies on your fridge? Or are you looking at magazines with "perfect bodies?" When we put what we believe are unreal goals in front of us our minds say, "Who do you think you are, you are not that person and never will be." These inspiring images backfire. They reinforce our self-loathing and repeated failure at losing weight.
Making the shift from seeing these images as a finite state to a process can enable change. Rather than saying "I am that image," try saying to yourself "I am in a process of becoming my own person who shares characteristics of that image."
The mind will know when something is not true and it will, on some level, fight back. Hold images and use affirmations that are possible.


4. Lose the secondary gains. These are behaviors or even illnesses we create to achieve indirectly what we believe we can't get directly. In other words, if you were not getting something out of being overweight you would not be overweight. We all have some self-defeating behaviors. I certainly have had my share. I can remember allowing kids to pick on me because I convinced myself that was safer than standing up for myself
There was a book a woman wrote 30 years ago, I think it was "Fat is a Feminine Issue." If it was, I can't find it. Her thesis was that women (the corresponding can be true for men) acquired fat to keep men away. Dealing with the fat was supposedly easier than dealing with the possibility of a relationship. The author challenged her readers to address their issues around relationships as a means to losing weight.
My challenge to you is to act as if your fat had a purpose beyond reflecting the bad diet you may consume. If your fat was saying something, what would it be saying? Who would it be saying to? Are you angry with someone, even yourself? Are you attempting to get attention from someone?
The first step to meaningful change is to admit were we are and that we need help. This often is the hardest step. Frequently much of what we have avoided comes home to us. When I began to admit getting bullied was more about being afraid to take a stand, I started to develop the courage to say no to the bullies. What amazed me was that I did not have to prove it them as much as to myself. They stopped picking on me when I stopped cowering.


5. Your body is your ally. So often, we approach diet and exercise from a forcing prospective. We deprive, punish and generally coerce our bodies to conform to our wishes. We can produces change - but at what long term costs? The constant binges of exercising and dieting train our bodies to not find a healthy set point
You body is like a kid. It will constantly fight back if forced to do things it does not want to do. As we know, an angry kid will find a way to get back.
My intent here is not to give specific advice about a diet or exercise program, but to encourage you to find programs that are not forcing your body. Seek out programs that support your total health. Of course if you have not exerted your body in 20 years there will be some discomfort initially. At some point, the discomfort should shift to more ease. If it does not, you are back to the paradigm of punishing yourself for not being thin.
I suggest starting easy. Even if it is a yoga class, start with the lowest level of a beginning class. If you do not like what you are doing or are hurting yourself, fine a new teacher or a new activity. A slow walk in the woods can be more enjoyable and healthier for some than going to the gym and running on a treadmill.
Just watch kids play. A child can run around all day. She is not exercising; she is playing. I encourage you to rediscover your play.


6. Step out of double binds. These are mental and relationship traps we put ourselves into where there is no way out. It has been said, "The only way to win at a child's game is not to play." Once you are trapped in the maze of the damned if you do, damned if you don't, you lose.
One double bind I have seen around weight is "I can't have a loving relationship until I lose weight." This person is always trying to lose weight to be loved, giving the message to his body that he does not love himself. As I was saying, not loving yourself makes permanently losing weight very difficult.


7. Let others do your work. We often make change of any kind harder than we need to. Being a lazy kind of guy and enjoying being a rebel, I saw getting help as a way to further my cause.
One huge way to shift the fat thing is to have others address the issue directly. Good bodywork can crack open new possibilities for losing weight. Bodywork releases chronic and acute stress and tells our bodies that they are being loved through the gift of receiving someone's attention. Having someone else's hands touch places that we are ashamed of brings acceptance to those areas.
Find groups that support the outcome, not the problem. This helps spread the load. So many illness support groups support the problem, not the healing. On a few occasions, I have been asked to speak to different support groups. Virtually everyone in the audience was more committed to commiserating about their shared problem then learning about the array of possible means to alleviating it.
My suggestion is to find a group that supports its members being successful, healthy or just happy. Not to find a group that talks about losing weight or being thin. Yes, there are the diet programs -- groups that have success in assisting their clients in losing weight. I am encouraging you to step beyond them to organizations or groups that encourage generating a fulfilling life. If you're interested in some of these organizations, write a comment expressing your desire and I will get back to you.


8. Enroll your mind to transform your body. Being the advocate for mindfulness, I can't do this post without mentioning mindfulness for transforming fat. By now, everyone has come to accept the mind-body connection.
Having your mind be your ally sounds simple. Achieving this takes some work. Essentially, you begin using your awareness to witness what is occurring. Witnessing is not judging, evaluating or criticizing. It is just being an observer. When you see that picture of a thin body, you observe your response. What is your first thought? What does your body do? What is happening to your breath? These are just questions to get you started. As you develop this skill, you will not have to ask. Your body/mind will bring to you its response.
In the last 20 years, mindfulness has taken off. There are excellent courses that I no longer teach, but others do. Mindfulness works - there is a growing body of research that supports the efficacy of mindfulness. The prior study on pot bellies is organized around teaching a group of women mindfulness. "Weight loss is not the goal," said Daubenmier, the lead researcher. "But we are thinking we will find a reduction in the visceral fat, which is really important. We're looking at breaking that stress -- eating link."
In the development of mindfulness there always has been mindfulness eating used as a natural means to enhance the practice of mindfulness. The added benefit of mindfulness eating is that it can shift your eating habits while increasing your eating enjoyment.

Causes of Job Stress and How to Cope

Most jobs come with a certain amount of stress. Even business owners deal with stressful situations. However, many people deal with high stress jobs on a daily basis. The causes of job stress can be caused from several factors. A pushy boss, demanding deadlines, work overload, just to name a few. These scenarios can cause any person's blood to rise!
The most common cause of job stress is usually the work itself. Particularly when you are a good employee and good at what you do, it's not uncommon for work to pile up because you're the one your co-workers depend on. Sometimes the stress can become so much that you may end up quitting your job.
Depending on your job, quitting doesn't have to be the last resort if you do like where you work. Here are a few options to consider before calling it quits.


Go Easy On Yourself
Sometimes the biggest demands placed on you are put there by yourself. When you are faced with a huge workload, remember that the work will still be there tomorrow. Do what you can and realize that whatever you don't finish can be worked on the next day. Easier said than done I know, but looking back, the many times that I found myself stressing at my previous job was caused by me. Many times when I met a deadline much sooner than expected, the project was often pushed back to a new due date for no good reason. All after I placed an overwhelming amount of stress on myself to get done early.


Talk to HR
Large companies tend to have an HR (Human Resources) Department with someone designated to be the "go to" person for any employee issues. You can speak with them on a personal level and share as much or as little information as you need to help resolve your issue. It helps to get your stress out in the open because many times, you are not the only one experiencing stress. HR may decide to step in and hire outside consultants who are experts in work related stress.


Share Your Workload
Unless you are the only one working in your department you can usually find someone who can help share your workload. Don't wait until you are about to explode before you let your boss know that you have too much on your plate. It's better to speak up right away, otherwise when deadlines are missed, others will turn to you and ask why you didn't seek help sooner.
Dealing with stress is something that can't be denied. Remember not to let yourself become so stressed out at work that it begins to take a physical toll on your body. Take time out for yourself during the day. Take advantage of you breaks and lunch hour to relax. Also leave work at work once you make it home at the end of the day. Your leisure time is your time.

Why Hypnosis Is Better For Stress Than Meditating

***** Stress Is The Life Killer
Stress is the greatest problem for people in the modern world, and it's much worse than just health problems such as heart attacks that are brought on by too much stress for way too long.
Stress impacts EVERYTHING.
Stress kills our libido, our enjoyment of life; stress causes disturbed emotions of anger, rage, sadness and depression; stress makes us clumsy; stress causes us to make mistakes and worst of all, stress makes us think stupid thoughts (we become "stress stupid") and it cuts off the internal flow to our creative and innate talents and abilities.
It is clear that we ALL need to de-stress, whether we are teenagers who suffer from acne and migraines as a result of stress, men and women in "anger management", authors who suffer from writer's block, business people who burst a blood vessel, or parents at home who aren't enjoying their kids but end up screaming at them instead.
So how do we de-stress, and urgently, and FAST?
***** Why Stress & Meditation Are At Odds
Many hold that meditating and meditation is the answer to stress.
Meditating and meditation is the act of entering into altered states of consciousness, to widen our conscious awareness and to re-connect with the superconsciousness of our energy mind (subconscious mind, subconsciousness).
This does not happen when we are stressed - a person under stress is like a TV that isn't tuning properly. Everything is disturbed, mad, doesn't fit together, there is no clarity.
Trying to meditate when you are stressed is like trying to be romantic with a pick axe embedded in your forehead - try as you might, it's not going to work very well if ever at all.
So we have the classic Catch 22 and another big stressor to add to all of that stress - a stressed person is TOLD to relax and go away and meditate, but they can't meditate because they're way too stressed!
***** Why Hypnosis Is The Best For Stress
Long before a person who is under a lot of stress can even BEGIN to enjoy harp music to relax them even further, they need to be made to slow down into other states of being, and for that you need HELP.
"A good talking to" by a sympathetic other is the most NATURAL way of getting rid of stress invented by human kind, and it even exceeds physical touch approaches in high stress situations; it precedes them too. We "talk" a potential suicide victim DOWN from the top of a building, not massage them off; we "talk" an angry man with a gun down into lowering it, we don't pat him on the back.
That is exactly where hypnosis comes in to help with stress.
Hypnosis is DESIGNED to assist people to ENTER INTO AN ALTERED STATE of meditation - that is the first purpose of hypnosis, and its speciality.
Often people get confused by the "instructions" or the content of hypnosis - the post hypnotic suggestions for change that take all the attention, but it is the fact that hypnosis brings people into the restful meditative state where they even become RECEPTIVE to suggestions, ideas, visions and new thoughts is where the power of hypnosis to heal the mind actually lies.
***** From Hypnosis To Meditation - Breaking The Stress Loop
"Going into trance" is something that we learn and we are taught when a hypnotist talks to us, and talks us down from the stress of the thoughts that fly here, there and everywhere, into a relaxed state of clarity, and peace, where your body is at ease and mind healing can finally begin.
THE MORE HYPNOSIS YOU DO, THE BETTER YOU GET AT RELAXING.
It is a learned skill that gets ever better with practice.
So my recommendation to combat stress, and to learn how to relax and EVENTUALLY to be able to meditate successfully, which then leads to being able to control one's own stress levels in the real world and to be able to relax and de-stress even in the middle of a stressful situation, is to DO HYPNOSIS - and LOTS OF IT.
Rather than to hopelessly try and "find inner peace" so necessary for mind healing without guidance, do hypnosis inductions. This is as easy as sitting down in a chair, putting on the headphones and letting the hypnotist do their job.
Hypnosis CDs, mp3s and tapes are readily and freely available; there are MANY free downloads and trial downloads available.
Try many, and if you find a hypnotist that YOU GET ON WITH, someone you find relaxing to listen to and who can make you feel safe, relaxed and you can feel your stress begin to drain away as they speak with you, you have struck "Anti-Stress Gold".
Now you have a tool to help you break out of the stress loop.
Use this hypnotist to de-stress you regularly and as often as you possibly can.
You will find after a few repetitions that you LEARN TO LEARN TO RELAX and HOW YOU DO THAT.
Now, you are ready to start meditating on your own.
***** Anti-Stress Meditation In The Moment
When you are out and about in your daily environment and you notice your stress levels rising, remember your hypnotist and what they said, just for a moment. Find out if you can feel your stress beginning to flow away. Even if your stress abates just a little bit, you can know that you are now on your way - you have started to learn to control your states of being, your states of mind.
This is the beginning of a new stress free life.
Life will ALWAYS be stressful.
We need to learn to be able to notice when we're stressed, and to step
back from that into the clarity of altered states.
That is what hypnosis teaches you, teaches you easily, and just for the listening, no willpower required at all.
When you have learned the basics of relaxation, THEN and only THEN are you ready to begin to meditate on your own, or to use meditation devices that require these basic skills of knowing how to shift state in the first place.
***** Hypnosis, Stress & Meditation - In Conclusion
Using hypnosis for stress relief doesn't mean that you should only look at hypnosis programs designed for stress alone. Remember that what you want to learn is the skill of altering your states of being, so that you can also then meditate and get all the health benefits from that; but more importantly even still, so that you can de-stress yourself in REAL LIFE.
You can choose ANY good hypnotist, and ANY good hypnosis program that excites you, in a double benefit, because it is not the CONTENT, but the hypnosis skills themselves you need to learn to put an end to being in stress states all the time.
You can choose intelligence enhancing hypnosis programs; mind healing programs; performance programs, health programs - the CONTENT is irrelevant and just the icing on the cake.
Hypnosis is a WONDERFUL and incredibly USEFUL tool for dealing with the human mind, for healing the mind, and for getting our thoughts and
conscious mind under control.
Explore. Find a GOOD hypnotist who can teach you the life saving skill of going into trance, and you get control not just of your stress, but of your entire WORLD.

7 Leading Causes of Stress

In 1967, Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, from the University of Washington, did a study on the connection between significant life events and illness. As part of that study, they compiled a chart of the major causes of stress. That chart, which contained 43 causes of stress in 1967, was updated to 55 causes in 2006. Apparently, society is finding more causes to feel stressed.
If you knew the leading causes of stress in your life, would you take action to eradicate them? Can you eradicate stress - or is it an inoperable condition that will be with you all of your life, possibly causing your eventual death?

Which Is Your Leading Cause of Stress?

1. Finances
Most studies agree that finances are a leading cause of stress. In an online poll conducted in 2005 by LifeCare, Inc., 23 percent of respondents named finances as the leading cause of stress in their lives. Financial stress has led the list in many modern polls.
Some who name finances as the leading cause of stress cite major purchases they have to make, such as a home or car. Others are stressed by a loss of income, or mounting credit card debt. For some, financial stress will eventuate in bankruptcy. While college students stress over paying for an education, Baby Boomers and older senior citizens find that retirement income can be a major cause of stress.
2. Work
Closely tied to finances as a cause of stress is work. Our jobs or careers seem to cause constant stress. In the LifeCare poll, 21 percent of those responding listed this as the leading cause of stress in life.
How is the workplace a cause of stress? We worry about getting and keeping adequate employment. We worry about new types of work or new responsibilities. We struggle to climb a career ladder, overwhelmed by the demands. Work conditions may change, or we may have interpersonal trouble at work. Students, especially teenagers and college age students, cite school work as a cause of stress. Sometimes, work stress is brought on by others. Sometimes, we bring it on ourselves.
3. Family
Family, wonderful though each member may be, is also a leading cause of stress. Arguments erupt with a spouse or other family member. Parents divorce. Children marry. The ebb and flow of family life is filled with stress. A child moves out - an aging parent moves in.
Family health is also a leading cause of stress. A sick family member, a serious injury, pregnancy, miscarriage, or abortion all cause stress. Family changes of other kinds bring stress, too. Adoption, relocation, and job changes for just one family member can cause stress for all.
4. Personal Concerns
Personal concerns that are only indirectly created by others are another top cause of stress. Lack of control tops the list of personal concerns. Every human has a deep-seated desire for control over his or her own life. When control is weak or missing in a given area, we experience stress. To many people, a lack of control over their own time is a leading cause of stress. We want to determine when we do tasks around the home, or at work. Holding a job, participating in the children's carpool to school, driving family to soccer practices, shopping, and scout meetings while trying to keep the household running can create major stress. You would like to control your time, rather than let others' demands control it, but that is not always possible.
We may be involved in legal proceedings that cause stress. We may be wrestling with a bad habit. We may be going through changes. Personal change of any kind can be a cause of stress.
5. Personal Health and Safety
Most people find that personal health is a leading cause of stress. For some, the stress is linked to obesity, and a desire to lose weight. For others, the stress is a personal bas habit that affects health and must be changed. For example, smoking, abuse of alcohol or other drugs. Illness or injury, whether less or more serious, can be a leading cause of stress for many people. Incontinence can be an ongoing concern. Personal health is more or less stressful according to the degree of seriousness and our personal outlook on health.
Personal safety is also a leading cause of stress. Women, more than men, tend to stress about their own and others' safety. Adults tend to stress more than young people, who may act invincible. Crime is a factor, as is
6. Personal Relationships
Whether it is a friendship, dating, separation, marriage, divorce, or re-marriage, a relationship can be a leading cause of stress for many. We all want love, and that is potentially available in relationships, but getting from A to B can be very stressful. Some resort to online relationships that are easier to handle. Others withdraw and become recluses. Either way, the demands on time, finances, and emotions can cause ongoing stress.
7. Death
Probably the most wrenching cause of stress is the death of a loved one or close friend. Even the death of a pet can be stressful. Children are always a source of stress for parents, but when a child dies, the stress is overwhelming. The same is true when a lifetime spouse passes on.
Win or Lose
Causes of stress change as we age. The stressed child who threw tantrums becomes a young student, stressed by the school bully. The young student becomes a teenager, stressed by acne, hormones, and dating. The teenager becomes a young adult trying to handle the stresses of leaving home, adjusting to college life, and managing finances. Life progresses to first jobs, marriage, children, and so on. Even if you move to a secluded cabin in the woods, stress will follow you.
Gaining knowledge of the leading causes of stress is important. Using that knowledge to win over unhealthy stress is vital.

Stress Management Myths That Could Kill You!

WOW! If you learn nothing else about managing the stress of your life, you must become skilled in recognizing these five common stress management myths and take steps not to be caught in their deadly trap.
In today's 24/7 pressure filled world, it is crucial to develop the stress hardiness needed to enjoy the stress of your life, be at peace and productive. The speed of life today is not going to slow down! If anything it may speed up, if that is possible. In order to survive and thrive you must not only strengthen your stress coping reserves, you must maximize them! You must also be aware of some very dangerous misinformation circulating about stress.
MYTH #1--I'M NOT STRESSED BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL STRESSED! The question is: how do you know? Stress is very deceptive and many people who feel very stressed are actually handling their stress quite well while others who do not feel stressed are on the edge of disaster. The truth is that some individuals can handle huge amounts of stress and thrive while others collapse under less than normal stress.
MYTH #2--ALL STRESS IS BAD, AND I CAN ELIMINATE ALL STRESS FROM MY LIFE, RIGHT? Wrong, stress is not all bad. In reality, stress is the spice of life. Life would not be much without it. The only people experiencing no stress are in the cemetery. Eliminating stress is not the goal. The goal is to manage both positive and negative stress for the optimum enjoyment of life.
MYTH #3--EXECUTIVES AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ARE THE MOST STRESSED PEOPLE, RIGHT? Wrong! Executives and air traffic controllers deal with huge amounts of stress and most thrive on it because they have learned the basic stress coping skills needed for their high intensity work. Actually, the reverse of this myth is true. The average worker and those in middle management are often the most stressed in an organization because of the lack of control they feel in their every day lives combined with limited stress hardiness skills.
MYTH #4--I ALWAYS KNOW WHEN I AM STRESSED! Unfortunately most people don't and a serious miscalculation here could cost you your family, your job or even your life. Your feelings are not the best indicators of how well you are managing your stress. You need some objective assessment tools which will tell you how effectively you are handling your stress and more importantly how stress is actually affecting you. With a good assessment, some people find out that they are handling their stress very well--a pleasant surprise! Others, sometimes in the same family or work group, get an unpleasant surprise when they find out that while they do not feel stressed that in reality they are heading for a crisis and don't even know it. If you had asked me if I felt stressed a few days before I experienced serious job burnout, a few years ago, I would have said no. An effective and objective assessment tool is worth it's weight in gold.
MYTH #5--IF I IGNORE MY STRESS AT HOME OR WORK IT WILL ALL GO AWAY. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Plus this is a very dangerous attitude. We never automatically resolve work or personal stress. You must be aware of your stress and know and use daily the stress resolving tools that work best for you.
Here are three ways to make sure that these myths do not unnecessarly harm you:
1. Discover all you can about stress, how it both positively and negatively affects the body and most importantly how it is affecting your body mentally, physically and emotionally.
2. Become tuned in to your body's reactions to stress. Know what are the key stress warning signals for you.
3. Take the necessary proactive actions needed to thrive and grow with the stress of your life. I have FREE E-course entitled, 7 Days to Enjoying the Stress of Your Life, to sign up click on the link below.

Cameron Johnston is an author, speaker and stress fitness coach. He is a burnout survivor who has inspired tens of thousands of individuals to live it up without being washed-up. Through his articles, books and speaking, employees in hundreds of organizations have mastered the stress hardiness tools needed to thrive and succeed in our fast-paced, 24/7 world. He has a Masters of Science Degree in Public Health and has developed the Cooling DownThe Stress Soup Stress Management System. Cameron is the author of three books on stress management including, Don’t Eat The Soup As Hot As They Cook It! Here he has distilled all the stress management essentials into eight powerful and very doable ways to cool off the stress soup. He is President of WellChoices™ Consulting and Business Development Director for the Silver Hills Lifestyle Makeover Spa. His unique, effective and fun approach to wellness and stress solutions guarantees that his writing and presentations will always be both entertaining and informative. [http://www.thestressfitnesscoach.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/199525

Stress Management is for Anyone

In the newspapers, in the magazines, in the cinema, in the television, everywhere we listen people that talks about the stress..
Why is it so?
The stress has been part of the human race from the beginnings of the history, why do we pay it so much attention now?
Has it changed?
Is it now more more dangerous than before?
Or is it because now we have discovered its incidence in our lives?
Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life and it is not something exclusive of the human beings, because the animals also have it. But the stress it is not necessarily bad.
To win the lottery can produce much more stress that to not win it, but the difference rests in the organic answer that we will have in a case and the other.
On the other hand, there are many people that need some pressure to reach more, and stress can provide a state of alert, anticipation and excitement.
How can we achieve a fair balance between not having stress and having too much?
Stress is the answer of the body in front of external conditions that are perceived as dangerous, worrying or irritating. And our natural answer is the modification of the behavior of almost all the body organs, to allow us to escape or to face that danger.
Although in fact for the body any CHANGE in our life implies stress.
When we face a change, the brain activates the secretion of certain hormones that untie a chain reaction in the whole body, and this is not bad, but rather it is the way that the nature uses to protects us, getting us ready to react to the stressor.
If the situation is prolonged during a short time, the stress and its changes are something good, but if the situation is prolonged in time, it can be exhausting, cause ulcers, cardiovascular illnesses, migraines, sexual problems, asthma, nervous tics, baldness, diabetes, back pains, and even weight modifications increasing or removing the appetite.
WHAT CAUSES STRESS?
Anything can cause stress, since what a person perceives as irritating or dangerous, can be indifferent for another person in the same situation, that is to say that the stressors are different for different people.
And we should distinguish among the stress produced by pleasant situations (vacations, to get marryed, to win the lottery) that it is known as "eustress".
And the stress produced by unpleasant situations (a divorce, a death, to lose the employment) that it is known as "distress".
For this reason many people carry a load of stress much bigger than they can imagine.
Any change in our routine and any change in our body is lived with stress.
Some of the more common stress producers are:
To work in excess without the appropriate time to recover
To live in places with extreme climates or extreme altitudes
Toxins like the poisons, the tobacco, the alcohol and the drugs
Fights and discussions
Illnesses
The puberty, with all the physical CHANGES that it bears
The pre-menstrual syndrome: once a month, before the menstruation, the lack of the same hormones that produce stress in the puberty, causes stress states in the mature women.
For the same reason, the sudden fall of the hormones level that takes place in front of the childbirth and the abortion, produce stress
The menopause, although of gradual appearance, it produces stress for the lack of the same feminine hormones.
Being in charge of the actions of another person. This produces CHANGES over our life, which we can't control, and for this reason it is a strong stressor.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE STRESS?
As well as different people react in different ways in front of the same stressor, they also feel different things when they have stress and those things can be:
headache
diarrhea
constipation
insomnia
edginess
sexual inability
depression
anxiety
throbs
indigestion
etc.
HOW TO TREAT STRESS
If the stress symptoms persist during many days, it is reasonable to go to see a doctor or to request psychological support.
As emergency measures the doctor can prescribe analgesic, beta blockers, tranquilizers and antidepressants, but the ideal is to learn how to control the stress by natural means like yoga practices, gymnastics, relaxation and mind control.
When the stressor is an unique cause, like a divorce or the loss of a loved one, it is convenient not over weight yourself with concerns and responsibilities, until the organism adapts to the new situation.
But if the stress reasons are a series of different daily stressors, then it is really necessary to think in the necessity of the psychotherapy or the mind control, to learn how to control your reactions in front of an adverse reality.
HOW CAN YOU ELIMINATE STRESS?
We have already seen that the stress is part of the natural answers of our organism, and that the good news can produce as much stress as the bad ones.
Therefore it is IMPOSSIBLE to ELIMINATE THE STRESS and all that you can aspire to do is to learn how to manage it, to learn how to react in front of the CHANGES.
The stress lack will lead us easily to the depression, the boredom or a sensation of rejection, and an excessive stress it can make us get sick.
WHICH IS THE GOOD STRESS LEVEL?
A good stress level doesn't exist. A person with sedentary habits, can feel stressed if you put him in a work that requires excessive mobility.
A person accustomed to work on the stock market or in positions that requireS a high level of adrenaline and stress, can feel stressed if it is confined to a sedentary work on a desk.
The good level of stress is different for each person, and for that reason each one must determine what he likes and makes him well. And even this way, this level will modify with the years.
When you feel that the stress has gone beyond YOUR acceptable limit, you should look for a way of dealing with the excessive stress, since more than the strong stressors, what makes us feel sick is the accumulated stress.
Once we detect that we carry accumulated stress, we have two ways to solve it, one is to eliminate the stressor from our lives (which is not always possible) another is to modify the way in which we react.
The steps to follow should be:
Learn how to become aware when you have been surpassed by the stress.
What is it it that usually produces stress on you?
What do you feel in your body?
How do you react emotionally?
Recognize what it is that you can do about it:
Can you avoid that situation?
If you can not avoid it, are you able to experience it with less frequency?
Can you shorten the time that you are exposed to that stressor? It is not the same when something breaks your nerves for one hour, that when it does it during the whole day
Learn how to react in different ways
Do you feel responsible for things that you can not control?
Do you feel in the obligation of pleasing everybody?
Do you always want to be right?
Don´t you agree that everything can not be so serious neither so urgent?
Get used to think that the stress is something that you are learning how to control, and NOT something that overcomes you
Learn how to modify your emotional answer
Learn how to breathe slower in front of stressing situations
Practice relaxation and mind control
Take anxiolitics (only if your doctor has prescribed them) until you learn how to control your mind and body
Build a physical reservation to respond better to the stress:
Feed in a moderate form avoiding the excesses of fat and alcohol
Swim, walk, ride in bicycle, practice jogging or gymnastics of some type, three times a week
Try not to have overweight, neither be below a normal weight
Try to not smoke, and not no drink tea or coffee in excess
Learn how to have resting intervals during your work or study
Rest enough at night and if it is possible take a short nap (30 minutes) after lunch.
Modify your social behavior
Frequent your friendships. Mainly those that are mutually protectors (not those that will always hang emotionally from you, without allowing you to do the same thing when you need it)
Put on realistic goals, according with your age and capacity
Put YOU your own goals, don't live after the goals that OTHER tell you that you should have (beware of fashion)
Prepare yourself to have failures, displeasures, frustrations and sadness, since they are part of the life. NOBODY is perfect, and NOBODY came to this planet only to enjoy it.
Be always kind with yourself and with the other people (although they are not always going to be kind with you) and this will make you feel well
Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi

You will find all that you need to know about, self help, stress control, weight control, stop smoking, mind control, relax, motivation and meditation with subliminal messages at Dr. Bonomi's web site: http://www.drbonomi.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/141913

Stress Management Made Simple And Easy...

Stress management is a hot topic; stress-related illness and suffering is at an all-time high in America and increasing every year. Cliff Kuhn, M.D.'s work with the powerful natural medicine of humor has uncovered the primary culprit behind your unhealthy stress symptoms, as well as the solution to simple, healthy stress management.

Astronomer-mathematician Ptolemy (85-165) devised a theory of planetary motions that placed the earth at the center of the universe. The sun, moon, and planets revolved around the earth in the Ptolemaic universe. This notion was accepted for approximately 1,500 years. More on this in a moment...
Shelly was in such need of stress management that she was unhappy much of the time. Shortly after she became my patient, I was able to help Shelly see that, just like Ptolemy's theory, she was casting herself as the center of the universe, thereby causing unmanageable stress levels in her life. We began a regimen from my Fun Factor prescription that afforded Shelly proper stress management, reintroduced joy and happiness, and brought her life back into balance.
Shelly's problem was common; I see more and more people each day who suffer from unhealthy levels of stress. Whether it is sleeplessness, weight gain, mood changes, hair loss, worry, agitation, or any other of the myriad symptoms commonly associated with stress, stress-related illness and suffering is at an all-time high in America and increasing every year. Luckily for you, my work with the powerful natural medicine of humor has uncovered the primary culprit behind your unhealthy stress symptoms, as well as the solution to simple, healthy stress management.
My medical practice, involving decades of work with chronically and fatally ill patients, has clearly identified the cause of our painful stress symptoms - seriousness. Seriousness means taking yourself too seriously; seriousness means over-reaching - taking responsibility for things beyond your power, such as the outcomes and results of all your hard work. Consequently, you're positioning yourself incorrectly as the "center of the universe." Seriousness causes so much pressure that effective stress management, which I will teach you in this article, becomes impossible.
The antidote for your seriousness, and your foundation for healthy stress management, is the natural medicine of humor. Humor's incredible power is harnessed to maximum impact through my unique Fun Factor prescription. Based upon my Fun Commandments, which were forged in unison with some incredible patients of mine, my Fun Factor prescription is capable of producing such profound positive change to your health and personal success that you will soon have people whispering, "Is she always this happy?"
In this article, I will explain how my Fun Factor prescription can be directly applied to your stress. You will be amazed at how much lighter and happier you feel, with each passing day, as you put the following Fun Commandments to work in your life. You are about to discover that the natural medicine of humor produces flawless stress management, putting an end to your painful stress symptoms.
The Fun Factor Stress Management Formula
Step One: Laugh with Yourself
My first stress management Fun Commandment is: Laugh with Yourself. This Commandment is not about humiliation or self-denigration, it is the ultimate in self-respect because it teaches you to appreciate your "perfect imperfection" and to find gentle amusement in your foibles. And, when it comes to stress, there is plenty of amusement to be found which will greatly aid your stress management.
Here's the first amusing thing about your stress: you can't live without it, yet too much is bad for your health. Like many of the essential things in life: we need a certain amount of stress to survive, yet too much can kill us. For example, we die if we are without water for more than a few days; but submerge us in water and we die a lot sooner.
It is said that we can die from boredom. I don't think there is any scientific evidence for that theory, but one thing is certain - stress relieves boredom. Ending boredom, indeed, could be considered a form of stress relief. An amusing paradox, no doubt!
Without stress, also, we might not eat. Hunger is a form of stress our body needs occasionally to remind us we need food. Stress causes the adrenal glands to work. Athletes would not perform at their best without stress-induced adrenaline. Every activity causes a certain amount of stress. So does inactivity. In fact, to be completely stress-free we would have to be dead - not a highly recommended stress management technique!
The idea that stress is a killer is exaggerated, which is also humorous. Too much stress can be a killer, and it is against too much stress in our lives that we need to guard. Fortunately we are equipped with the finest possible stress management mechanism: the natural medicine of humor and the ability to laugh with ourselves. Far better and safer than Valium, it is our built-in stress management system.
As you learn to laugh with yourself you will become like an athlete - who can have fun running the mile or the marathon and still turn in peak performance. In fact, since too much seriousness can tighten muscles through negative tension, laughing with yourself may even enhance performance. This Fun Commandment works wonderfully on many levels.
Step Two: Choose To Motivate Yourself With Fun, Not Fear
Step two in my Fun Factor stress management formula is one of my newest Fun Commandments. Motivating yourself with fun rather than fear is a crucial step that allows your commitment to laugh with yourself to fully impact your healthy stress management.
This brings us to the only true choice you have in life. Will you be inspired by fear or by fun? One choice is all we have for our health, wellness, and fitness - fear or fun. It all boils down to that. It is your responsibility to choose one or the other.
The question is, which is the responsible choice? Which of the two is a powerful medicine, which will give you health and motivate you greater success, sustaining you over time? The natural medicine of humor gives us the answer.
There is no doubt that both fear and fun are potent stimulants to behavior over the short run. So the question becomes one of sustainability. Will fear or fun best help us sustain our excellence over time? Which of the two is a powerful alternative medicine that you can learn to use for your greatest health, wellness, and fitness? (That's a trick question, by the way)
Let's Encounter A Man-Eating Bear!
The fear of being eaten alive motivates us to run as fast and as far as we can when chased by a bear. There is little to no fun in that experience. It is purely fearful, but the energy it provides maximizes the possibilities of sustaining life for that moment. For the moment, in such a life-threatening situation, fear seems to be an efficient and productive choice. Though full of stress, it relieves us of the immediate threat!
But let's take it a step further. Having survived my wilderness encounter with the bear, I return to my home in an urban environment. The next morning, as I start out for work, I run desperately for the car, quickly jumping inside and locking the doors.
When I arrive at my workplace, I race into the building. Before I get down to work I suspend my bagged lunch high above my desk, roping it to the light standards. I insist upon all doors being locked and secured. When asked why, I answer, "I'm merely doing what got me through my wilderness experience over the weekend. I don't want to be eaten by a bear."
You'd think I was over-reacting just a wee bit, and you'd be right. You could say that my stress relieves my anxiety, but my anxiety is based on a lie conjured and sustained by my fear! Not exactly the greatest of stress management techniques.
The Three Biggest Dangers Of Our "Run-From-a-Bear" Stress Management Techniques
1. We live our lives as though every day was an emergency; as though a bear is chasing us all the time. This is unfortunate for three reasons:
2. We now know that such a constant state of "wariness" or agitation breaks down our coping mechanisms over time. It is impossible to sustain the fear-based behavior without breaking down or burning out.
3. Of all the stress management techniques, this is the absolute worst to choose because it only increases our stress! It reduces the effectiveness of humor's natural medicine to zilch.
A more pernicious error occurs. We begin to think that the avoidance of whatever we fear is the same as having fun. Joy becomes synonymous with the avoidance of fear.
The Absence Of One Thing Does Not Indicate The Presence Of Its Opposite
If this sounds ridiculous to you let me put it in more familiar terms that have become acceptable where your health is concerned. With rare exception we have agreed in our society that health is synonymous with absence of symptoms. Do you really believe your health is merely the absence of your symptoms? My Fun Factor prescription teaches you that, not only is the absence of symptoms not synonymous with health, but also that you never have to fall for that lie again.
You never have to settle for second-rate health! You can use your powerful natural medicine of humor to stave off seriousness' debilitating effects.
Therefore the issue becomes balance. Fun balances fear. The ultimate question is not, "Are you without fear?", but "Is your fun in balance with your fear?" If you're not 100% certain of a "yes" response to the later question, then you need to STOP - RIGHT NOW - and take the last step in my Fun Factor stress management formula to ensure that your life is as healthful as it could be.
Step Three: Tell the Truth
The final step in your Fun Factor stress management formula is the Fun Commandment, Tell the Truth. This Commandment refers more to self-integrity than it does "cash register" honesty. Getting in the habit of telling yourself the truth will cement humor's powerfully positive effect over your stress. Your stress management becomes second nature when you are honest with yourself each day, because you can then immediately, easily, and simply apply steps one and two to your life.
Telling yourself the truth, for our purposes, focuses on knowing when your stress levels are rising. As we noted in step two, everyday activities normally produce a baseline level of stress and this stress is usually alleviated by your daily routines (for example, when you experience the stress of hunger, you eat). Step three in my Fun Factor stress management formula teaches you to recognize the signs of unhealthy stress and take corrective action immediately.
Here are some simple stress management techniques to apply when your self-honesty reveals rising stress levels:
1. Start your day off by singing in the shower at the top of your voice. Make up your own song that incorporates the idea that you are embarking upon a glorious day in which great things are going top happen to you. Can't sing? Good! Can't rhyme? Who cares? The words are for you alone. This is not a contest. Be as off-key as you need to be...unless you are Placido Domingo.
The important thing is to be loud (your inner ear has to hear it), upbeat and convincing. The subconscious believes what it is told. Start your day by telling it that it will be a great day and you will be more than halfway to producing exactly that result. Think of your singing not as singing but as a stress relief game played before stress has a chance to rear its ugly head.
2. Travel to work alone, along the same boring route every day? Make up a game to play as you look out the window of your car, bus or train. For example, how many dogs will you see on the way to work?
Try to guess before you set out and see how close you are when you arrive. Reward yourself every time you guess correctly to within a certain number. Drivers: limit yourself to dogs (or green elephants) you see through the windshield only. This game does not work well in subways; there are no green elephants in subways.
3. Have a routine job? One that you find boring? Does it produce stress symptoms, such as drumming your fingers or tapping your toes? Perhaps you need to introduce fun into your workday.
For example, if your job is to make identical widgets each day, how could you do something different to give variety to what otherwise could become a monotonous task? Could you, for example, place each new widget relative to the others so that together they make a pattern, or spell the name of your sweetheart? How many do you make an hour? Could you make one more than that the next hour, safely and with the same excellent quality? Make a stress-relieving game out of your work and it will feel less like work and more like fun.
4. Smile. You feel stressed? Smile. It is a simple activity, so simple that even infants can do it. Just for kicks, count how many times you smile in an hour. None, you say? Then this stress relief game is even easier for you, and more important than it is for those who smile all the time. (No wonder they don't feel the same degree of stress that you do!)
Your smile doesn't need to be a broad grin that suggests to those around you that they need to call the men in white coats. But it should be more than a mental smirk; your facial muscles should be aware that they are smiling.
It is possible simply to paste a smile on your face without any reason other than you want to smile. After a while, your subconscious will take over, lighten your mood, and the smiles will come easily and naturally.
It's best, if possible, to think of something that can give you a genuine smile, a reason you can talk about if called upon to do so. Each of us, no matter how depressed, has something in life to celebrate.
5. Recognize that stress is a choice. We can accept it and put up with it, and the damage it can cause our bodies. We can avoid it, but that could be a difficult choice; especially if it means quitting the only job we know in a tough job market. That choice might easily create worse stresses. Or we can deal with it and defeat it.
That is not as difficult as it might sound if you make up your mind to use my Fun Factor prescription in everything you do. That doesn't necessarily mean, laughing, joking and playing the village idiot - though all those activities can relieve stress too. You can have fun without ever cracking a single joke.
A game of tickle with the children or grandchildren can be fun and bring energetic screams of delight from them and you. Touch football or, for the less energetic, lawn darts or horseshoes can be fun. For others, it's a walk, socializing with friends, admiring the beauty around us or following a hobby - especially if it is an engrossing one.
Attitude Is Everything
The key is to recognize stress symptoms when they occur, recognize what's causing them, and use my Fun Factor formula for healthy stress management. Since fun is the best natural stress reliever known, it makes good sense to incorporate my Fun Factor stress management formula into your daily life.
But don't get obsessive about it. Don't be stressed by removing stress. Be content with removing some of your stress, and with taking the edge off it so that you function as a healthier, happier and more productive humor being. After all, perfectionism produces stress.
Shelly, by the way, has learned to take herself much more lightly now and she does not suffer nearly as many stress symptoms. The paradox she loves is that taking herself less seriously actually permits her to take her responsibilities more seriously than ever before! The natural medicine of humorr, supercharged by my Fun Factor prescription, has allowed Shelly to easily and simply manage her stress and enjoy a life others have started to envy.
Just as Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus disproved Ptolemy's earth-centered universe in the 16th century, so the natural medicine of humor disproves that you must suffer from being the center of your universe. Remove yourself from the pressure and stress of a life where everything revolves around you...start using my Fun Factor stress management formula, and the rest of my Fun Commandments, today!

Clifford Kuhn, M.D., America's Laugh Doctor, teaches people and organizations to be more healthy and successful through the use of fun and humor. A psychiatrist, and the former associate chairperson of the University of Louisville's renowned Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Kuhn now dispenses his prescription for turbo-charging your health, success, and vitality from http://www.natural-humor-medicine.com/EZA4 On his website you will find tons of fun, free ways for you to maximize your sense of humor, and enjoy a life others will envy.