Smart Stress Management Tools for coping in a stressful world

Relieving Stress

Posted on February 21, 2008

relieving stress

There are ways to relieve stress. Since we all do experience stress at some point, we can all use a good stress management technique or two. Here are some great ways to deal with stress and get it out of our system.

Relaxation Techniques

Yoga and meditation classes are becoming quite popular. This is probably because these ancient techniques have proven great for relieving stress. You can enroll for weekly classes to help you get rid of stress. In some cases though, you would need simple techniques that you can use while you are in the office. Instead of intensive yoga, you may instead learn basic deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques can take a little more than five minutes and can be performed whenever and wherever you are experiencing stress.

Regular Exercise

Although exercise does consume energy, it also helps relieve stress. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins. This can give you a great, relaxed feeling. Exercise also improves your blood circulation. This in turn improves nutrient and oxygen distribution. This means you get a healthier body that is more equipped to deal with health conditions.

Sleep

Night time sleep is the only time your body relaxes completely. It is a necessary part of life that cannot be replaced by day time naps. Make sure that you get enough night sleep everyday. You don't have to sleep for exactly eight hours. The amount of sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed in the morning is the one that you need to maintain.

Healthy Diet

A balanced and nutritious diet is always part of the ways to relieve stress. It is through the food you eat that your body gets energy and nutrients to function well and to fight possible infections brought about by a weakened immune system. Make sure that you eat lots of fruits and vegetables so you can get enough vitamins and minerals. Choose complex carbohydrates in whole wheat instead of simple carbohydrates in sweets and white bread. Choose lean meat and fish for protein and healthy fat sources.

Daily Relaxation

Whatever you are doing within the day, make sure that you take a few minutes off from it. Set at least fifteen minutes each in the morning and the afternoon when you can take a break. Go out for a snack with friends or simply stay in place and do deep breathing exercises. The time after work should also be reserved for personal relaxation. Leave your work and worries in the office as soon as you are out of it. Set up your own spa at home to enjoy in the evenings or simply have a relaxing patio meal with your family.

Annual Vacations

Every year, make sure that you set aside a few days or weeks away from the office. Use this break to go on a vacation with the family. You don't have to spend a fortune to go on an exotic trip. You can simply organize a camping trip at a nearby nature reserve or organize a series of fun activities that you can do locally.

There are many more ways to relieve stress. Following these basic techniques however can help you go a long way in dealing with stress.

About the Author:

Learn how to reduce stress. Find the best ways to relieve stress online.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Tips and Ways to Relieve Stress

Stress Exercises

Posted on December 28, 2007

stress exercises
stress exercises
What are some good ways to relieve stress that involve (safely) throwing things?

So, I have a friend who has a "throwing" tendency when she gets upset - i.e. throws cell phone, throws shoes, throws paper clips, miscellaneous objects...you get the idea. I need some help coming up with a stress relief exercise of sorts (such as a punching bag, treadmill, shooting clay pigeons, doing 100,000 sit-ups) that would make use of her throwing tendencies in a safe and non damaging way to relieve stress. Throwing plates at the wall, for example, is not an option. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, throwing pillows against a bed or a wall. She can slam it really hard and it doesn't damage anything. Here is one youtube movie that shows exactely that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDzZou3rHDI

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Stress Management Training

Posted on October 8, 2007

stress management training

Every health and lifestyle magazine contains articles claiming stress is bad for us. They list dozens of ways to relieve stress, from exercise to eating healthy foods. A wide range of relaxation techniques have also been proven to help manage stress in our crazy-busy world, especially for people who take care of others and tend to neglect themselves.

But stress is not always as bad as these cautionary articles insist. In fact, some stress is actually necessary to keep us going and growing.

Our individual responses to different types and levels of stress can either drain or energize us. It is how we perceive and process both ongoing and unexpected stressors that intensifies or reduces their impact on our bodies, minds and emotions.

The term "stress" was first used in the mid-1950s by endocrinologist Dr. Hans Selye in his book "The Stress of Life." In his research experiments, Selye discovered that we experience stress not only when we hear bad news but also when we receive good news. He differentiated these two types of stressors by calling negative stress "distress" and positive stress "eustress" (the Greek prefix "eu" means well or good).

The idea that we naturally feel stressed by positive experiences -- like getting married, having a baby, graduations, promotions, winning awards or races -- is echoed in the Social Readjustment Ratings Scale. Devised by University of Washington medical researchers Holmes and Rahe, the SRRS ranks the impact of good stress-events as well as bad stressors like death, divorce or losing a job.

They discovered it is the accumulation of minor plus major changes over a period of time that increases one's chances of developing stress-related ailments like heart disease, cancer or a weakened immune system. Stress effects also intensify when several changes occur without enough time between them to recharge our physical and mental resources.

When dealing with normal life changes, Holmes and Rahe also concluded that a single event is rarely stressful enough to cause significant illness if we have some control over the situation and are able to view it as a challenge or opportunity instead of a threat.

So stress is not always bad or unhealthy. It can actually keep us from becoming complacent or staying too long in jobs, relationships or environments which are not good for us. When bad stress builds to the "breaking point," it usually forces us to make choices and change our behavior or environment with positive and healthier results.

Stress is also necessary to keep us moving forward while working toward a goal -- like a creative or business project -- or training for athletic events like championship games or marathons. This type of eustress prevents us from slowing down or giving up too soon and helps us build momentum in the early stages to empower us to reach the "finish line."

So positive stress management can actually give us a Competitive Edge via increased focus and drive. As we move forward on what researchers call the Performance Stress Curve, eustress helps us make choices, take actions and communicate more clearly.

When it comes to managing stress, there are two basic approaches: Defensive or Offensive. If we take a Defensive approach, we subconsciously distort reality by hoping the situation will change without having to do anything about it. But this keeps us in a state of denial and often amplifies the internal impact of distress, contributing to disease or depression.

Taking an Offensive approach, however, enables us to manage stress by using it to our advantage. By consciously changing or adapting, we adjust to life-changes organically and can view things in perspective that at first feel like problems. Then we can reframe these "problems" as opportunities or challenges and take appropriate action.

Offensive ways to manage stress include:
1.Changing our situation whenever possible
2.Increasing our ability to cope with the situation as it is
3.Changing our perception so the situation looks and feels different
4.Changing our behavior, as this is truly where we have the most control

Whenever we feel stressed, it can be useful to first determine whether it's Distress or Eustress. Then we can decide whether to become Offensive by utilizing or adjusting it, or remain Defensive and wait to see if the situation changes on its own. Sometimes choosing to live with stress is appropriate, like when it energizes our Competitive Edge.

We can also balance our stress levels to avoid being thrown off-center too easily or often. Ongoing stress management techniques for creating balance include sleeping well, eating healthy foods, exercising, meditating &/or focusing on the positive things in our lives. These are simple and inexpensive ways to relieve pressure, especially when we're faced with unexpected events or must manage stress over a long period of time.

While the bad news is that it's nearly impossible to avoid stress in our crazy-busy world, the good news is that using stress management techniques and being mindful can actually make stress empowering instead of draining. This puts us in control of the stressors in our lives so they can't stop us from continuing to go forward and grow more joyfully empowered every day.

About the Author:

Barbara Schiffman, C.Ht., is SelfGrowth.com's Official Guide to Stress Management, a Life Balance Coach, Certified Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. For a list of her favorite stress relief books/resources, send her an email request for "The Eustress List" with your name and city/state to eustress@balanceradio.info or visit www.hypnosynergy.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Good News About Stress Management: How "good" Stress Keeps Us Going & Growing

Stress Anger

Posted on July 8, 2007

stress anger
What are some positive methods or ways to relieve stress or anger?

thanks for your answers!

just go out and start fights with people who you dis like until you get your azz kicked ...thats one way ..lol

Stress Management Book

Posted on May 10, 2007

stress management book

Every health and lifestyle magazine contains articles claiming stress is bad for us. They list dozens of ways to relieve stress, from exercise to eating healthy foods. A wide range of relaxation techniques have also been proven to help manage stress in our crazy-busy world, especially for people who take care of others and tend to neglect themselves.

But stress is not always as bad as these cautionary articles insist. In fact, some stress is actually necessary to keep us going and growing.

Our individual responses to different types and levels of stress can either drain or energize us. It is how we perceive and process both ongoing and unexpected stressors that intensifies or reduces their impact on our bodies, minds and emotions.

The term "stress" was first used in the mid-1950s by endocrinologist Dr. Hans Selye in his book "The Stress of Life." In his research experiments, Selye discovered that we experience stress not only when we hear bad news but also when we receive good news. He differentiated these two types of stressors by calling negative stress "distress" and positive stress "eustress" (the Greek prefix "eu" means well or good).

The idea that we naturally feel stressed by positive experiences -- like getting married, having a baby, graduations, promotions, winning awards or races -- is echoed in the Social Readjustment Ratings Scale. Devised by University of Washington medical researchers Holmes and Rahe, the SRRS ranks the impact of good stress-events as well as bad stressors like death, divorce or losing a job.

They discovered it is the accumulation of minor plus major changes over a period of time that increases one's chances of developing stress-related ailments like heart disease, cancer or a weakened immune system. Stress effects also intensify when several changes occur without enough time between them to recharge our physical and mental resources.

When dealing with normal life changes, Holmes and Rahe also concluded that a single event is rarely stressful enough to cause significant illness if we have some control over the situation and are able to view it as a challenge or opportunity instead of a threat.

So stress is not always bad or unhealthy. It can actually keep us from becoming complacent or staying too long in jobs, relationships or environments which are not good for us. When bad stress builds to the "breaking point," it usually forces us to make choices and change our behavior or environment with positive and healthier results.

Stress is also necessary to keep us moving forward while working toward a goal -- like a creative or business project -- or training for athletic events like championship games or marathons. This type of eustress prevents us from slowing down or giving up too soon and helps us build momentum in the early stages to empower us to reach the "finish line."

So positive stress management can actually give us a Competitive Edge via increased focus and drive. As we move forward on what researchers call the Performance Stress Curve, eustress helps us make choices, take actions and communicate more clearly.

When it comes to managing stress, there are two basic approaches: Defensive or Offensive. If we take a Defensive approach, we subconsciously distort reality by hoping the situation will change without having to do anything about it. But this keeps us in a state of denial and often amplifies the internal impact of distress, contributing to disease or depression.

Taking an Offensive approach, however, enables us to manage stress by using it to our advantage. By consciously changing or adapting, we adjust to life-changes organically and can view things in perspective that at first feel like problems. Then we can reframe these "problems" as opportunities or challenges and take appropriate action.

Offensive ways to manage stress include:
1.Changing our situation whenever possible
2.Increasing our ability to cope with the situation as it is
3.Changing our perception so the situation looks and feels different
4.Changing our behavior, as this is truly where we have the most control

Whenever we feel stressed, it can be useful to first determine whether it's Distress or Eustress. Then we can decide whether to become Offensive by utilizing or adjusting it, or remain Defensive and wait to see if the situation changes on its own. Sometimes choosing to live with stress is appropriate, like when it energizes our Competitive Edge.

We can also balance our stress levels to avoid being thrown off-center too easily or often. Ongoing stress management techniques for creating balance include sleeping well, eating healthy foods, exercising, meditating &/or focusing on the positive things in our lives. These are simple and inexpensive ways to relieve pressure, especially when we're faced with unexpected events or must manage stress over a long period of time.

While the bad news is that it's nearly impossible to avoid stress in our crazy-busy world, the good news is that using stress management techniques and being mindful can actually make stress empowering instead of draining. This puts us in control of the stressors in our lives so they can't stop us from continuing to go forward and grow more joyfully empowered every day.

About the Author:

Barbara Schiffman, C.Ht., is SelfGrowth.com's Official Guide to Stress Management, a Life Balance Coach, Certified Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. For a list of her favorite stress relief books/resources, send her an email request for "The Eustress List" with your name and city/state to eustress@balanceradio.info or visit www.hypnosynergy.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Good News About Stress Management: How "good" Stress Keeps Us Going & Growing