By Elizabeth Vanschooneveld

Stress. As a massage therapist, kick boxer, and physical trainer, I know stress daily effects all of us differently. So, It’s odd that with how popular of an issue it is, many of us don’t really put in effort to reduce it, because some of us don’t know where to start.

Well, a good place to begin is identifying stressors. There is good stress and there is bad stress. It’s no secret that stress effects your health in many ways and in excess, stress can be devastating to the body. Eustress is a type of stress - a positive stress - that our body needs. It’s a rush we get from skiing down a slope, going on an exciting first date, or picking out a gift for someone special. Other negative stress such as rushing for a deadline at work, having an argument with a friend or battling health, causes much chaos. This is known as episodic acute stress (aka drama queen syndrome), where stressful events start to become a way of life.

Stress triggers your body to react as if you were under threat, known as the fight or flight syndrome. Your body shuffles hormones around and works hard to supply a sudden burst of energy for reaction. Over time, this chronic stress damages the body. In fact, more than 90% of doctors visits are from symptoms that are at least partially related to stress.

That’s HUGE! So what can you really do to prevent stress? First is to learn. Keep a journal of what makes you tick. The more aware you are of your body and surroundings, the more likely you will be able to know what to expect. Some amount of stress will always remain unavoidable, but knowing what to expect will help control stressful responses in the future.

Next, simplify your life. When it comes to your mental health the cost of clutter can be high. Many people delay going home just to avoid an overwhelming mess. Does it make sense to you to own a home that you don’t want to be in? NO! So clean up, pick up a few things each day and you’ll slowly start to see the floor again. You might even be able to easily find your keys and wallet every morning. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Finally, Fix your finances. Anxiety of bills, debt, and budgeting just adds to the mix. So from now on, think before big expenses like a new TV or car. Make sure you are smart with your spending. The quality of life doesn’t always come from the quantity of dollars. Financial freedom will offer peace of mind.

Those are just a few ideas, but I’m sure you’re getting the point. So, after you find your stressors, now what? Learn to deal with it. Stress CAN be used as a positive influence to help us take action in out lives. If you want to eliminate stress, you must first be capable of managing it.

My first suggestion is to build your physical reserves by exercising. More physical activity will help you release energy you would’ve otherwise spent worrying and stressing. Cardiovascular fitness helps your heart stay healthy by getting used to prolonged beating. Physical fitness can be improved in a number of ways but pick an activity that you personally enjoy. To some this could be running, to others gardening. But, like what you do.

Try to eat well balanced, nutritious meals. Give your body the proper fuel to carry out activity so you’re not sitting there like a toxic waste dump. Avoid stimulants when you can. Make it a personal goal to drink one less cup of coffee, or smoke one less cigarette. Mix leisure with work and take breaks when possible to reset. And, always get enough sleep; be as consistent as possible with your sleep schedule.

It’s very important to use the support of friends. Sometimes just knowing someone is on your side takes a load off, so strengthen the relationships you have now and build new ones. Pursue goals that are meaningful to you. Be expecting that you’ll fail at some point, but always be kind to yourself. Don’t get too frustrated and forgive yourself. Be your own best friend. Start treating yourself better each day than you did the day before.

Reducing stress moment to moment is key for optimum health and happiness. Those who manage stress well are highly rewarded in many ways. Take some time in evaluating how you are managing your stress and what you’re doing that is making it worse. If you take steps to reduce your stress level, you can enjoy a better outlook, less aches and pains, sweeter sleep, new health, better relationships, happiness and most importantly a longer life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Vanschooneveld

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 1:00 am and is filed under Stress Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.