Stress management

Answer 1

Stress can cause headaches, stomach upset and muscle pain. There are some simple stress relief tips, however, than can help manage stress and improve anxiety. These stress relief tips include getting daily exercise, eating a healthy diet, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and enjoying hobbies. In addition, herbal teas such as chamomile tea can soothe nerves and promote relaxation. Also, other stress relief tips include getting enough sleep. Poor sleep quality can cause stress, anxiety and even depression.

Answer 2

Stress management involves strategies and techniques to cope with and reduce stress levels. This can include practices such as exercise, mindfulness, deep breathing, time management, and seeking social support. It is important to find what works best for you to effectively manage stress in your life.

Answer 3

We live in a busy, fast-paced society and many individuals feel overwhelmed by their myriad work, social and family responsibilities. In order to reduce the amount of stress you carry with you throughout your week, stress management techniques can be practiced on a regular basis. Three basic stress management practices should get you off to a terrific start. First, deep breathing is one of the most fundamental stress management practices. Second, visualization is a technique that will help you to reduce stress levels, even in crisis situations. Third, scripture meditation can be both a destressor and an anchor in life when practiced daily.

Deep Breathing

When humans become stressed or over-burdened with responsibilities, one of the first things they do is begin to take shallow breathes or even hold their breath unknowingly. This practice is horrible for your body systems and it results in a great deal of pent up tension and stress in the body. When you begin to feel yourself getting stressed out during the course of your day, deep breathing is one of the most practical and effective stress management practices to employ.

Simply push out all of the stale oxygen in your lungs by exhaling for an extended period, then consciously cause your body to take slow, long, deep and repeated breathes. This easy stress management practice will result in increased blood circulation, better posture and a noticeable reduction of your stress levels.

Visualization

If you know that your work or private life holds some difficult situations or challenges fast approaching, you may want to practice the stress management practice of visualization. Get to a quiet space and breathe deeply for a few minutes. Next, picture the upcoming circumstance in as much imaginative detail as possible. Visualize yourself responding in a calm, collected and confident manner. This simple stress management practice will effectively condition your emotions and even your physical body, so that when the situation actually arrives, your response will be largely pre-conditioned.

Scripture Meditation

The French mystic Madame Guyon was one of the first to pen a practical guide to meditating on scripture. This daily practice helps to ground individuals and lift them out of the work-a-day world of pressure and obligations. Scripture meditation involves pausing at length on a single word or phrase in scripture in order to take in its essence, letting the peace it brings settle into your very soul.

Answer 4

Definition

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension.

See also: Stress in childhood

Information

Emotional stress usually occurs in situations people consider difficult or challenging. Different people consider different situations to be stressful.

Physical stress refers to a physical reaction of the body to various triggers. The pain experienced after surgery is an example of physical stress. Physical stress often leads to emotional stress, and emotional stress often occurs as physical stress (e.g., stomach cramps).

Stress management involves controlling and reducing the tension that occurs in stressful situations by making emotional and physical changes. The degree of stress and the desire to make the changes will determine how much change takes place.

ASSESSING STRESS

Attitude: A person's attitude can influence whether or not a situation or emotion is stressful. A person with a negative attitude will often report more stress than would someone with a positive attitude.

Diet: A poor diet puts the body in a state of physical stress and weakens the immune system. As a result, a person can be more likely to get infections. A poor diet can mean unhealthy food choices, not eating enough, or not eating on a normal schedule.

This form of physical stress also decreases the ability to deal with emotional stress, because not getting the right nutrition may affect the way the brain processes information.

Physical activity: Not getting enough physical activity can put the body in a stressed state. Physical activity has many benefits, including promoting a feeling of well-being.

Support systems: Almost everyone needs someone in their life they can rely on when they are having a hard time. Having little or no support makes stressful situations even more difficult to deal with.

Relaxation: People with no outside interests, hobbies, or other ways to relax may be less able to handle stressful situations.

AN INDIVIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Find the positive in situations, and don't dwell on the negative.
• Plan fun activities
• Take regular breaks.

Physical activity:

• Start a physical activity program. Most experts recommend 20 minutes of aerobic activity three times per week.
• Decide on a specific type, amount, and level of physical activity. Fit this into your schedule so it can be part of your routine.
• Find a buddy to exercise with -- it is more fun and it will encourage you to stick with your routine.
• You do not have to join a gym -- 20 minutes of brisk walking outdoors is enough.

Nutrition:

• Eat foods that improve your health and well-being. For example, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat.
• Use the food guide pyramid to help you make healthy food choices.
• Eat normal-sized portions on a regular schedule.

Social support:

• Make an effort to socialize. Even though you may feel tempted to avoid people when you feel stressed, meeting friends usually helps people feel less stressed.
• Be good to yourself and others.

Relaxation:

• Learn about and try using relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, listening to music, or practicing yoga or meditation. With some practice, these techniques should work for you.
• Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down or take a break.
• Make sure to get enough sleep. Good sleep habits are one of the best ways to manage stress.
• Take time for personal interests and hobbies.

RESOURCES

If these stress management techniques do not work for you, there are professionals, such as licensed social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, who can help. Schedule time with one of these mental health professionals to help you learn stress management strategies, including relaxation techniques. Support groups of various types are also available in most communities.

Answer 5

When it comes to stress management, the best thing to do to preserve your well being is to simply take yourself out of the situations that cause you stress. This can be done in one of two ways: Face the problem head on and focus on it until it is solved. If it is a problem that can not be solved, remove yourself from the situation and make sure it does not follow you.

Answer 6

Definition

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension.

See also: Stress in childhood

Information

Emotional stress usually occurs in situations people consider difficult or challenging. Different people consider different situations to be stressful.

Physical stress refers to a physical reaction of the body to various triggers. The pain experienced after surgery is an example of physical stress. Physical stress often leads to emotional stress, and emotional stress often occurs as physical stress (e.g., stomach cramps).

Stress management involves controlling and reducing the tension that occurs in stressful situations by making emotional and physical changes. The degree of stress and the desire to make the changes will determine how much change takes place.

ASSESSING STRESS

Attitude: A person's attitude can influence whether or not a situation or emotion is stressful. A person with a negative attitude will often report more stress than would someone with a positive attitude.

Diet: A poor diet puts the body in a state of physical stress and weakens the immune system. As a result, a person can be more likely to get infections. A poor diet can mean unhealthy food choices, not eating enough, or not eating on a normal schedule.

This form of physical stress also decreases the ability to deal with emotional stress, because not getting the right nutrition may affect the way the brain processes information.

Physical activity: Not getting enough physical activity can put the body in a stressed state. Physical activity has many benefits, including promoting a feeling of well-being.

Support systems: Almost everyone needs someone in their life they can rely on when they are having a hard time. Having little or no support makes stressful situations even more difficult to deal with.

Relaxation: People with no outside interests, hobbies, or other ways to relax may be less able to handle stressful situations.

AN INDIVIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Find the positive in situations, and don't dwell on the negative.
• Plan fun activities.
• Take regular breaks.

Physical activity:

• Start a physical activity program. Most experts recommend 20 minutes of aerobic activity three times per week.
• Decide on a specific type, amount, and level of physical activity. Fit this into your schedule so it can be part of your routine.
• Find a buddy to exercise with -- it is more fun and it will encourage you to stick with your routine.
• You do not have to join a gym -- 20 minutes of brisk walking outdoors is enough.

Nutrition:

• Eat foods that improve your health and well-being. For example, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat.
• Use the food guide plate to help you make healthy food choices.
• Eat normal-sized portions on a regular schedule.

Social support:

• Make an effort to socialize. Even though you may feel tempted to avoid people when you feel stressed, meeting friends usually helps people feel less stressed.
• Be good to yourself and others.

Relaxation:

• Learn about and try using relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, listening to music, or practicing yoga or meditation. With some practice, these techniques should work for you.
• Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down or take a break.
• Make sure to get enough sleep. Good sleep habits are one of the best ways to manage stress.
• Take time for personal interests and hobbies.

RESOURCES

If these stress management techniques do not work for you, there are professionals, such as licensed social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, who can help. Schedule time with one of these mental health professionals to help you learn stress management strategies, including relaxation techniques. Support groups of various types are also available in most communities.

Reviewed By

Review Date: 06/14/2011

A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, and David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by David B. Merrill, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY (2/22/2010).