Stress?

We are actually stressed without even knowing it.

When asked "Where does stress actually come from?" Most people will probably go and make a list of several factors that cause stress: a work load from school, parents nagging, friends being selfish, "unfair" teachers, bad hair/skin, your brother/sister, etc. These things and many more are actually called stressors. Actually what our reaction is to these stressors. -(and they can come from positive events as well as negative ones.) is what causes stress

Our reaction to stressors causes a change in our energy level-that can be felt inside by you and your body and can also be felt on the outside by others-did you ever come into school in a great mood and your friend is in a bad mood and all of a sudden you are in a bad mood too?? That is because the energy you give off is contagious just like the flu virus! While we cannot possibly eliminate all of these stressors from our lives completely, we can eliminate some of them and learn how to respond to the other ones. This is what is known as Stress Management. It is not hard, does not cost anything or take any time & does not have to be boring! It can be fun and very empowering! I will show you a few things in a minute or two.

Lets talk about reactions for a minute. Reaction is defined as: "1. A response to a stimulus. 2. The state resulting from such a response.3.A reverse or opposing action." Reactions can be quick and instant or a little more controlled- Your reactions to a person, situation or event are based on your knowledge, your emotional state & your beliefs. If you want to change the way you react in certain situations or to a certain person or to certain groups of people, you must first change one of those things.

There is a surprising fact that many of you are not aware of: Stress does NOT come from these things we just listed!

A simple definition of stress is this: the uncomfortable gap between how we would like our life to be & how it actually is. Sowhen trying to rectifythe difference, stress comes from....inside your mind!! If you remember that fact, you will always be one step ahead in managing stress.

Stress left unmanaged can cause more physical. Mental and emotional conditions than I can list here. Some of the effects are not reversible. It is highly important to recognize it & do something now to get it under control before it does permanent damage to you, to others and to your Life..

There are simple changes you can make to train your mind not to react or to react more positively to stressors-here are some of those ways:

CARE OF THE BODY- Proper Nutrition

CARE OF THE MIND- Lifestyle

CARE OF THE EMOTIONS-Tools

-Other ways to manage stress include: Poper (positive) Attitude, Sense of Purpose, Healthy Relationships, Self Control, Acid/Alkaline Environments-(see other article) Proper amount of Sleep, Good Time Management, Commitment to Learning, Balance of work/Leisure Activities, correct amount & quality of food and water, positive Lifestyle Habits, Breath Techniques, daily Movement/Exercise, Leisure Activities.

In reality, we know what to do to manage our stress,its just a matter of remembering to do it. Its a matter of re-wiring the Stress Response into a more positive, empowering action. Once you begin to take back your sense of self-control by doing just one ofthe above strategies, you will begin to make the other changes necessary to manage every aspect of your Life better. Start with one thing, and then go from there. In most cases, it takes a long time for your Life to become stressful, and it will take sometime to get it back to the way you desire!

Learn different ways to respond to stress

There are many ways you can respond to stress. What is stress?

One important way to fight off and deal with stress is to first recognize that you are indeed suffering from stress.

Others can recognize this before the sufferer actually does. Once a person knows why they are feeling and acting the way they are, they can gradually make changes in their life.

Stress that is not dealt with can be damaging to a person's physical and mental health. There are things you can do to reduce the impact of stress and to cope with the symptoms. It is important to learn how to manage your stress.

Things may feel out of control, but a person can always control the way they respond. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems that arise.

Stress management involves taking care of yourself, making time for rest and relaxation, and changing the stressful situation if you can.

A strong support network is an important factor to help protect against stress. Life stressors do not feel as overwhelming when a person has trusted family or friends that they can count on.

If your relationships are a source of your stress, making it a priority to build stronger and more satisfying relationships can be helpful.

Learning to relax can also be helpful. You can't completely eliminate stress, but learning relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can help on manage it better.

Investing in your emotional health is just as important as maintaining your physical health.

People with good emotional health are able to bounce back from stress and adversity easier.

Being focused, flexible, and positive even during bad and good times can help a person be resilient and manage their stress.