Stress is an unavoidable aspect of everyday life. Every person suffers from one form of stress or another at some point in their lives. The word “stress” is often associated with bad feelings, depression and fatigue. What many are not aware of is that there are good forms of stress, as well as bad. Stress can make one more productive, or it can cause sleeplessness, irritability and anxiety.

Eustress is the kind of stress felt before a big event, after winning a trophy, or in anticipation of a big promotion. This type of stress never lasts long, but the effects of this type of stress are positive rather than negative. Eustress gives us strength when we need it most. Most people do not regard that anxious anticipation as a form of “stress”, but that is exactly what it is. Eustress is a positive stress. It gives us strength, motivation and inspiration.

The most common form of stress is called acute stress. In moderation, this form of stress can be exciting. Many people feel this type of stress before an important event. However, too much of this stress can be exhausting. This stress is brought on by the pressure of everyday life, be it a report to do in a short time, or an exciting event just past. Too much of this type of stress can cause very discomforting symptoms, such as tension headaches, nausea, anxiety, irritability and depression. Most people can recognize these symptoms of stress by just taking the time to look at how hectic their life has been lately. This type of stress is easily manageable and usually results in no serious long-term affects.

Chronic stress is possibly the most dangerous type of stress, along with post-traumatic stress disorder. Chronic stress is also a common illness and is often crippling to the mind and body. Unlike acute stress, chronic stress is long lasting. This type of stress can continue affecting lives for weeks, months, even years. People suffering from chronic stress think negatively about almost everything. They often believe that disaster waits around every corner. Nothing good ever lasts very long and there seems to be no end in sight for the bad. Individuals suffering from chronic stress often lose hope and stop trying to find a solution for their problem.

Individuals suffering from chronic stress often learn to live with it. They get used to feeling horrible all the time. Chronic stress becomes almost comfortable and sometimes unnoticeable. Chronic stress, if not properly treated, can become fatal. Health risks caused from chronic stress include heart attack, stroke and maybe even cancer. Some people suffering from chronic stress resort to taking their own lives. Often, in order for the symptoms of chronic stress to be controlled, medical treatment is needed, as well as psychiatric treatment.

Sometimes stress can be decreased by making simple changes in our everyday lives. Other times, extensive psychotherapy is necessary to treat the symptoms. Set back some “alone time” to unwind. Read a book, listen to music, or just take some deep, soothing breaths every day. Many people have found that setting aside time for themselves has increased the overall quality of life. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night to allow your body to recuperate after a busy day. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and be sure to get enough exercise. This will give you more energy and help heighten your mood. If you feel that changing your lifestyle will not suffice and that you need more help, talk to a health professional.

By: Michael Russell

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Stress – sort of a funny word don’t you think? It’s a funny word, but the aftereffect that it could have on our bodies is not funny in the least bit. Are you cognizant of what is going on inside when you feel the stress come on? Have you ever thought about how your stress is having an outcome on the people near you? Do you find it is strenuous to make decisions because you are stressing about some things that a person normally would not give thought to?

Physical Stress

Most of us have an idea of when they are getting too stressed because they have the physical symptoms of severe worry. For example, a person who is having horrible stress may feel anxiety, sweat more, get skin problems and have lots of different symptoms of stress. Extreme worry has even been the cause of strokes, heart attacks, and many other serious health conditions.

Do you realize that, due to stress, you could be in amazing condition and still have heart problems or stroke? Extreme worry can actually make plaque covered blood vessels to constrict and have problems, sometimes creating things like blood clots to get stuck which creates closed off blood vessels. This restriction causes the heart undue strain trying to get the blood throughout your body or to a brain. The result is a stroke or heart attack, depending on where the blood is getting cut off to.

Emotional Stress

Mental stress is what a lot of individuals mean when they use the word stress. Some individuals experience emotional stress at different degrees and for various reasons. Some mental worry is said to start at a job or from emotional experiences. I am quite sure we’ve all had emotional worry at one time or another in our lives. A lot of us have even had chronic worrying.

Continual Stress

Chronic extreme worry happens when there is frequent stress on your body. Sometimes individuals who are having chronic stress do not even understand that they are having stress. If you have the continual and extremely detrimental effects of severe stress, there are a few options available for you. Non-medical options are available and can deal with your worrying levels very well; however, if your extreme worry continues, it is best to get medical help.

There are literally hundreds of sources of stress and several things that can happen because of stress. Please be informed about extreme worry and the things it can cause but for Heavens sake, do not let it worry you too much.

By: Jane E Beck

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Stress is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem in modern society. The years seem to pass faster and faster, and it’s easy to think that we have no time to rest, even for a little while.

However, such constant stress may be harmful in the long run. Being under chronic stress puts you at risk for health problems like heart disease and hypertension.

To combat this daily barrage of stress, it’s important that we try to relax when we feel especially stressed. If we want to keep our bodies and minds healthy, we have to learn to reduce our stress.

Stress is inevitable in the modern age; everyone feels it at some point. Some people actually learn to redirect their stress to create positive change in their lives, often by using this stress as a motivator to improve their position or outlook in life.

The majority of the population does not handle stress this effectively. It becomes a weight that holds them back and it gets out of control, causing them no small amount of frustration. People who handle stress this way are typically those who would prefer to live their lives without too much competition or conflict; they would prefer to take things easy rather than work to overcome a difficult challenge.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that stress can actually be used as a great motivational tool. If we didn’t deal with stress in our lives, it would be easy to simply sit on our laurels and coast through life. Stress actually provides an impetus for us to keep working at overcoming our challenges.

However, we shouldn’t forget that stress can be dangerous if we let it take control of us, and can easily endanger our health. We will never find a way to live completely stress-free lives, so we must do our best to redirect our stress to a positive outlet.

We face stress at every turn in our lives. Since it’s so prevalent in modern life, we should learn to simply use our stress to better ourselves instead of shrinking in fear of it.

By: Emily Rawlings

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One of the finest stress relief activities that you can do is to read a well-written book. There are lots of good books that you can read to take your mind off your stress. Although they can be acquired, you may get them from libraries and from free cycle places where folks swap their books.

Another one of the finest and free stress relief activities is guffawing. Whether or not you are getting a giggle from a book, from a picture, a TV show, or simply somebody telling a good joke, you will find that it should relieve your stress. The explanation for this is that it is releasing health hormones and it places you in a mood that is more positive.

Gardening is not just one of the finest stress relief activities around, but it also gives you exercise, it helps you to grow fruit and veg, that may save your cash, and it will get you out in the clean air and sunlight. It distracts you from your issues and permits you to share your thoughts. Not just that, but you have got a piece of art when it is finished.

One of the finest stress relief activities is so good that surgeons are using it to help their patients, and that is listening to music. It is a great stress reliever as it provides inspiration, distraction, and has the power to either calm you or speed you up. It can be used any time where you have access to a radio, on the way to work, when you are exercising, or just about anywhere.

When you are trying to find stress relief, consider the stress relief activities that are mentioned above and try using one of them to help yourself feel better.

There are more stress relief activities that others have used, and possibilities are that you can come up with some that may work for you. Alleviating stress is something that each one of us should strive toward.

By: Russell Cranmer

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With the high level of stress that many people face today in the workplace, at school or at home, it is no wonder that many manufacturers are coming out with stress relief toys to help stressed out people cope with stress.

Stress relief toys work because they are fun to use. They make great gifts to co-workers and, basically, to anyone you know who needs a quick relief from stress. Place stress relief toys at your desk and just grab them whenever stress levels are rising. They can help you relax while you play with them.

There are so many different kinds of stress relief toys. One of the most popular ones is the slinky. The classic slinky is made of metal but there are also plastic ones. They come in solid or even rainbow colors. Stretch it and watch it snap back into place or shift it back and forth between your hands as you think about work. In fact, it is a great toy to use during brainstorming sessions and planning meetings to help people relax.

Stress balls are also popular stress relief toys. They are indeed excellent stress relievers. Stress balls are made of rubber material and most are air filled so you can squeeze them when you are feeling frustrated, panicky, or tense. Just fidgeting with these stress relief toys is sometimes enough to reduce your stress level.

Other rubber stress relief toys that will sure to cheer you up a bit are stretchable toys like a rubber chicken, squishy frog, a stretchy ape or clown or stretchy happy faces which you can elongate, bend or twist. They often have tiny bead fillings so they make soft crunching sound when you squeeze them. They are fun and are great to have at your desk so you can easily play with them and get your mind off stressful work for a few minutes.

Among the top-selling stress relief toys are mini replicas of various settings such as a Zen garden, backyard garden, a beach, a sandbox and a construction zone. These settings are confined in a small box that is designed to be placed on the desktop so you can reach out and do some pretend gardening, for instance. These stress relief toys are truly enjoyable. Your officemates will want to get one of these when they see you happily hauling rocks in your mini construction site or raking the sand in your tiny Zen garden. They are really fun ways to ease work stress.

By: Milos Pesic

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