5 Stress Manatement Tips

Oh my God! What am I going to say to my boss! Oh I have a doctor’s appointment! Oh my daughter has a play today! This much work! How am I going to manage! These are the regular thoughts of a common man, who suffers from stress every day and every minute in this fast paced life.
The key to all these stressful thoughts lies in proper stress management! You got to learn how to take control of your emotions, thoughts, relationships, work and environment and above all the way you deal with your problems. Read on to learn how to reduce, prevent and cope with everyday stress that leads you dull, lifeless and unhealthy.
Cigarette, alcohol, sleeping, and disconnecting yourself with the world outside are the unhealthy ways of dealing with stress, they may apparently soothe your senses but in long run these things prove to be very dangerous. So let’s find out five healthy ways of dealing with stress.
The first stress management tip is to avoid unnecessary stress.
This can be possible by analyzing your daily schedule, responsibilities and tasks, don’t accept extra work load if you think, you can’t do it. Learn to say ‘no’ If you think, you’ve got so much to do, distinguish between the ‘shoulds’ and the ‘musts’ and drop the tasks, which aren’t truly important or eliminate them completely but overload yourself. Avoid stressful situation, e.g. if evening news depress you, just turn off the TV and do something good. Avoid the people and topics that turn you off and just chill!
The second stress management tip is to alter the stressful situation. 
It is about altering the stressful situation with the easy one. Such as, always express your feelings rather than containing them inside of you and battling with them. If you will not voice your feelings and emotions, they will burn you silently like the acid which burns its own container it is in! Be willing to compromise with the people you care about. Don’t close your eyes in front of problems rather deal with them and solve them for a happier and stress-free life.
“If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade!” 
The third stress management tip is to adapt to the stressor, which is if you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. Try to look at stressful situation with much optimistic approach. For example, rather than fuming about traffic jam, spend your time to select your favorite song and spend some time with yourself. Set reasonable standards and expectations for yourself and others and learn to be happy with ‘good enough’. When stress is getting you down, focus on positive things in your life and be thankful for them.
The forth stress management tip is to accept the things that you can’t change.
There are some things in life which are totally out of our control, there is always some greater, invisible, natural force taking control of things.  It’s always better to leave some things on fate and not trying to control what is NOT in our control. Some stress-full situations are totally unavoidable, such as illness, death of a loved one, so it’s always better to accept them as they are as your being stressing on them will not change them.
After you have learned to avoid and control stress-full situations, try to add extra charm to your life with this fifth and last stress management tip, which is make time for fun and relaxation for a better and healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly
Now exercise doesn’t mean 30 minutes of boring exercises, but 30 minutes of physical activity, it can be walking, playing with your pet or kids, jogging, playing sports or anything that makes you sweat. Listen to music, eat chocolates, go to spa, read some good book, take a long bath or simply spend time with your loved one with a coffee or wine in one hand and a good movie.

How to Reduce Stress Fast?

It’s summer, and being stuck on public transit, in your car or in an office can take its toll when you’d much rather be relaxing on a beach, drinking a cold one and watching the bikinis stroll by. To help you reduce stress, we asked four experts from very different disciplines for their top techniques. Here’s what they suggest.
Air Balls
Who knew that being a clown could be so relaxing? Fact is that juggling lowers stress levels instantly, says Nick DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon and medical consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers. The repetitive motion process requires total concentration that lowers the higher cortical levels of the brain and pushes out any stressful thoughts. Start with one ball and juggle from hand to hand. Keep it at eye level. Put one in each hand. Throw one in an arc from right to left and throw the second after the first ball reaches the top of the arc. Once you can juggle without having to think about it, move up to three balls. “You’re not trying to create a circle,” says DiNubile. “The balls should just be hopping from one hand to the other.”
Poor Man’s Yoga
Commuting to work can be a stressful experience for Israelis in Tel Aviv. Municipal buses have been the targets of suicide attacks since the eighties, which is why Miri Harouvi, an Ashtanga yoga instructor for 21 years, decided to ride the morning routes with nervous bus passengers. She taught them these simple relaxation methods that can be done while seated. Start by straightening your back, relaxing your shoulders and un-weighting your feet. Slowly move both arms up while inhaling, hold for a few seconds and then lower your arms and exhale. Repeat a few times. Gently lift your left leg while inhaling and then lower it while exhaling. Repeat with the right leg. “Focus on relaxing by closing your eyes and listening to yourself breathe,” she Harouvi. “It’s very noisy in the city and most people don’t take the time to concentrate. Keep listening to yourself breath until the tension leaves you.”
Mind Control
“There’s nothing more stressful than having to follow rules, regulations and anything else that constrains you mentally and physically, especially anything that’s out of your control,” says Doctor Joseph Barr, a sports psychologist from Chicago who teaches Olympic speed skaters to use a cognitive approach to reduce stress. Learn to moderate your thinking. Don’t revisit stressful incidents over and over in your mind, and learn to accept that you can’t control every situation. This includes the actions of others. “If you’re in bad traffic and dwelling on what others should be doing to ease your own experience, stop and focus on yourself and what you need to be doing. It’s a simple idea that takes a lot of practice,” he says.
Target Practice
Being a sniper requires instant calm, since your heartbeat can make your crosshairs jump, says William Graves, founder and instructor of the GPS Defense Sniper School in Scottsdale, Arizona. One of his exercises involves running with a forty-pound pack and dropping to the ground. Students then have only 60 seconds to relax before they have to hit the center ring of a hostage rescue target 500 yards away. Graves teaches Navy Seals and SWAT team members visualization techniques that involve focusing on riflescope crosshairs to get heart rate and breathing down quickly. Civilians can substitute a business card. Lie on your stomach and lean the card against your thumb. Sight down the length of the card and visually align it with different vertical planes in the distance. “You should be completely relaxed, like a beanbag,” says Graves. “There should be absolutely no muscular tension. You want to concentrate on your breathing and heartbeat. If you’re relaxed enough, you’ll see your pulse transmit from your fingertips to the card.” Just make sure your office door is closed before trying this one.

Swimming : A De-Stressing Exercise

Stress can develop as a result of our hectic schedules, job responsibilities and family obligations. If you don't do anything to calm the stress, the stress can potentially cause health concerns. One of the best ways to calm down is to participate in physical activity, such as swimming. Swimming not only calms you down to relieve stress, it also improves your overall fitness level.
Basics
In order for swimming to calm you down, you must be comfortable in the water. If the thought of swimming increases your stress level, it won't be possible for swimming to calm you down. Focus on learning proper swimming technique and improving your overall comfort level in and around the water. In time, it will become easier to control your breathing and heart rate so swimming can calm you down.
Breathing
Breathing is a common method for calming you down, and it is also essential for swimming. Don't hold your breath while swimming as this can potentially increase your stress level, preventing you from calming down. This also causes your heart rate and breathing rate to increase. Focus on rhythmic breathing patterns where you exhale with your face in the water and inhale quickly when you turn your head to the side.
Endorphins
Swimming helps to release endorphins -- neurotransmitter chemicals that promote relaxation. As you are swimming, your body is releasing the endorphins that produce a euphoric feeling that is commonly described as a "runner's high." The endorphins also reduce blood pressure while relieving pain and improving your overall sleep patterns.
Focus
After a long, stressful day at work, swimming can channel your focus to calm you down. The focus in the pool helps to clear the mind by concentrating on the task at hand. As a result, you release the stress and strains from the day, which calms your mind. After calming down with a swim, your concentration and focus are improved for the rest of the day.

Tips to Reduce Stress in Your Life

According to cardiologist, endocrinologist and other health care providers, all forms of emotional stress such as depression, worry, anxiety and even anger can lead both indirectly and directly to a heart attack.  Women more than men, suffer from a number of these stress related conditions thereby raising the level of risk in women for heart attacks.  Handling those stress hormones for better heart health is essential.  Your choices regarding sleeping, eating, exercising and just plain resting are absolutely the key to your personal plan for stress reduction.

Know the Stressors and Reduce Them
It's a known fact that women suffer from stress hormone related heart attacks and other health problems directly related to the long term effects of chronic stressors.  Stress hormones are hormones released by the endocrine system when triggered by the "Fight or Flight" response in the body. Cortisol, norepinephrine, and GH (growth hormones) can all be responsible for various malfunctions in the body including heart trouble, if they are uncontrolled and misinterpreted by the body.  Stress reduction must be practiced frequently to give the body a chance to normalize.  A tired body sets herself up to read the chemical and hormonal signals that are meant to protect.  A body stretched beyond capacity week after week is missing cues and basically running herself, engine wise, into the ground.

The Love Connection
Women hormonally and by nature, are tuned in to respond emotionally to the rigors of interaction.  The very hormones that keep the nesting instincts alive and the cuddle instinct on the burner, can work to our disadvantage when we don't understand how to disengage for our health's sake. Stress reduction is the only answer.

Women have a tendency to hold on to emotional stress longer than men and longer than recommended.  When the body is held at a heighten level of emotional stress for a prolonged period of time the stress hormones released by the endocrine system inadvertently attack specific organs causing them to function abnormally and eventually leading to serious complications like heart attacks.

Stress related heart attacks are the number one killer of women, therefore finding methods to handle stress hormones associated with stress related heart attacks is curtail to sustain a strong and healthy heart.

These hormones are meant to prepare the body's reactions to stressful situations that activate functions such as raised metabolisms, increased breathing and tachycardia (fast heart rate).  When the body does not return to normal hormonal levels complications arise, including high blood pressure, weight problems, hyperventilation and heart attacks.  Reducing stressors for better heart health can be accomplished by considering these few methods.

STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

Meditation - Much like giving a hyperactive child a time-out, women also require a time-out from time-to-time when dealing with stressful situations.  Meditating is a great way to reduce the level of stress hormones in the system, plus it slows down breathing to prevent hyperventilation and restores the heart rates to normal.  Simply finding a quiet place to spend at least 10-15 minutes to clear the mind is vital to handling stress and improving heart health. Go online and locate your ideal meditating techniques.
Rest - It is common for women who have a tremendous amount of emotional stress to neglect a very critical component neccessary to remain healthy:  Sleep!  Most often high levels of stress will manifest in insomnia making the ability to rest difficult; therefore many women, under the pressure of stress hormones, fail to get sufficient rest to help the body recover.  Set the stage for an early bedtime, turn off all the emotional stresses of the day and assist the body to naturally handle stress hormones for enhanced wellbeing.
Exercise - Emotional stress can be combated by increasing physical activity.  This means conforming to routine exercise, which will help control breathing patterns and condition the heart and lungs, to better handle the stress hormonal effects and promote overall physical fitness.  Overall physical fitness is known to help women control stressful situations better; thus allowing better control of stress hormones; improving the heart's functionality and controlling weight that can also lead to heart problems. Exercising is a win-win situation with multiple benefits.
Soothing activities - Gain immediate relief from stress hormones  by simply relaxing.  Well, maybe not so simple.  But worth whatever it takes.  While this may seem obvious, most women under emotional stress find relaxing is a difficult task. Find something that calms your emotional state and nerves especially when experiencing anger, worry and anxiety.  This will slow down the production and release of the stress hormones.  Try taking a soothing hot bath; full body or foot massages are great; or take a short walk, play with an animal like a dog or cat and drink calming teas.  Anything that can help put those stress hormones in check.
Finding something to take the mind off of stress and soothe the senses will, without a doubt, alleviate those stress hormone effects for better heart health.  Join a gym and consult a trainer.  If your health is already impaired, it is always best to consult with a physician on other possible stress reducing methods to promote a healthier heart and longer life spans.

6 Daily Life Tips to Relieve Stress

There are so many sources of stress these days that it is often difficult to overcome. Coping with stress has been a focus of employers, health insurance agencies, and medical professionals as stress has been linked to many different health issues. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to avoid stress but there are many different things that we can do to help ourselves deal with the stress in our lives.  Coping with stress techniques are things that should become habits in your daily or weekly routines so that they are effective. Start by trying one technique at a time to see if the technique calms you even a bit. The more you practice a technique, the more it should help you deal with the stress in your life.

Handling Stress
Dealing with stress isn't easy and most people need more than one technique to be effective at handling it. Also stress from different sources may require different techniques to handle it. This is why it is important to have many different stress handling techniques that you can turn to as needed. Most techniques focus on relaxing your mind and many also focus on relaxing your body.

Writing

Many people find that writing in a journal relives their stress. A stress journal can be used to document different things that are bothering you each day which can help you manage your stress or find better coping techniques. Other people just write in a journal as a way to let their emotions out, especially after an emotionally stressing day.


Releasing feelings

Writing isn't for everyone and writing about your feelings isn't always enough of a release. Some people need to release their feelings through talking to others. Friends and family can be great for this but they may be too biased about the situation to help without adding more stress. A clergy or a counselor can often be a more helpful option for releasing feelings.


Making time for an activity that you enjoy

Time is one of the biggest causes of stress in almost every one's life yet time is needed to release stress. Coping with stress shouldn't be stressful; the key is to set aside time for an activity and then to not stress about that time. Remind yourself that you deserve some time for an activity that you enjoy doing. Tell yourself that you are doing it for your own medical health, peace of mind, or whatever reason you need to tell yourself so that you don't stress over the time that the activity takes. This activity can be anything you enjoy whether it is reading a book, tending to your garden, playing with your dog, or volunteering with an organization. Remember that this time is 'me time' and do an activity that makes you happy.

Meditating

Many people find meditating for even 10 minutes a day helps them to relieve stress. Other people have a very hard time emptying their mind and therefore find that trying to meditate causes them more stress. Something as simple as taking a couple of minutes in your car listening to your favorite before you go into work can help, as long as your mind isn't doing anything more than concentrating on the song.

Exercising

For many people, exercising is the best technique they have in overcoming stress. Even simply performing stretching exercises at work can relieve muscle tension which helps to manage stress. Yoga is a great form of exercise that also allows your mind to relax.

Coping with stress techniques are things that should become habits in your daily or weekly routines so that they are effective. Start by trying one technique at a time to see if the technique calms you even a bit. The more you practice a technique, the more it should help you deal with the stress in your life.

5 Natural Stress Management Tips

Stress is a normal part of everyday life, and a little stress is good for our bodies because it helps stimulate us to achieve our goals. But overwhelming stress, also called distress, is a big problem.

Stress is the body's response to a threat. The "fight or flight" response prepares the body to respond physically, and the end result is an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and increased blood flow to the brain, lungs, heart, and muscles. This isn't much of a concern if your body experiences this every so often, but chronic stress has a significant impact on your overall health.

Stress has been linked to a long list of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, headaches and migraines, obesity, cancer, sleep disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The key to avoiding chronic stress is to remove stressors from your life, but that's often easier said than done. If you can't prevent stress, learning how to manage and diffuse stress is the next best thing. Here are our five tips for managing stress naturally:

Exercise

Physical activity provides some of the best natural stress relief. Aerobic exercise releases endorphins, the "feel good" hormones that act like an antidepressant in the brain. Exercise also gets your muscles working, which helps relieve the muscle tension associated with stress. In addition, exercise acts as a sort of reboot button for your brain---the muscle activity focuses your brain on the activity, moving the emphasis away from the things that were causing you stress.

Make Time for Yourself

Me-time is a must for stress relief. When you have kids, a partner, siblings, parents, friends, bosses, and even dreaded bills all vying for attention, the stress can seem palpable. Take a step back from all those demands and indulge in some time all to yourself. Wake up before everyone else and have a cup of tea. Enjoy a relaxing bath. Get a massage. Listen to relaxing music. Take the time to do something just for yourself and you'll feel the stress melt away.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Most adults don't get nearly enough sleep, and some 60 million Americans suffer from regular or extended periods of insomnia. Sleep is essential for recharging your body, especially during times of stress. A good night's sleep will do more good than just about anything else.

Support Your Body

Vitamins and supplements can help your body cope with stress. Vitamin C and many of the B-vitamins help support your immune system, which is weakened by chronic stress, and they're key to adrenal gland health. Ginseng also helps support the adrenal system, while ginkgo, also called gingko biloba, reduces blood pressure and cortisol levels. St. John's Wort is also used for anxiety, so it can be a considerable help in managing chronic stress.

Breathe and Meditate

Deep, relaxing breathing is one of the simplest ways to dissolve stress. Posture is key to good breathing. Be sure to sit up straight or lie flat on your back on the floor. Close your eyes and slowly take a deep breath through your nose, filling your lungs completely. Exhale slowly through your mouth. You'll feel your shoulders settling and relaxing with each exhale. Meditation is just a step beyond relaxation breathing. The key to meditation is to clear your mind and to open yourself to the essence of your being, becoming aware of your self. Rest your mind and simply just be. You may only have a few minutes, but it can be extremely relaxing and rewarding.

Managing stress is a necessary part of life. But if you suffer from chronic stress, try to find ways to resolve at least some of the issues that are causing stress. Remember: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Eating and Exercises can reduce your stress

More than one in 10 of those who responded to HealthyWomen's recent Web-based survey on stress said they coped with stress by doing unhealthy things such as overindulging in alcohol and food and other self-destructive behaviors. I can guarantee these actions won't help them feel any better; in fact, such behaviors only exacerbate the harmful effects of chronic stress on your health and likely add a whole host of other issues to deal with.

For the reality is that there is very little you can do about the stress in your life. What you can do something about, however, is how you let it affect you. And the best place to start is with a bedrock of healthy living. This strong foundation may help protect you against the harmful effects of the chronic stress we all live with.

That means following a healthy lifestyle, particularly when it comes to eating and exercising.

Eat Your Way to Calm

Here's how to do it:

• Skip the simple sugars and starches (chips, cakes and ice cream). The spike in blood sugar and insulin they cause, combined with your already high cortisol levels, can lead you to eat more as well as put you at risk of insulin insensitivity and diabetes. There's nothing wrong with reaching for comfort food, but take the attributes of the "bad" comfort food - creamy, crunchy, sweet - and try to find healthier alternatives.
• Avoid coffee and other caffeinated food and drinks. They not only increase levels of certain stress hormones, but also mimic their effects in the body (increasing heart rate, for example).
• Load up on vegetables and fruits and other high-fiber foods. The nutrients they provide lend an extra dollop of protection against the immune-sapping effects of chronic stress.
• Choose complex carbohydrates. Their steady release of sugar not only keeps your blood sugar levels steady, but also induces the brain to release more of the mood-enhancing chemical serotonin.

Exercise

If I were to make a list of the studies showing the benefits of exercise on reducing stress hormones, it would be longer than my arm. Simply moving-walking, running, biking, swimming-changes the balance of stress hormones in the brain.

Studies suggest that by making the body stronger and healthier, exercise enhances your ability to respond to stress, thus thwarting many of its negative effects such as anxiety,depression and heart disease. Regular exercise also helps flush out the byproducts of the body's stress response - those hundreds of chemicals released in response to a stressful situation - enabling you to return to a normal state quicker.

Then there are the meditative benefits of exercise. There is a "zone" you get into when you swim, or walk, or jog, an enhanced feeling of self-esteem that results from doing something you know is good for you and from seeing the physical results of that action, the social support if you're working out with a friend, and even the fact that physical activity improves your sleep.

It doesn't really matter what kind of exercise you do; what's most important, studies find, is that you do something you enjoy, not something you feel you simply have to do. Otherwise, you're just stressing yourself out again!

De-Stress Express

Who’s not stressed? All of us—no matter how yogic or meditative or all-round relaxed—get worked up sometimes. (Except maybe my always-smiling, always pretty happy friend Swami Maheshananda Saraswati—but he’s a Swami.) Stress is one of the most pressing and prevalent health concerns in today’s busy world. We’re all working to the max, putting in longer hours than ever before, raising families, staying fit, and trying to stay connected with friends and family. It’s a lot. 

1.       The effects of the fight or flight response, aka stress response, don't always go away once the stressor is gone. Stress hormones can continue to be released when thinking of the stressor; tensed muscles won't release; and digestion can remain inhibited. Plus, your body treats the stress as real, even if you're simply re-living or imagining it—i.e. even if it's just in your head.

2.       The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is here to help. The PNS governs actions opposite to the sympathetic nervous system—the "digest and rest" ones. It lowers breathing and heart rates, decreases blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the intestines and reproductive organs. In other words, it calms us down. We can help the PNS do its thing: Breathe deeply, exercise and do asana, eat a mindful, balanced diet, take digestive supplements (if your doc says it's okay), and do anything else that helps you calm down.

3.       Try keeping track of your stress in a journal. Write down what you were doing when you felt stressed; you’ll begin to see patterns, and, once you have, can begin to take preventative or reactive steps, according to your personal needs.

4.       Use your commute. Whether you’re on a bus, in your car, or on your bike, you can transform this time into a meditation by simply focusing on long, deep, breathing.

5.       Eckhart Tolle, Ram Das, and tons of other spiritual leaders, are right. Stay in the now. Don’t multi-task. Do one thing, talk to one person, and take on one job at a time.

6.       Remember that, as master yoga teacher Max Strom says, we can’t feel gratitude and stress at the same time. Try remembering to give thanks: For the good people in your life, for a great pair of shoes, for sunshine—for anything that you feel grateful for.

a source of stress-reduction, too. Soften your stomp to soften your entire body. We can alter our body’s state from the ground up.

7.       Walk mindfully. Your feet can be 

8.       You’ve got the power. Until we accept we are responsible for our own stress, our stress level will stay beyond our control. Take time to figure out how to take responsibility for your stress—and how to take your stress level down.

How to manage your experiences?

Is each individual on Earth responsible for their own life experience? Or are other people to blame when they are angry, tired, tedious, envious, rude, selfish and just down right mean? How do you make space for other people's roll through the rollercoaster ride of life when it bumps right up against your happy day at the park?

The truth is that you really are responsible for your own experience and that you cannot control the way other people treat you no matter how hard you try. It is easier to sit back and judge reality by saying that people should treat you a certain way and that they are wrong whenever they don't. However as long as you sing the tune of should or should not you set yourself up on a righteous path towards the vain attempt to change other people. When you want someone in your life to act differently than they are, you create resistance to them and the way they are acting. The old statement that the more you try to change it, the more it stays the same hits you square in the face. The more you tell yourself that your friend shouldn't speak to in that way and get angry and frustrated about it, the more your friend continues to speak to you in exactly that way. You could in fact spend the rest of your life issuing moral dictums about the way other people should or shouldn't treat you. That would be an awful waste of the rest of your life, especially since you have absolutely no control over the way other people act.

The only thing you have any control over is yourself. You have the power to change your actions, reactions, thoughts and emotions. In fact the only real source of transformation lies in the ability to manage your inner world. Much as you would manage your choice of food at a deli counter by scanning the possible choices and choosing what suits you based on your likes and dislikes, you can manage the full scope

of your thoughts by choosing consistently better feeling thoughts about yourself, your life and all the beings in your life.

The only thing you have any control over is yourself. You have the power to change your actions, reactions, thoughts and emotions. In fact the only real source of transformation lies in the ability to manage your inner world. Much as you would manage your choice of food at a deli counter by scanning the possible choices and choosing what suits you based on your likes and dislikes, you can manage the full scope 

It is how you think, feel and act on a moment to moment and day to day basis that amounts to what's often called your vibration. What you think right now shapes your experience of reality. What's often called the "Law of Attraction" is the organizational rule of the universe and it's what orders your experience of reality in response to your vibration. It works in a similar manner as when you're asked not to think about the pink elephant and all you see in your mind is that very pink elephant. Dealing and interacting with family, friends and coworkers is just the same. When you stand in front of a loved one and think that they should not be so selfish, hurtful and ignorant all you see in them is evidence of their egocentric, stupid, heartbreaking behavior.

Now you might say that it is really true that they are acting in this way. Yet another person standing in the exact same situation might not be bothered at all. At some moment the finger that points at other people has to turn and point back an its owner. The teaching of Abraham which comes through Esther and Jerry Hicks states that "you cannot restore someone to their Connection with Source by belittling them or by punishing them, or by being disgusted with them. It is only through love that you can return anyone to love." As long as you remain committed to complaining about other people, fighting with politicians or reacting in outrage at a traffic jams, you remain committed to a helpless struggle of trying to change other people and outside situations.

Setting the tone of your thoughts, feelings and actions to the tune of what is wrong with the world simply gets you more of what's wrong. Just as you sort through the junk mail in your inbox to search for the good news from colleagues and friends so too must you manage your inner vibrational world to search for better feeling thoughts and emotions about your friends, colleagues and family members. No thought is absolutely, incontrovertibly true and no emotion 

is permanent. Every person on Earth has the power to bring you immense joy and immense pain and you hold the key to deciding which it will be.

Can Music Heal Your Stress

We all know that music greatly affects our mood. Music that we hear in passing and that which we do not like irritates us. On the other hand, music that we love listening to either makes us rest or energizes us depending on its beat, but nonetheless makes us feel good.

Researchers have taken this cue for their studies and found that there are actually some health benefits to listening to music. Music stimulates brainwaves, with fast beats making the mind more awake, alert and sharp. Slow music, on the other hand, calms the brain and makes it relax. Music also induces the autonomous nervous system to slow down breathing and heart rate, bringing the body to a more relaxed state. And with the body and mind relaxed, feelings of anxiety and depression are lessened.

Because of the healing properties of music, a kind of health care method called music therapy is now growing in popularity. Music therapy is now being used in some hospitals to calm down patients, to speed up healing and to alleviate pain. It is also used to treat people suffering from clinical depression or anxiety, as well as children afflicted with attention deficiency disorder.

A relaxed and well-rested mind and body is an essential ingredient to being beautiful. We do not have to be sick in order to avail of the benefits music can bring to us.

What can we do to bring the healing power of music into our lives? It is just a matter of putting some music into our day-to-day routine, which we already do on most times.

We can start our day with some upbeat music to wake ourselves up and prepare for the day ahead. Listening to music in the morning sets us up to be more ready to face and deal with stress for the duration of the day.

On the commute to work, you can play a CD of your favorite artist or band on your car stereo as you drive. Or you can have your iPod play some cool mp3's. This will relieve us of possible road rage as we plod through the traffic, as well as take our minds away from the tasks we have to accomplish once we get to the office.

When you do your work or your chores, you can either play some soothing music to aid your concentration or some fast tunes to keep your energy level high, depending on the kind of chore you have to do. In this way, a task becomes less of a chore and more of an activity filled with fun, something you may start to love doing.

On mealtimes, it is held that listening to some soothing music, particularly classical music, helps our bodies digest food better. This is because music induces the body to reduce the levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, in our bloodstream. This then makes our bodies relax and able to absorb the nutrients of our food a lot better. It also enables us to enjoy our food more.

Lastly, listening to music as we drift off to sleep ensures that we get the rest that we need from our sleep. Sometimes, the tiredness and the stress from the day keep us awake even though we have lain for a long time in our beds. Soothing music calms the stress and the tiredness from our minds and aids us in falling asleep.

Music is a panacea to the mind, body and soul. A relaxed and rested body and mind, relatively free from the clutches of stress, is essential to beauty. Let the healing power of music give the rest your body and mind deserve.

20 Stress Relieving Tips

When did living become so hard? Between jobs or school, household chores, typical errands, raising a family and maintaining general sanity, days are packed to the gills with more than even Wonder Woman could handle!

To combat all those days brimming with things to do, people to see and places to be, I've come up with a list of fun, relaxing and enjoyable things to defeat the stressors in your life this spring. Check them out and see if any of these stress-busters might give you the peace of mind and solace your life is missing.

1. Put on comfy clothes and snuggle up with a good book.
2. And some chocolates.
3. And a cup of tea with some cookies.
4. Take a bubble bath.
5. Give yourself a nice pedicure to pamper yourself AND get your toes in shape for sandals.
6. Determine a maximum amount of money that you are 'allowed' to spend and go shopping for new shoes. And a purse. And clothes
7. Stop and smell the roses.
8. Make some popcorn and watch a movie.
9. Enjoy a candlelit dinner.
10. Listen to soft, soothing music.
11. Or, if you really need to get out some frustration, listen to rock and roll or hard core music.
12. Play an instrument especially guitar, if you know how.
13. Ask someone else to play for you if you don't know how.
14. Take an entire night to yourself, to be completely worthless. Order take-out, walk around in your jammies and just enjoy having nothing to do.
15. Exercise! Go for a run, walk, jog, bike ride or other athletic activity. Get some friends together and play tennis or golf, have a catch or do something new and exciting in the world of sports. See: Easy exercising
16. Go on a boat ride. Canoe, sailboat, yacht, kayak, it matters not the kind of boat but that you have a nice, relaxing time on the water.
17. Take a nap or go to bed early. No lie if you are feeling completely zonked from a tough week, your body will love you for it.
18. Make some 'comfort food.' Cupcakes, cookies, cakes, pies anything sweet and scrumptious is fair game!
19. Get together with your girlfriends and commiserate. When you all share your dilemmas and get the frustration out in the open, it's a pretty sure thing that you'll be feeling better in no time.
20. Go on a vacation. Whether you leave for a week or you take a five-minute mental vacation, sometimes an escape from reality is all it really takes to re-energize and rejuvenate yourself.
No matter what types of activities or lack thereof refuel you and rejuvenate you after a tough workday or workweek, remember that relaxation is only a good night's sleep away.

Tips To Beat Stress

Stress can be a powerful force. It can either motivate you to conquer problems and achieve certain goal in life or it can lead to feelings of tension and fatigue. Chances are you develop number of harmful health conditions. Your main goal is to overcome stress. It is the first big step towards improving the body.

Here are some ways how to fight stress:

1. Take a break and have some time for yourself to think about the sources of stress and agitation in your life.
2. Think positively and approach each day with a positive attitude. Like seeking pleasure or pleasant situations instead of crisis or conflict.
3. Look for solutions that could help to resolve stress. Seek help from others.
4. Rest & relax, it's a powerful tool to fight stress. Get pampered with a good massage. It balances your mood and it is also good for your skin. It gets the blood circulating throughout the whole body.
5. Sleep is important. It will make you feel better, happier and more confident to face the challenges of the day ahead. The hours spend sleeping replenish the body's supply of neurotransmitters, the hormones that help produce a positive mood.
6. Fuel your body with nutritious food. Eat the right kind of food and maintain a balanced diet.

Relaxation Techniques to reduce stress

Drift Away from Stress
High-stress jobs, multiple roles and endless personal obligations may leave just about anyone torn and tattered. Renew body mind and spirit with simple relaxation techniques that require only minimal time and energy investment.
In addition to relieving a degree of one s current stress load, practicing relaxation techniques on a regular basis has also been shown to promote overall healthier living, better mental condition and fewer incidences of heart attacks, strokes and repeat heart attacks.
Yoga
With strong focus on deep, rhythmic breathing, yoga has become a popular form of alternative healing. Allowing participants to clear their minds and focus on personal goals and calming energies, yoga also aids in the body s flexibility and overall tone. Deep breaths coupled with yoga stretches and poses assist in renewal of the body, mind and soul. Even if practiced for only a few moments, yoga can positively impact a person s outlook, guiding him or her effectively toward goals and aspirations.
As an extremely popular activity in recent times, yoga classes are offered at many colleges, health and fitness centers and gyms. For those wishing to learn yoga on their own, countless books and videos are available for that very purpose. Gathering with a group of friends may motivate a first-time yoga participant to make a regular routine of yoga, even if only for a few moments every couple of days.
Meditation
By exercising and harnessing the power of the mind, one can truly find mental freedom and escape from stress. Meditation combines a quiet location with a comfortable position, a focus item or idea and a perfect equilibrium between awareness and relaxation. Different posture and positions may be used for those who wish to become more experienced in meditation. When practiced regularly, meditation can positively merge one s mental, physical and emotional worlds.
Meditation practice does not have to be anything fancy or highly technical. By simply sitting in a comfortable position in a private location, one can use visualization with positive imagery. Repetition of a calming word, phrase or sound, such as  peace,  may aid in one s ability to focus. Participants may choose whether they wish to meditate with open or closed eyes.
Massage Yoga, meditation and massage are all wonderful techniques to restore peace and balance within the body, mind and spirit. The power of the mind can be a truly amazing thing   allowing us to dream, believe, conquer and become those things we most desire. Practice relaxation techniques on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy spirit and calm, tranquil mood.

Stress! Stay away...

Save Yourself From Stress 
Signs of stress:
Feeling depressed, edgy, guilty, tired.
Having headaches, stomach aches, trouble sleeping.
Laughing or crying for no reason.
Blaming other people for bad things that happen to you.
Only seeing the down side of a situation.
Feeling like things that you used to enjoy aren't fun or are a burden.
Resenting other people or your responsibilities.
What to do:
Pay attention to your stress levels and symptoms. Don t try to gloss them over and make out as though everything is okay. Notice which events in your life trigger stress and how your body specifically responds to it.
Think about which stressors you can reduce immediately and how you would go about doing this. Are there still stressors that need more time to work on, if so think about what you can do to reduce these. Try to reduce your exposure to stressful situations. Give yourself the time to adjust your stress levels.
Incorporate some relaxation techniques into your daily regime. If you feel stress levels building up try to relax, breath deeply to bring your respiration back to normal.
Eat regular meals.
Exercise regularly, cardiovascular exercise such as cycling, swimming or jogging, even walking, will help to strengthen you physically and work off tension.
Try to avoid alcohol and nicotine and excessive caffeine.
Try to get enough sleep.
Don t expect to much of yourself, be realistic when setting goals and allocating time for your activities. Don t overestimate your energy reserves.

Tips To Release Stress At Work

Stress At Work
Take a good look at how you're sitting right now. Are your shoulders slouched? Is your back hunched?
Poor posture is more than bad for your back; it can be bad for your disposition. Better posture allows you to relax your muscles, sit comfortably and reduce stress, movement therapists say.
With some 800 muscles in the body, even the simple act of sitting before the computer screen presents a complex situation.
In an attempt to improve our posture, many of us will sit up too rigidly. We overcompensate with an arched back and strained neck   a position that's impossible to hold for any length of time.
The key is to find that neutral position that will bring maximum comfort and the least stress. When you're in that position, you will find it comfortable and easy to sustain.
So how can you tell if you're in that ideal neutral position? When you combine awareness with gentle movement, you encounter stressed areas, which then can be corrected. "When you use movement to get feedback about how you move, that information can then help you move better," says Ralph Strauch, a certified instructor in the teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984), who was considered the master of movement therapy.
Based on Feldenkrais' teachings, we bring you three exercises to get your posture perfect without ever leaving your chair.
But before you begin these exercises, first assess your seat and how you sit in it. Shift around on your chair, and try resting your buttocks at different spots on the seat. Experiment with sitting far forward on the chair without using the backrest. You may have to move your chair farther away from the desk.
As you sit upright without use of the backrest, resist the temptation to force yourself into a rigid position. Place your feet flat on the floor. Think about your back. Does it feel arched?
Next, intentionally slump your lower back; round your back and let your head drop forward. Slowly arch your lower back and bring your head up and shoulders back.
You've experienced the two extremes of slouching and arching. Sitting up straight is not about extremes. With feet flat on the floor, try to find a neutral place for your pelvis that lets you sit up tall yet doesn't require you to work hard any muscle group.
Now that you've found that neutral posture, you're ready for this short series of relaxation exercises. Think about your movements as you do them. Go slowly and easily and don't force anything. If you encounter any discomfort, stop.
1. Pelvis Tilt
With your feet flat on the floor, tilt your pelvis forward so your lower back rounds, and then tip your pelvis backward so your lower back arches and your belly protrudes a little. Keep your neck, shoulders and stomach relaxed. Repeat several times slowly.
This will not only help relax your lower body but will further instruct you in finding that neutral pelvic position that is not tilted to either extreme and helps you sit up straight comfortably.
2. Basic Twist
Sit up straight on the forward part of the chair, pelvis in neutral position, feet flat on the floor. Slowly twist to the right side, turning your head in the same direction while keeping your shoulders relaxed along the way.
Observe how other muscles besides the twisting muscles near the spine jump into action. The right shoulder may rise up toward the ear or move backward. As you repeat, create more efficiency in the movement. Relax more of the body each time. Do the other side.
3. Basic Twist With Variation
Do the same slow twist to the right while turning the head all the way to the left. This is impossible to do with hunched shoulders. An excessive arch in the lower back will also make it a struggle.
Sit tall yet relaxed. Observe how the muscles around the shoulders and chest may want to force the motion.
As you repeat these exercises, efficiency and relaxation will improve and you never left your desk!

How to manage Stress?

Stress Management
When we are relaxed and our minds are at ease, it shows on our bodies. Our skin glows, our hair has bounce and body, and our smiles are radiant. A rested mind and a healthy body are important elements to creating a beautiful persona.
However, keeping ourselves relaxed and stress-free can be a day-to-day struggle. Rarely does each day pass without us having to face difficult tasks and daunting challenges. The stress these situations put on us disturbs our sense of balance and takes a toll on our bodies. So many illnesses are brought about by constant stress, because stress contributes a lot to the weakening of the body's immune system. Depression, anxiety, heart disease, eating disorders, and some forms of cancer are just some of the illnesses that can result from stress.
Being stressed out is unavoidable, and different factors can cause stress. Common stress factors are:

• Illnesses and allergies
• Changes in hormone levels brought about by changes in the body, such as puberty, pregnancy, pre-menstrual syndrome, or menopause
• Change in weather or climate, being in a high altitude, exposure to pollution and other environmental changes
• Emotional conflicts or anguish
• Worrying over situations beyond your control
• Pushing yourself too hard

It is impossible to avoid some stress factors that come to our lives. Whether we can avoid these factors or not is something that we cannot always control. What we can control, however, is how we react to and deal with these stress factors. Sadly, not all people handle stress well. They deal with it either by seeking comfort through food, by downing sorrows through drink, or taking drugs to relieve the pain.
But that is not the way to do it. These means of seeking comfort from stress only worsen the situation and eventually lead to addiction that will harm the body even more. To live a stress-free life, the first step we should take in dealing with stress is to identify the things and situations that cause us to feel stress. Once we have pinpointed whatever it is that stresses us, then we can effectively reduce, if not eliminate, the extent of how it affects us.
One way of reducing the levels of stress in our lives is to keep our lives as regular as possible. This involves sleeping a full eight hours a day and managing our time so that we do not overtire ourselves and so that we have time for some leisure and relaxation. A third of our time each day should be spent resting and relaxing. There are so many self-help books out there, offering advice on how to spend time wisely. The simplest way to do it is to make a list of the things you need to accomplish every day and to rest in between tasks. If you cannot finish everything you need to do within the day, then just leave it for the following day and think no more of it until that day.
Another way of keeping stress out of our systems is eating right and exercising right. We all should eat because we are hungry, not because we are not feeling good about ourselves at the moment. To prevent ourselves from bingeing on comfort food, we should rid our kitchen of the food we usually reach for when we are feeling down.
As for exercise, exercise is good because it rests our minds and keeps our focus away from whatever it is that worries us. Exercise also gives our bodies the energy and the rejuvenation that we need in order to face the challenges of our lives.
And last, but not the least, learn to say 'no.' Do not make a habit of shouldering other people's responsibility for them. Instead, learn to delegate tasks and leave things alone.
It is impossible to keep our lives totally stress-free. But what is important is to not let our minds and our bodies be affected too much with stress.

6 Steps In Reducing Worry

Steps In Reducing Worry 
It is safe to say that it is impossible to get rid of all worry. As a matter of fact, the solutions to problems often come because of worry. Or observe sometime what you think about when you do not haven worry over a fairly long period of time. It is quite possible you:will raise the
question, "What is or is not a worry?" This leads to a second question, "What is my individual threshold for worry?" Analyzing worry as a process generally allows us to cut down on the frequency of worry and to some extent on the degree of worry. Bearing in mind that the steps given below in relieving worry do not always work, you may still wish to try them. Chances are you will discover that you have been using these steps from time to time, it is important to become aware of what do.;s or does not work well.
First Step
First, set a time to consider the worry. What is the cause? Often worry is yague and without specific cause. Taking time out to analyze it may help find the cause. If there is no cause, this fact may help us get rid of the "ghosts." Putting off looking at worry does not reduce tension.
Second Step
Second, talk the worry out with a good listener. Worries tend to become exaggerated when bottled up inside. An impartial observer can help us go through the stages of

• trying to make our worry more objective by expressing it; 
• being asked questions about the cause; and 
• getting some participation in the worry. 

Third Step
Third, seek reliable information about the area of the worry.
Some worry is unnecessarily generated through ignorance, mis­information, or misconceptions. Sometimes people who seem to oper­ate at a high crisis level, frequently using such words as "urgent" or "demanding," may tend to exaggerate our worry level. By talking the problem over with someone in whom we have confidence we may discover different solutions to try or we may at least find new ways of thinking about the problem. Seeking information in itself is a con· servative exercise that helps to cut down on wheel spinning.
Fourth Step
Fourth, do something active about the source of the worry. For example, low grades may be helped by guidance and efficient study. Social worries may be lessened by some group activity.
Fifth Step
Fifth, realize that some worries have no solution. If the condi­tions are impossible to remedy, turn to other types of behavior to occupy yourself; sports, hobbies, amusements, and work help reduce stress brought on by "no-solution" worry. And we all ha ve these kinds of worry.
Sixth Step
Sixth, counseling centers are good places to go to when profes­sional guidance is necessary. One must remember, however, that most centers are overloaded with work and some prethinking about one's problems can be helpful.
From a personality standpoint some of us are "worry worts," even arranging our worries iIl order of magnitude. If we have no real cause for concern, we tend to fall back upon a lesser feeling of just being uneasy.

Stress and Personality

Stress and Personality
Stress harms certain people while causing others to thrive. What may be an overload of stress for one person may not be for another. Researchers have found two behavior patterns related to the "fit" between the person and his psychological environment. The Type A person is characterized primarily by excessive drive, aggressiveness, ambition, involvement in competitive activities, frequent vocational deadlines, pre:;sure for vocational productivity, and an enhanced sense of time urgency.
Type B, the converse pattern, is characterized by the relative absence of the interplay of psychological traits and situational pres­sures. The Type B subject is more relaxed and more easygoing, seldom becomes impatient, and takes more time to enjoy avocational pursuits. He is not easily irritated and works steadily, but without a feeling of being driven by a lack of time. He is not preoccupied with social achievement, and is less competitive in his occupational anu avocational pursuits.
The Type A person is likely to overload himself; the Type B person is not. This "role overload," as it is called, which requires a person to do more than he is able in the time available, is related to coronary disease and to job satisfaction. For example, the Type A person has been found to have significantly higher blood cholesterol levels than the Type B person with the same diet. Research data strongly indicate also that "striving without joy" may lead to an increased risk of coronary disease. These data are based upon three separate studies involving various occupational groups where mortal­ity ratios due to coronary heart disease and levels of job satisfaction were correlated. The subjects included professors, scientists, managers, journalists, workers, and other occupational groups. The studies imply that the ability to adjust to stress seems related to personality factors. One indication of how we individually react to stress relates to what we worry about and when. One individual may worry consider­ably before he makes some decision; another person may worry afterward. And, of course, there are those of us who worry most of the time.