1.

How to De-Stress Your Life

, Dr. Robs interesting article on stress management shows you how to manage and reduce your stress and to give yourself some much needed stress relief. If I looked up the word "stress" in the dictionary, I'd probably see the pictures of two terrific nurses, Anita and Diana. I happened to see them one day and wow! I saw that Anita had a tension headache and an upper-back muscle stiffness that was harder than her desk, while Diana seemed to have chewed her fingernails down to the quick. Needless to say, both women, who are also mothers and wives, are suffering from an overabundance of stress. All of us have experienced the symptoms of stress. Whether it's a nervous stomach, trembling hands, difficulty sleeping, nervous twitches, overeating or repeatedly calling Aunt Edna for advice, at some point our stress may cause some unpleasant reactions (no offense to Aunt Edna). Sure, stress is a normal part of life, and affects people differently. However, it's clear that too much stress can overload our coping mechanisms and result in stress side effects. Types of Stress Stress can be put into one of two categories: mental or physical. Mental stress is characterized by such things as worries over money or a loved one's health, loss of a loved one or losing a job. Physical stressors include a lack of sleep, poor diet or the effects of an illness. And then there are the "stealth type" stressors that seem to be the ones that put people over the edge: Running around to make sure everyone in the family gets to their game on time, making sure little Fluffy had his shots, pleading with Uncle Chuck to take care of himself, and so on. These stressors fall under a category known as obligations. What's a Body to Do? Remember when the bully next door used to scare you? If it's been too many years since that's happened, here's a reminder as to what your body did in response to this extra stress. First, your heart rate increased in order to pump more blood to your muscles in case you needed to sprint away. Next to go into hyperdrive were your blood pressure, breathing and metabolism. Basically, your body went into full-scale alert so it could act quickly and effectively to a high-pressure or threatening situation, what's known as "the fight-or-flight response." Now picture yourself in this heightened state of alert over many hours of each day and you'll understand why stress turns into distress. The balance of your daily stressors is out of whack with your abilities to cope with them. Your body simply cannot sustain this type of stress without some sort of side effect, whether it's tension headaches, stiff upper-back muscles or trouble sleeping. And if the stressors cannot be decreased or addressed in a healthy manner, your body may experience such health problems as high blood pressure and heart disease. Coping Techniques for a Healthier You I know a mother who saw the movie Castaway and wanted a prescription for a one-way trip to that deserted island. OK I said, but first, let's explore some other options. To be sure, all of us handle stress in our own ways. Some of us are able to handle quite a bit of it, while others go ballistic if our pizza comes without the mushrooms we ordered. But there are some healthy ways to deal with whatever life stressors come your way. Here are some recommendations from the National Mental Health Association to help you reduce and cope with stress. Some may help right away, while others may take a bit of time. It's important to give these techniques a tincture of time, determination and persistence, while knowing your choices include accepting or changing the situation, as well as your responses to it.

Be Realistic. If you feel overwhelmed by some activities, learn to say no! You may be taking on more responsibility than you can handle at the time. Shed the Superman/woman Costume. No one is perfect. Give yourself a break. Reach a balance about what really needs to be done and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. Also be willing to make adjustments when necessary (So you leaped over a crack in the sidewalk instead of a tall building. So what? You tried your best).

Don't Look Too Far Ahead. Doctor Mom always said to "take one thing at a time." This philosophy can do wonders for people under stress. Sometimes even everyday, ordinary work can seem out of control.

If this occurs, focus on one task at a time, not the whole basket. Little steps are a lot easier to take than one big leap.

Be Flexible. Ahh, those yoga instructors are right. You can tell a person's age not by years, but by flexibility. Don't stand on stubbornness. If you know you're right, stand firm, but be calm and rational. However, also be willing to listen to other's opinions and compromise if possible. If you're willing to give a little, the other person may do the same. The result may be a better solution.

Take Time-Outs. Schedule time to do the things you enjoy. Exercise. Yes, I know you have heard repeatedly that exercise is an effective tool to address many health conditions. But you know what? Twenty to 30 minutes throughout the day of some type of exercise may relieve that extra tension and stress.

Lead a Healthy Lifestyle. Good nutrition can make a difference. The fuel you eat will influence the way you feel. It's true an apple a day keeps the medical professional away. Tap Into Your Spirituality. I'm not one to preach, but I can tell you that many people enjoy the peace of mind that comes with minding their spirituality. Go Easy With Criticism. Don't be so hard on your spouse, significant other, child, boss or coworker if they do not measure up to your standards. Everyone is unique, has their own strengths and shortcomings and their own "luggage" from their life experiences.

Communicate. Share feelings, talk. You may not be the only one having a bad day. Also, keep in touch with friends and family. Get a Massage. How would you like to work for a company that offers its employees a 15-minute chair massage at the workplace? Wouldn't that be a nice and inexpensive way to show appreciation? What a great way to release the stress of a hectic day and reinforce the benefits of "the power of touch."

Be a Volunteer. Helping others is a great way to get your mind off your worries and channel your energy into something positive. I know we really depend upon volunteers at the hospitals for many activities, including meals on wheels and visiting patients.

Consider Counseling. Many people feel uneasy when this is suggested, but please don't. There are many fine highly trained professionals to get you back on track. Perhaps hypnotherapy, biofeedback, or even medication will be used. Remember, it's not a sign of weakness to get help, but a sign of strength because you're helping yourself.

Eat Chocolate. I knew this would get your attention. I don't know about any scientific evidence that it reduces stress, but it sure tastes good! OK, this may sound a bit much, but it is important to treat yourself every now and then. Just a little bit can go a long way, but watch that waistline! You don't want to add any weight concerns to the stress mix.
The bottom line is this: please don't let anxiety ruin your day. For further information on strategies to reduce stress and improve your personal stress management techniques, please speak with your healthcare professional. Copyright 2003, Dr. Rob Danoff Robert Danoff, D.O., M.S., is a family physician. He is program director of Family Practice Residency Frankford Hospitals, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, Pa. He also is a medical correspondent for The Comcast Network, CN8, contributing writer to the New York Times and writes a weekly medical column for the Bucks Courier Times, Bucks County Pa.

2. Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.
By Mayo Clinic staff Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic and it may even affect your health. Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair you can learn positive thinking skills. Here's how.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst. Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information. If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include: Increased life span Lower rates of depression Lower levels of distress Greater resistance to the common cold Better psychological and physical well-being Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk Identifying negative thinking
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk: Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received. Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you. Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster. Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way: Identifyareasto change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship, for example. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way. Checkyourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them. Be opento humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed. Followa healthylifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.

Surroundyourselfwith positivepeople. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

Practicepositiveself-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them.

Negative self-talk
I've never done it before. It's too complicated. I don't have the resources. I'm too lazy to get this done.

Positive thinking
It's an opportunity to learn something new. I'll tackle it from a different angle. Necessity is the mother of invention. I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities.

There's no way it will work. It's too radical a change. No one bothers to communicate with me. I'm not going to get any better at this.

I can try to make it work. Let's take a chance. I'll see if I can open the channels of communication. I'll give it another try.

Practicing positive thinking every day

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost. Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.

3. Simple steps for managing stress in your life

By STEVE BRESSERT, PH.D.

No technique will make all stress go away. It is best when people use their own judgment and intuition to decide which techniques to use. People should not be afraid to try different things before deciding what is best for them. Once they have found some strategies that work, they need to commit to practicing them.

Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress. Aerobic exercise, exercise that makes the heart and lungs work harder, actually helps the body to use up excess stress-induced hormones. Regular exercise helps the body to react less dramatically to stress. Some research suggests that exercise also helps to lift ones spirits and decreasedepression. Exercise is most helpful if it is practiced consistently over a long period of time. In beginning an exercise program, it is important to start slowly. It is not so helpful to start an exercise program with a lot of enthusiasm and then stop exercising in a week or two because it is too stressful. Of course, it is recommended that people check with their regular physicians before beginning any exercise program; however, almost no one is too old or too out of shape to begin to exercise. Twenty or 30 minutes of exercise four or five times a week is ideal, but even much less can help individuals to relax and cope with stressful situations more effectively. The specific type of exercise or the amount of time spent exercising is not as important as whether or not someone can make exercise a regular part of his or her life. Brisk walking is the perfect exercise for many people. Jogging, swimming and bicycling are other popular types of aerobic exercises. It makes sense to choose an exercise that is enjoyable; the more enjoyable it is, the more likely an exercise program will succeed.

Meditation
Meditation is a very effective stress management technique. Meditation sounds exotic, but it is really just a way to learn to relax and settle the mind. A relaxed, settled mind is less anxious and copes better with stress. One type of widely-used meditation is called mindfulness meditation. It teaches the meditator to rest his or her mind steadily in the present moment even during stressful experiences. This creates a deep sense of relaxation and mental clarity. Anxious fears about the past or the future become less troubling. Other popular types of meditation used for stress management include transcendental meditation and the relaxation response. A recent report to the National Institutes of Health concluded that, More than 30 years of research, as well as the experiences of a large and growing number of individuals and healthcare providers, suggest that meditation and similar forms of relaxation can lead to better health, higher quality of life and lowered healthcare costs. The report went on to say, Most important, meditation techniques offer the potential of learning how to live in an increasingly complex and stressful society while helping to preserve health in the process.

Other Stress Management Tools

Yoga is another popular stress-management tool. It combines aspects of both exercise and meditation; it can help people to slow down their minds and create relaxation in their body.

Psychotherapy also can be very effective in reducing stress. Aspects of one form of psychotherapy, called cognitive therapy, have been incorporated into many stressmanagement programs. Other effective and widely-used stress-management techniques include progressive muscle relaxation, massage and biofeedback. It is also important to remember that when severe stress begins to cause depression, or affects someones ability to function at home or at work, medication prescribed by a doctor can be very helpful.

Deciding on a Stress Management Technique

No single strategy is right for everyone. Each person must take an honest look at him or herself and decide what makes the most sense. The most important factor in determining the success of a stress management program is not the type of technique that is used, but rather the commitment that each person makes to change. It is difficult for people to change long-standing habits even when those habits create discomfort, unhappiness and stress. Change is possible, however, and the most difficult changes often provide the greatest benefit. Working to reduce stress can enhance happiness and health for many years. It does make a difference!