Stress Management - a Survival Guide for our Hectic World

What is stress in today's world, and why and how should we manage it?

Stress is medically defined as something that evokes a response from a person's natural defense mechanism known as 'fight or flight'.

Additionally, we define stress as a physical or psychological stimulus producing both mental tension and physiological-physiological reactions. In any definition, left unmanaged, it generally leads to illness. That is why it must be managed.

What is Stress Management then?

Stress management are techniques that enable a person to cope with and eventually eliminate stress.

What are the Causes of Stress?

Stress can be different to each person, but we generally today find stress being caused by our work, daily events in modern life, or any of the classic stressors that evoke the stress reaction.

These often include danger (or perceived danger), threats, anxiety, and especially illness. There are other classic stressors such as moving homes, changing jobs, the death of a loved one, which are all stressors of the first category.

What Stress Can Do to You Left Unmanaged

Doctors today, from all over the world, and in almost every medical system, acknowledge unmanaged stress as a major cause of most illnesses. Stress is known to directly reduce the effectiveness of our immune systems.

Unmanaged stress leads to stroke and heart attacks, and some doctors believe even cancer. Unmanaged stress can lead to severe complication in pregnancy and can affect the unborn child as well. Simply we must learn to manage our stress..

Stress Management Techniques

There are today many techniques of stress management, which include, but are not limited to regular exercise, meditation, developing a positive attitude, relaxation exercises, yoga, and self-realization exercises, special massage, regular vacations, and more.

It has been suggested a major cause, and thus a major relief from stress is time management. Most people get bogged down in their chores and responsibilities, and these nag away at your conscience. This creates a huge amount of stress.

Instead, if a person can become more organized, set their goals, realize what their priorities are, and manage their time well, they can alleviate much potential stress.

Sure Fire First Aid for Stress

When stress is just too much to bear, withdraw yourself to the nearest restroom there you can (usually) lock the door and be alone.

The first thing to do is to wash your face and wrists with cool or cold water. Do this slowly, and while you doing so, inhale and exhale deeply.

Drying your face and hands carefully, and not rushed, sit down (there is always a "seat" in a restroom), and close your eyes, fold your hands in your lap. With closed eyes, continue to inhale and exhale deeply, but now, start "watching" your breath. Pretend you can see the incoming and outgoing breath rushing in and out of your body. Feel the incoming air oxygenating your system with living giving oxygen and energy. Feel the spent air leaving your body, and as it leave, attach to it the particular stress which has just been bothering you so.

Do this for 10 minutes only, and return to the world. You will find you are refreshed, re-energized and have in a way, managed your stress rather than your stress managing you.