Managing Stress Now » Understanding Stress

Medical Risks Of Stress

ManagingStressNow — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:01:42 +0000

“Stress”, in itself is not a disease; it’s the reaction and interplay between demands and expectations, and our ability to cope with them. It is not too hard to e stressed out when the stakes are high and we often find ourselves having no control over the situation or how we react. But the only thing that is affected is ourselves and stress just becomes a vehicle, by acting as a coping mechanism that helps the body in dealing with the situation. While some of us might be biologically susceptible to being stressed easily, for others, there could be strong outside factors that may do the trick.
Time and again, researchers have pointed out that some individuals are more prone to the impact of stress than others. One of the first consequences in line are health related problems. Pregnant women, working or single moms, couples who have just separated, children being pushed against demands better performances at school, unemployed or financially strained or underinsured people are a few examples that may constitute this group.

Medical Impact of Chronic Stressors
Often work related stress tends to become chronic as it becomes an indispensable part of people’s life. In turn it leads to less productivity, efficiency, thereby leading to more stress as it becomes a vicious cycle. There can be a number of health related issues that come sooner than we realize such as insomnia, back problems, fatigue and lack of concentration. In some cases it could be severe as if affects circulation of blood vessels and can have long-term effects.
As a mode of defense mechanism, the body in itself tries to prepare in response to a stress situation by involving almost all the organs such as the hear, lungs, immune system, reflexes, the brain and the power of perception etc. It is a complicated, and yet efficient as well as intriguing mechanism, which takes a toll on our bodies in due course of time.

It also puts the effected, under a long-term threat of a heart disorder, breakdown or even stroke, which can even, be fatal. The sooner in life we encounter these mild effects, the more likely we are to see its crippling effects later on. Slowly affecting the hormonal balance, it also has secondary effects such as encouraging people to pursue unhealthy lifestyles such as adopting comfort food for the “feel good” factor or indulge I smoking and drinking. Overall, it’s just the chain of events that makes stress a multi-organ, multi-factorial disorder.

Women have been seen to be more susceptible to stress, which could partly be due to the hormones and partly because of the many different physical cycles that they go through such as pregnancy, lactation and bearing the load of being a full time mother.
To summarize, it can only be stated without a doubt, that too much stress over a period of time, makes you prone to numerous health problems. It could be due to one major event in life or the buildup of multiple factors over a period of time. But more than likely, one would be suffering from a health issue, in one way or the other.

Some of the noticeable changes that can occur in our body due to stress are:
Hypertension, palpitation or heavy breathing, increased perspiration, fatigue, insomnia, body weakness, lack of interest, lack of appetite to name a few. Also, stress puts us at risk for constant headaches, depression, migraine, backaches, suicidal tendencies, stomach ulcers and digestive disorders, alcohol and drug abuse and not to forget, heart attack and stroke. We might want to look for signs early on which could be mild allergies, asthma, colds and infections that come on too often and in general a depressed immune system.
We have to learn to deal with stress as a part of our routine before it switches gears and becomes disabling. There are more than many ways to relieve stress on a daily level, and it’s never too late to start. You deserve living in a healthy and contended environment after all.

Overcome Supermom Stress

ManagingStressNow — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:29:17 +0000

As kids we have lived our fantasies of having the “best mom” or the “best dad”. While we grew out of it into reality, so will our kids. Its crazy to be standing at the other end, where as parents we now want to be the best of all. One can call it the “supermom syndrome” where one wants to be the do it all mom, who would have an answer to everything. There is no denying that we want what’s best for our kids, but in the process its very easy to get lost in the stresses you get exposed to. At some point, for your own good and for the benefit of your mental peace, its important to realize your limitations and know how good is good for you and your family.

Its absolutely fine to not be the perfect one. Many of us often stretch ourselves beyond the bounds of our level and hurt our ability to be a good mom or a parent. Its not just hard on yourself, but your family too. There might be times when your son despises you for missing his soccer game, but you had an important presentation at work right? There would be a next time. Its important to let things go and not be hard on self. You might want to read bedtime stories to your kids while your kitchen remains a mess for a while. Its important to lighten the mood and its ok to be a slacker at times as well. At the end of the day, you want to be a good mom, there is no such thing as the “super-mom”.

No matter how much your envy the family next door, only you can be the best judge for your children and the kind of exposure you need to provide them. Its not healthy to over burden your kids with 7 days of classes after school, be it skating or swimming or some music lessons. This over scheduling has never worked wonders for anyone. Learn to space out time with them and decide what’s healthy and most interests them. At the same time, make space for some family time or an activity they love to do, even if it involves nothing constructive or challenging. Do not let the pressures from the society, dictate your decisions and at the same time do not make their days monotonous. Its best to give them a variety to enjoy and experience, and its not always bad to allow a couple of hours in a week with their Nintendo wii.

While your kids are on it, it’s crucial that you don’t get lost in taking care of them as the only goal. Take some time off, give yourself a break, take a walk, watch your favorite show or just call some friends over. May be they have children whom your kids would love playing with too. It’s all about everyone being happy and neither getting stressed in the process. Talk to your husband; also spend time as a couple. If growing up healthy is important for kids, it’s as important for the mother to provide them a healthy environment, and it only starts in your own mind.

Assign duties; make your relationship more interactive. Award them for helping you set the table or making dinner. Involve your kids and make-work and play more fun. Don’t hesitate to become a kid yourself if you need to. Get rid of your inhibitions and think like you did when you were at their age. At times it helps to laugh like a child and enjoy like an innocent. You could be your child’s best friend and who wouldn’t want that?

Finally, don’t forget who you as a person, even before you are a wife, a mother or an employee. Your individuality would govern the way you are to your family. You won’t want to get lost in fulfilling your duties. Take up old hobbies and things you have always loved doing. Join piano classes if that’s what you enjoy doing or learn a language you have always wanted to speak. You have been blessed with a life which you rather celebrate and enjoy every moment of it. And the take home lesson is, the world starts from you. To be a good mom, you need to be good to yourself. In the eyes of your child, you already are “the super mom”

Pregnancy Stress

ManagingStressNow — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:56:31 +0000

During the time of pregnancy, you can experience stress because your body undergoes so many different changes. Coupled with this are emotional issues that can also stress you out. If you do not take care to curb stress when you are pregnant, it can affect your baby. It is known that acute stress can lead to stillborn children. Here are a couple of tips on how to cope with pregnancy stress:

During the first trimester, you will experience morning sickness. This can be stressful particularly when the sickness is quite acute. You can cope with this problem in many ways such as by having ginger tea, having mints with you always to ward off nausea, snacking frequently instead of eating three meals a day, and by adding Vitamin B6 to your diet. All these ideas have a positive effect in reducing morning sickness

Worrying is yet another sources of stress. You can be worried about a lot of pregnancy issues. Instead of keeping them in your mind, it is better that you speak to someone else to bring down our tension. Talk to your doctor, your mother, sister, partner or some close to you who has had a baby, to bring down your tension.

There will be changes in your body. You can see a lot of changes happening in your body from the fourth month of pregnancy. Discuss such changes and any feelings of discomfort that you have with your doctor or someone close to you, so that you can deal with them in the right way.
Your feet will swell particularly in the last three months before pregnancy. This can be pretty discomforting, but you can deal with it in many ways such as boiling coriander in hot water and drinking this, taking rest often, avoiding coffee and salty foods and much more.

Work Stress. Most women are working throughout their pregnancy till the last few weeks of delivery. Ask your employer to cut down work in which you have to run around a lot. Traveling to and from work is also stressful, so avoid rush hour traveling. Instead come to work early and leave sooner. Make arrangements with your employer on this.
Lamaze breathing exercises can really help to bring down mental stress and enhance your physical levels so that you give birth more easily. Enroll into these classes so that you are more mentally focused and are more confident about child birth.
Eat Healthy Foods. If you take too many sugary foods, you will find stress to enhance than reduce, though you may crave for them. Instead opt for food which cleanses your system, such as green leafy vegetable and fruits. This keeps you healthy and reduces emotional stress.
Stay in the company of people who are positive. Do not listen to bad news or negative as this will trigger off stress in your mind.

Follow these points and you can be sure of reducing pregnancy stress. The more mentally peaceful you are during your pregnancy, the better your childbirth process. Keep yourself happy and feeling free to have an easy delivery.

Stress in Bullying

ManagingStressNow — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:56:45 +0000

It is difficult for parents to see their child being placed under undue stress or bullied by peers. To bring an end to these problems, parents need to put aside emotional responses and concentrate on calm, considered actions.

As certain amount of stress can be godlike coping with minor stressful situations will make a child better able to handle a more serious stressful situation. However, too much stress can have adverse effects on a child.

Research has shown that child under constant stress has more bouts of colds and digestive upsets and is more likely to be accident prone.

The child’s personality, age and previous experiences will all contribute to how she reacts to stress. What might be stressful for one child won’t be for another. Common situations that can cause stress is: starting or changing schools, preparing for school exams, not doing well at school, moving and making new friends, parents arguing and family fights, divorce and death of a family member or friend. Pressure from parents for the child to perform better than her ability whether in school, sports or playing an instrument — can also cause stress. Depending on the child, the signs of stress may include:

•Reverting to thumb sucking or bed-wetting.

•Irritability and moodiness.

•Becoming aggressive to you or siblings.

•Withdrawal from friends or siblings.

•Worsening performance in school.

•Lack of interest in hobbies or other previously enjoyed activities.

•Sleep disturbances and nightmares.

•Frequent complaints of physical problems such as stomachaches.

As a parent, there are ways that you can help your child. Listen to her and discuss how she feels. Let her know that you recognize that she has to cope withal stressful problem, and share with her your own experiences. Help her to manage the problem by giving her some options. Praise her if she is coping well. Try to avoid compounding stressful situations; for example, don’t argue with your spouse in front of her, especially if she is preparing for an important exam.

Being the victim of bullying — whether it is name-calling, teasing, exclusion, and stealing, hair-pulling, hitting or other physical abuse— is a trying, stressful experience. If your child is six years old rounder, she is unlikely to have any qualms about telling you if she is being bullied.

For most parents, it is mortifying to have their child accused of bullying or to recognize it for them. If this is brought to your attention by your child’s school, it is important not to become defensive and offer excuses. Listen tithe evidence and take advice.

At home, consider whether your child’s needs are met within the family. Those who feel inadequate or have low self-esteem, who are bullied by other family members or are victims of some type of abuse, who cannot express their feelings or who come from families where bullying is praised are more

Likely to be bullies -as are overly spoiled children. If you feel at a loss about how to deal with the problem, consider family therapy.

Before you rush in to protect your child, consider her character. Does she find? School difficult? Do siblings often browbeat her? Is she an only child, used to? Lots of attention? While you should always believe your child, it is not unreasonable to question silently her perception of events. If she has found school difficult, then she may focus on the rough and tumble of the playground. If she is having a hard time with siblings, she may find it easier to complain about children outside the family. If she is your only child, she may be unprepared for the mix of characters that are a part of life outside home. Do not question her too closely, but make an appointment wither teacher when your child will be otherwise occupied.

Children of seven years of age or older are less likely to be open about what is wrong. However, if your child is unhappy and being intimidated, her emotions will surface in the form of stress symptoms. She may fake illnesses to stay away from school or avoid taking certain routes to school. Listening to whether friends or other parents say, without resorting to inquisition, and noting the changes in your child are enough to warrant an appointment with her teacher.

While your child could be the victim of bullying, she may have misunderstood her schoolmates. When visiting the school, make it clear something is wrong, without being accusatory. Your child’s teacher should observe your child in class and the playground and report back. If the teacher tells you there are no problems but your child continues to complain, you should persist. Teachers are busy and cannot see everything. You should only remove your child from her school as the last resort if the situation is not resolved. When moved, a child often sees it as a failure in herself and will not necessarily find it easy to settle elsewhere. You should never show your anger, make threats concerning the bullies or behave in any way that is other than calm. If your child sees how emotional this makes you, she may, unconsciously, use into seek attention and, unwittingly, place herself in the position of habitual victim .

Stress in students

ManagingStressNow — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:19:40 +0000

Student or college life in particular is an important part of an individual’s life. There is no doubt that it marks a significant change in the needs, behavior, expectations and environment when a small dependent child goes through the phase of becoming a young adult. And just like any other change, this brings along a tremendous amount of stress, pressure and anxiety among youngsters. While some stress called the Eustress, is good; excess of it can have more than pronounced negative effects, which could be long lasting to say the least.

It all starts from the very first day. What career path to walk on, weather one should follow his dad’s footsteps or the famous uncle who is extremely popular. What if I do something unconventional? Will a career in theater be acceptable to mom? These are only a few questions to begin with and the cycle of pressure or stress if you may call it, continues forever. Once into an academic program, next comes the pressure to outperform the rest. With the quality of jobs available and the large pool of applicants being produced everyday, it goes without saying that you are living in the world of survival of the fittest. It is not just peer pressure anymore, it is the stress to survive and make a mark for yourself. Students undergo tremendous pressure in a race to perform better and meeting the expectations of their professors and their family.

At times there are socio economic responsibilities that take its toll and students often find themselves tied up balancing between their finances and supporting their families (or avoiding becoming a burden on them). At this time, most students end up taking part time jobs, working for meager amounts, giving them no chance to relax or enjoy the aspects of being a student. The fact that this age brings along a lot of independence, is not all roses. What is tagged along is extreme responsibility and all of a sudden one might find his self lost in this world trying to survive alone.

Next come your immediate friends and the process of forming groups where you find yourself to fit the best. This may sound interesting, but it is not an easy task. This selection process does have a significant impact, even subconsciously on the personality and lifestyle of the individual. At times, it may even provoke to consequential changes in the ethical and value system that one was shielded in, till now. Trying a smoke for fun, can easily turn into- I need to smoke to be in this group. Before you even realize, the complete prospective of life begins to change. The desire to give into the demands of peer pressure and the mettle to stand firm on your opinion is a big conflict that one needs to face many times in this age.

Love and dating are an integral part of every young society, no matter where you go. It is in fact the most important and the exciting part of teenage life. You might be in and out of relationships easily in this game, or it might be the first love that a girl never seems to forget. No matter what side you are on, these human tendencies of seeking love and support especially from the opposite sex, bring along a lot of heartache and emotional stress. Break ups come as an an unavoidable part of these relationships. While they are never peaceful, they bring about a huge mental and emotional turmoil in ones life.other direct effects are low esteem, feeling of worthlessness, guilt, regrets and the dilemma of being a responsible young adult. Moving to a particular aspect of it, and the fact that also contributes to peer pressure and the so called reputation, is the physical intimacy shared by a young couple. Often times, sex is seen as a matter of pride and a mandatory experience one would race to gain. Also the reason, why it is greatly misused. Increasing frequency of instances like sexual harassment and date rape, adds to the stress factor. These are a concern, not just for anyone who might be a victim, but living each day with a possibility and fear involved. The pressures from the society and the hesitance from most people, to openly discuss such subjects, can be detrimental to mental as well as physical health.

All these instances are just like a needle in a haystack. On the whole, I would say it is next to impossible to isolate one factor from the other. The stressors that our adolescents, teens and young students, face are a result of multiple reasons, and none of them is equally less important. Solutions or for dealing with them, one should be aware, conscious and ready to step up rather than succumbing to it .

Exam Stress

ManagingStressNow — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:15:37 +0000

It is human tendency to live in the present, enjoying it, rather than spending time to ensure your future i better set. At the start of a semester you always tell yourself how important this is, and how you need to do well to succeed. But more often than not, there are a million things to distract you from doing the serious tasks and you keep procrastinating. You just worry about the present day and your future doesn’t concern you.You have a good time with friends and don’t pay that much attention to classroom lectures or assignments, they are just in your way of having fun. Suddenly the ‘exam’ season comes in, and while your professor is talking about whats included, you feel the strange feeling creep up in your belly. This is the first sign of worry. It’s not a secret that everyone becomes stressed just before a big exam. This is a state wherein you, everyone around you get affected. Following are a few practical tips and advise for those who are tired of this feeling and want to do something about it.

What is the reason of stress? When thinking about exams you worry about not passing it. If you have not enough knowledge on the topic, you will fail and have to take the course again. It is the fear to fail that makes us so nervous and stressed. Having not enough knowledge is not a problem for the one who is willing to study. Start your preparation from the first class. If you listen attentively, take notes, complete the assignments on time, you will not have to sit days and nights before exam and worry about some part of information that you’ve missed. A slight revision would be enough to refresh your memory. If you have problems with your assignment writing you can perform a custom term paper order and be a hundred percent sure that everything will be fine. You can order custom term paper that will be written on a high level with creative approach and duly completed on time. That will leave you some time for yourself and maybe your studies if it is a way you use your free time.

And here is one more thing. If you failed to do the above mentioned and still feel that horrible strain, there is one more advice. Cheating will not help you on your exam and in your future life. It is you that is cheated, not your tutors. The best way is to be honest with the examiner. Don’t lose your face when answering; you have to stay focused every second. Nobody has died of passing an exam yet and hopefully nobody will. Teacher’s aim is to teach you, not to fail you at your exam, because students are a credit to a teacher. If you still need some time to learn and study more, do it systematically, not chaotically and everything will be alright and you’ll go home on vacation a happy person with good news to you parents.

Understanding and managing financial Stress

ManagingStressNow — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:03:51 +0000

Financial stress is not an issue that is concerned with a particular nation or a particular section of the society. It is a matter that keeps puncturing almost everyone’s life no matter how and where they live. Financial stress if understood properly has no relation with the rise and fall of the economy as well. It prevails throughout the year and also the coming years. This is because people feel secure only when they have enough money in hand and this continues to exist since the demand and requirement keeps doubling.

Unfortunately financial stress is one of the chief factors that cause health problems. The problems are many such as lack of sleep, depression, strain and so on. Therefore it is very important to stay away from stress. The key reason for any financial problem is the mismanagement between the income and the expenditure.

People normally lack the knowledge of managing their income intelligently. Thus the first step to get relived from whatever financial mess you have created is to at least from present start making a budget not only for your expenditure but also keep aside a part of your income as an investment. This will help you not only to deal with the present but also to handle the future without any trouble. And about the mess that you have already created, stop worrying about it as worries won’t help you but puts you in more trouble. Instead give yourself some time, relax and then later try to find a solution without pressurizing yourself.

The reason for you to get rid of your stress is essential not just because you are ruining your physical health but keep in mind that your stress will also be influencing the lives of your people. And that is the last thing you want to see. However, you don’t have to feel guilty about it but find a way to put an end to such trouble. Initially, the best way to come out from any kind of stress is to spend time with the people you love and who you think can understand you. Plan out a small holiday where you can spend time with them relax and have fun. One is less likely to think of problems when he/she is on a vacation and having fun.

Give yourself sometime. Do things you like and enjoy. Once you feel you are comfortable and stable start solving the problem you have created without worrying much and do it stepwise. The world will definitely not come to an end and you will certainly find a good way out. All you have to remember is to learn from your mistakes and never do it again. Managing money is not a great venture. All you have to do is plan out a budget and hold on to it. Also find ways to save money. Before spending on something cross-check if you actually want it and if you don’t then use whatever bit you’ve saved in investment. You may not realize its importance now but later when you are in real need of money you will value it.

Christmas Stress – Relief Is Available

ManagingStressNow — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:27:05 +0000

Christmas – a perfect time to get together with family, feast and celebrate. Some celebrate it as a secular holiday and celebrate their family. Others celebrate the Winter Solstice. Many just see it as a family gathering where you get to see everyone together. Unfortunately, all of this brings a sense of dread to many people. Holiday time is attributed to be one of the leading causes of stress in certain individuals. Don’t let stress ruin your vacation. Here are some suggestions on how to give you holiday and Christmas stress relief.

Stop the Comparisons

Many people try their hardest to recreate the holidays using movies, books or childhood memories as blueprints. This is the biggest cause of Christmas stress. Relief is simple – stop trying to compete! You are not obliged to be perfect; just do the best you can with what you have. There are thousands of things that can go wrong, but you must not let these things bother you. Having a happy, comfortable time is more important than decorations, gifts or the perfect gift wrap pattern!

Do Not Give Pets as Presents

This will give a lot of Christmas stress relief to you and your animal companions. Christmas can be a loud, unpredictable, messy time. Part of the fun is that you do things you don’t do everyday and this lack of routine can frighten an animal. Also, picking a pet is like a picking a marriage partner – do you really want someone else matchmaking for you? If the puppy or kitten at Christmas doesn’t get along with the intended owner, that animal will most likely have to be given to a shelter by Easter. You and the animals don’t need the stress of sad memories. Moreover holiday time is very busy for many people, having additional responsibility of taking care of a pet can add to their stress relief as well. If you are so sure about gifting a pet, take the future owner with you shopping. This will be a benefit to everyone involved, not to mention quality time being spent with your loved one for whom you are buying this gift.

Change the Date

There is no law that says you and your family HAVE to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day. If you have family members who work in retail stores, food service or in the airline industry, they will be too exhausted to celebrate. If you feel you and your family are too pressed for time, just choose to have Christmas on another day. Seriously think about having it in January if the majority of family members have to work overtime during Christmas. Stress relief is worth the breaking of tradition. Moreover its far better to celebrate Christmas on another date with your entire family present, rather than on Christmas day with barely a few. This would further reduce your stress levels by not having to coordinate if everyone can be present on Christmas or not.

Do Not Shop at Stores

If shopping is your biggest cause of Christmas stress, relief comes in the form of mail-order catalogs and online shopping. Sometimes, for a small fee, you can even get the presents gift wrapped. There is the slight chance that the package won’t arrive in time, but that chance is a lot smaller than fighting traffic, squeezing between irritated strangers to find the shop is out of stock. Some people love being given a wrapped catalog under the tree with a note attached saying “One item on me!”. This is obviously easy and lot less time consuming, which you could rather spend doing something less stressful than trying to figure out if your mom will like the new curtains you picked out for her, or if your dad will actually use the new golf set you bought.

Leave your work at work

It’s the holiday, take time to sit back and relax. Fretting about that big project you have when you get back to work will just ruin your Christmas. Also try not to bring work home, working and replying to emails, when your entire family is out in the living room singing carols can not only be stressful, but it can also lead you to do a half-hearted work. Give yourself a few days completely off, and just enjoy the vacation with your family and loved ones. Work will always be there the following Monday.

Spend Christmas with your family and friends.

Lot of people are lonely, especially during this holiday season. Don’t let loneliness be a cause for stress. Make sure you are surrounded by people you love. Be it friends or family or both.

When you realize that the holidays aren’t about how to celebrate them, but that you celebrate them at all, Christmas stress relief just comes natural. Merry Christmas everyone and here’s hoping that this Christmas will be absolutely stress free.

Relationship Break up Stress

ManagingStressNow — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:28:12 +0000

We all start dating and though we want love to stay in life forever, but it may not always come true. What when things go wrong-its time to move on. But this move on time or break-up as we call it is very stressful and sometimes life threatening too. It is because it results into a physical loss and means physical removal of someone special from your life. With separations, divorces or break ups you are abandoned purposefully. It is like you have been cast aside and rejected. Even though your loved one is alive somewhere but you know that that love was intentionally withdrawn from you and has opted to leave you.

May be you have tended and nurtured your relationship and may be molded it the way you wanted it. But suddenly you no longer have their presence nor care. No one wants you anymore and you are at the receiving end and have little or no control over the situation. You morally break due to a feeling of loss of your own sense of value, and self worth, your pride, your ego, your dreams, your hopes, your security and your feeling of being loved. You feel taken for granted and this clouds and clogs your thinking. Life just turns topsy-turvy and from being the world to someone we suddenly turn to nothing.

It feels unbelievable and the pain is unbearable. But falling a prey to it would only degrade you and wreck you emotionally. You need to overcome this painful time.

First and foremost you need to accept the truth and push yourself to think positive. Feel it as a good thing to have happened-though I know it is difficult. Try to engage yourself in work or recreation. Remember friends are always there by you, whatever may happen. If you want to get over the feeling stay and go out with your friend and celebrate the time together. You need to get over your past memories as well as memoirs-you don’t need them anymore.

Vent out your feelings either by writhing or by screaming out loud. Rediscover your smile and learn to laugh out at things of past. Find and quote some words of wisdom for yourself. Read it everyday and start believing in yourself. Go out for shopping and splurge on yourself. Start pampering yourself. Go for a complete make over. This would give a change to you and your personality. Don’t be ashamed about what you felt or what your feelings are. Don’t wear a fake mask. If you feel you are not fine, then mourn at your loss. Deeply grieving is actually soothing for the mind because you are accepting your problem, instead of denying it. It saves you up from bottled emotions and emotions which reflect out elsewhere in a confused and unhappy way.

Once this phase is over you would realize that this phase has actually enriched you with an experience that you may take as learning for the rest of your life. The sooner you get over a relationship and move on with your life, the faster the stress of a breakup will vanish. There are tons of things one can do to get over a breakup. Family and friends do help, but when they are not around, a hobby or a enjoyable pastime sure would help. Breakup Stress effects thousands of people, and it’s very simple to get relieved from that.

Also read : Breakup Stress – Tips to avoid it during holidays

Holiday Stress

ManagingStressNow — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:04:55 +0000

Since the good old days, we have been associating holidays to a fun filled time with our nearest and dearest.

For some it may be still the same, but for many, holidays don’t come as a stress buster. Instead they contribute towards their already stressful life. But why have the holidays lost the charm and refreshment? Why do we suddenly have to talk about holiday stress? Why do we suddenly want to run way from something that we want very badly-we crave to have a break from our mundane and monotonous routine but when get holidays we feel stressed. But its not an inborn defect that holidays have but the stress is a bi product of our attitude towards the situation we are in. Do we want to be and remain upset or get over it? We need to look and probe at all the possibilities and not the restrictions.

The season of holidays has just begun and we either are capsized or at the verge of breaking. But what is stress and why is it poking its ugly face and ruining our holidays? Well! A person feels stressed when he fails to achieve a certain thing or finds himself incapable to respond appropriately. Holiday season revolves around 4Fs-Fantasies, family, finances and food.

The media give a world of fantasies to live and we tend to get engrossed in it. We sort of overload ourselves and in the process get out of touch with reality. This over expectation without a certain cause pulls us down in our thoughts; we think ourselves as failures and away hence drift. So the best option of managing it is accepting it as a friction. Just embrace it and not cling to it, we need to discover a blend of magical realism that helps us in balancing love, work and play.

With holidays, comes the family gathering which, believe it or not, is a cause of stress for some. Thus is because we are no longer mingling with a feeling of love and affection but have turned it into a competitive arena with sibling rivalries, desire to be the best and the urge to get recognized. Though its something in which you are not the only player, but you don’t have the responsibility to change everybody. If you think you are here for a reunion and not a competition, then let it be. You are not a competition anymore and hence no stress, right?

Festive season means dwindling finances. And as Russian novelist, Dostoyevsky said, “Consciousness is depression,” this monetary consciousness heightens the stress level. Overspending on gifts, travel, food and entertainment can cause stress as we may try to please everyone. And these efforts leave us with a feeling of hopelessness, sadness and helplessness.
So it’s good to take a practical approach rather than fighting with a financial crisis later. Presents are good but keep in mind presence comes before presents.

In the holidays, we are surrounded by sweets and treats which are not energy giving and makes us feel lethargic. When our bodies are not operating at peak efficiencies we feel stressed. As Gilles Khouri, nutritionist recommends, “Reprogram your thinking. Don’t think if some is good more is better.” Hence, keep it simple-eat an apple instead of a piece of an apple pie. Enjoy the people instead of the food.

You need to cope with stress and the best way is to be realistic and set your differences aside. Try to accept what is going around and avoid the urge to change everything around. Stick to your budget and go by the plans. Take a breather for yourself to relax and mediate and follow the path of healthy habits. You need to accept that failures and find ways to resolve. Don’t try to seek perfection and you would start enjoying. Last but not the least, don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to seek professional help.
Now is the time to prevent holiday stress and enjoy your holiday to the fullest.