Stress Management

As long as we are alive, it is impossible to have a problem-free, stress-free life. Life comes in a package: success vs. failure, hope vs. despair, happiness vs. sorrow, luck vs. misfortune, healthiness vs. sickness, etc. During one's lifetime, these opposites will appear interchangeably, some more than the others. Since life is full of unpredictable "ups" and "downs" and obviously we humans do not possess magical power to avoid adversities, the key to overcoming hardships in life is to face them with courage, determination, and a positive attitude.

With adversity comes stress--the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. Excerpt from kidshealth.org: Stress is a feeling that is created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly. Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other problems.

Therefore, it is crucial that we learn how to manage our stress effectively before we become too "overwhelmed". Here are a few websites with helpful stress relief tips:

http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

http://www.stressmanagementtips.com/

http://www.rd.com/stress-reduction

http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/3-quick-ways-to-reduce-stress/

http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/20-simple-ways-to-get-happy/

~~"Give your stress wings and let it fly away." By Terri Guillemets ~~

Practise deep breathing, exercise routinely, read inspiring stories and jokes, these are also helpful in relieving stress, so please check out all the links in my Health & Wellness page!