Too much relaxation and you will end up in a blissful puddle[15]. Too much stress and you will be an inflamed, aging, demented, and depressed wreck. Paradoxically it's good that cells be periodically subjected to mild stress because it improves their ability to cope with severe stress. The key is the balance—i.e., to maintain a stable stress level. 

Defusing Stress

Read this companion article to learn the importance of stress management.

If you are motivated, how are we going to manage our stress? The following list of recommendations is your answers:

• Exercise regularly

• Get adequate sleep

• Get adequate nutrition

• Maintain positive attitudes

  • Focus on solutions, not problems

  • Redirect negative thoughts

  • If you can't change it, don't worry about it

• Do the relaxation response once or twice daily

  • Don't do it within 2 hours of eating, as digestion seems to interfere with the effectiveness of the response.

  • Breathe deeply

  • Listen to music

  • Practice meditation, Tai-chi, or Yoga to control the breathing rate, blood pressure or posture

• Move to mellow your mind

  • Surround yourself with upbeat, positive people

  • Laugh more

  • Reduce anger

    • A Hawaiian elder expressed it beautifully:

      • "You have to forgive three times.

        • You must forgive yourself, for you will never be perfect.

        • You have to forgive your enemies, for the fire or your anger will only consume you and your family.

        • You have to forgive your friends, for because they are friends they are close enough to you to hurt you by accident.

    • Count to 10 before answering or responding when you feel angry.

  • Give and receive affection

    • The Bible reminds us that it's more blessed to give than to receive.

    • By giving, we don't necessarily mean money but kind deeds that help the lives of others. While they feel the generosity, science indicates that the giver receives the biggest dividend.

    • Researches at the University of Michigan found that giving actually promotes longevity. Receiving, by contrast, had no such effect.

    • 95 % of the volunteer group said that helping others on a regular, personal basis gave them a physical sensation or warmth, increased energy, and euphoria - the so-called helper's high.

• Grow plants to improve air quality

• Keep pets

  • Recent research has proven that children raised with pets are less likely to become asthmatic, more likely to be kind to other children, and more likely to have healthy self-esteem once they reach their teens.

  • Researchers are also finding that having pets positively influences children's physical and emotional development and even their scholastic achievement.

  • Another most celebrated "pet studies" conducted by Erika Friedmann found an unmistakable association between pet ownership and extended survival in patients hospitalized with coronary heart disease.

• Get support

  • Talk with friends about your concerns and stresses, and ask for their support

  • Spirituality and religious practice: the power of prayer

• Take magnesium: the anti-stress mineral

• Try holy basil

  • a herb that may help counteract the effects of stress[12]

• Learn to say no

  • Don't promise too much. Give yourself enough time to get things done.

• Leave room for retreat

  • Create your backup plan.

• Be money smart to avoid financial stress

• Don't use smoking, drinking, overeating, drugs, or caffeine to cope with stress

  • They make things worse.

References

1. Brown, D. P. 2007. The energy body and its functions. Immunosurveillance, longevity, and regeneration. Ann NY Acad Sci. Epub 2007 September 28.

2. "The UltraMind Solution" by Mark Hyman, M.D.

3. Sloan, R. P., et al. 2007. RR interval variability is inversely related to inflammatory markers: The CARDIA study. Mol Med 13 (3-4):178-84.

4. Pavlov, V.A., and K.J. Tracey. 2005. The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Brain Behav Immun 19 (6):493-99.

5. Theise, N.D., and R. Harris. 2006. Postmodern biology:(adult) (stem) cells are plastic, stochastic, complex, and uncertain. Handb Exp Pharmacol (174):389-408.

6. Yun, A. I., and J. D. Doux. 2007. Unhappy meal: How our need to detect stress may have shaped our preferences for taste. Med Hypotheses 69 (4):746-51.

7. Understanding Stress HelpGuide.org. Retrieved on 2010-01-19

8. The effect of Transcendental Meditation on Chronic Stress

9. "Food that Helps Win the Battle Against Fibromyalgia" by Deirdre Rawlings, N.D., Ph.D.

10. "Life Over Cancer" by Keith I. Block, M.D.

11. "Prime-Time Health" by William Sears, M.D. with Martha Sears, RN

12. Holy Basil to Combat Stress by Andrew Weil, M.D.

13. "The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan" by Michael Breus, PhD.

14. Exercise and Its Benefits

15. When Stress Is Good for You

16. Yang-Style Tai Chi Chuan 24 Forms (Travel to Health)

17. Air Quality: House Plants that Can Improve Indoor Air (Travel to Health)

18. Travel for a Purpose