The effects of stress on the body is tremendous and should not be taken lightly. Most people who suffered from stress tends to be oblivion themselves. These people usually suffered silently and this will lead to them being easily irritated with the people around them – relationship with colleagues, friends, love partner and family will slowly deteriorate. They lose their purpose of life and often find life meaningless and a chore. In fact, seventy-five to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.

People who suffered from stress not only bring misery to the people around them, they also create terrible negative effects on their body, mind and soul. Health problems are a major consequence of failure to manage stress properly. Your state of mind contribute to your overall health. If you are frequently under tremendous stress, your whole body system will be interrupted and disrupted. Worse still, if you do not take immediate actions to deal with stress and find ways to reduce stress, health problems like heart diseases and hypertension will surface.

The effects of stress on the body is a very powerful and impactful enemy. We must try our best to enforce stress reduction techniques, stress management techniques and do some stress relief exercise to manage stress effectively. Personally speaking, stress cannot be cured or totally eliminated. Stress is a part and parcel of life and we must learn to deal with stress properly.

Stress affects our lifestyle and we can’t get away from it totally. Some come from the pressure of work, problems in relationships, money, school assignment and examinations. Even environmental changes such as change in the weather may also trigger off some stress related symptoms in a person. Nevertheless, a moderate amount of stress can serve you good by making you feel energize, motivated and improve your performance overall. But too much of stress can be debilitating.

Our human body is designed in such a way that when we experience stress, we will react to it. Positive stress can keep us alert and ready to avoid danger, whereas negative stress makes a person to face continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. Consequently, a person will become overworked and stress-related tension accumulate up.

Let me touch on the topic of what are the effects of stress on the body. Your body is like a fragile vase and you need to take good care of it and prevent it from falling down and broken into pieces.

Physical illnesses related to stress are numerous and varied. Some of these include a poor immune system, which results in a person falling sick easily, mental disorders like depression, anxiety disorders and heart diseases like heart failure, heart attack and hypertension and even body weight may be affected with some experiencing weight gain  and other having weight loss significantly. The following is a list of the effects of stress on the body.

Effects Of Stress On The Body:

• You may feel nervous easily especially in social environment
• You may experience pain of any kind which may occur on any parts of your body
• You may experience muscle tension and severe muscle pain
• You may experience frequent tension headaches
• You may feel tired constantly (even when you wake up in the morning)
• You may have stomach upset
• Your heart rate may increase tremendously and this may lead to heart problems
• Your blood pressure may increase and elevated blood pressure may set in and leads to cardiovascular diseases
• You may experience chest pain
• You may have difficulty falling asleep which will lead to insomnia
• You may be sleeping too much
• You may develop skin conditions, such as eczema
• You may experience loss of sex drive, which may lead to infertility
• You may have severe digestive problems like diarrhoea or constipation
• You may have hair loss or early graying of hair
• You may experience severe weight-gain or weight-loss
• Missed or irregular periods in women

Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to relieve their stress. Unfortunately, these methods are harmful as instead of bring us back to our relaxed state, these substances tend to make our body stays in a stressed state and cause more health problems.

Simply said, if your stress is less unchecked or untreated, the prolonged influence of stress will affect your health and you are almost certain to become another victim to the side effects of stress. You may even suffer from stroke or severe depression!

There are many ways to manage stress and one of the most effective way is to practise deep breathing exercise. Through deep breathing, you can be aware of your body and subconsciously, your heart rate will become normal and you will achieve calmness and relaxation. This will effectively stop your stress. Do deep breathing frequently to prevent stress from building up in the long term.

We can never defeat or totally get rid of stress, but we can conquer it and prevent it from building up. If you want to get your life back by being stress-free and enjoy peace, harmony and happiness almost everyday, “Conquering Stress” by Chris Green is definitely your answer to a happier life. This e-book is written by an ex-chronic anxiety and depression victim who discloses his journey to battling stress and eventually overcoming it. “Conquering Stress” is an amazing book which will teach you on how to effectively conquer stress without having to eat antidepressants or any other long-term drugs and medications. You only live once, and of course you will want to live a happier life in this wonderful world!

Read more of our other articles on stress reduction techniques and natural ways to cure anxiety attack and depression at www.managingstresstechniques.com

Joaquin Mah is a freelance stress management consultant to helping people overcome stress, anxiety and depression. Joaquin Mah was once a sufferer of anxiety and depression and truly understand how stress, anxiety and depression can create a living nightmare to anyone.

He aims to help those who are suffering from chronic stress, anxiety and depression by giving proven stress management techniques and stress reduction techniques. Joaquin Mah is persistent in the mission to offer only the best stress relief tips and techniques on helping man and woman to get rid of chronic stress, anxiety and depression.

Along with his wife, Laura Mah, they own and operate ManagingStressTechniques.com. By tapping on the effectiveness of stress relief techniques and stress management techniques, we hope that you can have the unlimited power to receive and give love and create the happiness and joy that most of us wish to pursue.

For more information on Stress Relief Tips & Guide or to learn more about the conditions of stress, anxiety and depression, go to: http://www.managingstresstechniques.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/what-are-the-effects-of-stress-on-the-body-1103427.html

There are many ways to manage stress but we need to choose the appropriate and good stress reduction techniques that suit us the best. If you keep experiencing prolonged stress – even at low levels – it can have a terrible negative effect on your over health and well-being. That’s why stress management and stress reduction aren’t something to reserve only for difficult times, but something to practice daily. One of the best way to look for ways to manage stress is to look online by Googling. Nowadays, with the advent of the internet, finding ways to manage stress is as simple as ‘rolling down the bed’.

People look for ways to manage stress when they are totally at their wits’ end for managing stress. In this fast pace and highly competitive world, dealing with daily stress like job stress, relationship stress and study stress is very difficult. We need to really sit down and find time for ourselves to relax and de-stress. If we could not even make time and space for ourselves for stress relief and relaxation, it would be a chore living in this world.

Stress, anxiety and depression are the modern day plagues and if you’re suffering from them, then I know how you feel because anxiety and depression caused terrible misery to me for 4 years. From feeling helpless, lonely and isolated to the crushing exhaustion that makes even the most simple of tasks so very hard, these problems create a living nightmare. And you’re not alone- over 20 million US citizens endure the misery of stress, depression and anxiety every year.

My personal perspective is that, if we can’t even come up with a top 10 ways to manage stress, then our priorities in the area of self improvement need readjusting.

For myself, I found the way back to a normal and happy life with natural stress relievers. And I promise you, no matter how you feel right now and no matter how long you’ve suffered; you can get your life back and enjoy happiness again. What’s more, you can do it without suffering the side effects of antidepressants and once you’ve beaten stress, depression and anxiety, you’ll have beaten them FOREVER!

The following is my top 10 ways to manage stress:

Top 10 Ways To Manage Stress

1. Relaxation – Make relaxation part of your everyday’s routine. While at home or in the office, remember to do deep breathing and simple stretches. Take time to sooth your soul by drinking a cup of tea or just going out to the open to breathe in some fresh air can give you the ability to deal with stress more effectively.
2. Laughter - Laughter is our body’s built in stress-buster. Research has shown that laughter can help the body to release anxiety, aggression, fear and anger. In fact, laughing can decrease the stress hormones which are adrenaline, cortisol, epinephrine, dopac and allowing these stress hormones to return to their normal levels. If left uncontrolled, these stress hormones can constrict your blood vessels which will lead to hypertension and heart-related problems.
3. Find a friend – Ask your best friend out to vent your frustrations, of course, I am not asking you to vent your frustration on him or her. Simply talk to your best friend about your problems and ask them to offer you words of encouragement as friends can provide the much needed social support. In addition, if you friend is humorous enough to joke with you and make you laugh out loud, all the better, as laughter is proven to reduce stress and tension.
4. Get back to nature - Go out to the outdoors into the nature. Simply enjoy a relaxing day of out of doors which can help you to feel calmer and more balanced during your daily routine. A stroll down the park, cycling at the park or a day at the beach can be amazing stress reducer. If you cannot get such activities on the outdoors, simply try to listen to a CD of nature sounds or just spend a few minutes in front of your sunny window.
5. Make time to exercise regularly – Exercise can affect the energy level of your body and also tell your brain’s chemistry to release beneficial hormones. In addition, exercising can also help you to let go of your tension and accumulated energy associated with stress and give you a healthy outlet to release your build-up feelings and energy. Exercise can give you a better mood which lasts for days, but regular exercise is the most uplifting.
6. Positive thinking – Throughout the day, go through your thoughts and if you encounter any negative thoughts, try to reframe those thoughts in a positive way. Remember to always think positively and optimistically.
7. Eating well – Another of what I use as my top 10 ways to manage stress is feeding my body right: right food, rightly. Select food that are green and fresh as these food are the most beneficial to our body. With the right nourishment of healthy food, our body system will be able to fight stress in the long-term more efffectively.
8. Do something that you like everyday – Each day, give yourself some time to indulge in something that you enjoy doing. It could be writing, reading, dancing, walking, gardening or simply just have a good chat on the phone with someone. Research has shown that by doing something that you enjoy everyday, it will improve your quality of life and frame of mind, and makes you better in combating and handling stress whenever it arises.
9. Let go of worries and negative thoughts – One of my best stress relief techniques is to let go of stressful thoughts before they get out of control and affects your state of mind. Simply focus on such negative thought and firmly say “Stop and get lost!” to prevent the though from recycling itself in your mind. By doing so, you will be able to curb such negative thoughts from influencing your mood and feelings.
10. Guided imagery to relax – Guided imagery is a powerful stress reduction techniques that can help you to stay relaxed during periods of stress. Learn to imagine yourself in a serene and peaceful setting that you will feel safe and nurturing. You can imagine yourself to be in a place where you’ve feel light-hearted and calm in the past. Simply continue to concentrate on your peaceful and calm setting until your tensions dissipate, your muscles loosen and your mind relaxes.

The above are my personal top 10 ways to manage stress. I enjoy utilizing the above 10 stress relief tips to deal with my daily stress. In fact, with the implementation of the above 10 stress relief tips, I am able to feel stress-free almost everyday and learn to relax and enjoy the moment of being alive.

Don’t let stress wear you out. Simply take job stress, relationship stress and family stress like a pinch of salt. If you want to learn more effective ways to manage stress and powerful stress reduction techniques, then you should download “Conquering Stress” E-Book. This amazing e-book teaches you on how to manage stress without the influence of drugs and medications like anti-depressants pills. If you want to relieve stress the natural way and want to get back to your normal happy life again, “Conquering Stress” is your answer to a stress-free life!

Read more of our other articles on stress reduction techniques and natural ways to cure anxiety attack and depression at www.managingstresstechniques.com

Joaquin Mah is a freelance stress management consultant to helping people overcome stress, anxiety and depression. Joaquin Mah was once a sufferer of anxiety and depression and truly understand how stress, anxiety and depression can create a living nightmare to anyone.

He aims to help those who are suffering from chronic stress, anxiety and depression by giving proven stress management techniques and stress reduction techniques. Joaquin Mah is persistent in the mission to offer only the best stress relief tips and techniques on helping man and woman to get rid of chronic stress, anxiety and depression.

Along with his wife, Laura Mah, they own and operate ManagingStressTechniques.com. By tapping on the effectiveness of stress relief techniques and stress management techniques, we hope that you can have the unlimited power to receive and give love and create the happiness and joy that most of us wish to pursue.

For more information on Stress Relief Tips & Guide or to learn more about the conditions of stress, anxiety and depression, go to: http://www.managingstresstechniques.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/top-10-ways-to-manage-stress-1103433.html

A team of neuroscientists, headed by Dr. Gregory Berns from Emory University, recently conducted a brain study where they placed subjects in an MRI scanner and hooked them up to electrodes.  Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?  The subjects were warned that they’d receive a shock, not harmful but definitely not pleasant, within a one to thirty-second timeframe which would be revealed to them each time in advance.

The scientists then monitored the subjects’ brain scans.  Some subjects showed intense activity in the pain-processing areas of the brain well before they received their shock, indicating that the fear came from idea of pain rather than actual pain.  A third of the shock-ees actually preferred to receive a bigger shock immediately rather than wait the specified amount of time for the smaller shock.   Apparently, they were more fearful of the waiting period than of the shock itself.  As Dr. Berns told the New York Times, “It sounds illogical, but fear – whether of pain or losing a job – does strange things to decision-making.”  Dr. Berns also concluded that when our brains’ fear systems are actively engaged, other areas including risk-taking and exploration are turned off.  

What does this mean for those of who, while not hooked up to electrodes, may be waiting for our next shock?  If we’re overly focused on fear, such losing a job, a relationship or our savings, we’re less able to use the parts of our brains necessary for innovation. The irony is, of course, that as we succumb to the gloom-and-doom-mongers of the world, we’re creating a vicious cycle.  By feeding on the fears of the media, co-workers, friends and family, our fears become normalized.

Here are some things you can do to shift out of fear gear and into innovation mode:

•    Step away from the media.  If all the negative reports freak you out, try a news diet.  Give up TV newscasts, newspaper and online news sites for a week.  If that’s too much of a stretch for you, at least limit your daily intake.

•    Make a brag book about all the great things you have going on in your life.  Include everything you’re grateful for, like your family, health, an upcoming vacation, your lovely significant other, your home, a great glass of wine, really good dark chocolate, or whatever makes you feel truly blessed.  It’s hard to be scared when you’re being grateful.

•    Listen to music that you love. It doesn’t matter if it’s rock, jazz, classical or Gregorian chant as long as it soothes, comforts, relaxes or inspires you.  If switching to music helps you shut out talk radio or TV, so much the better.  If you can, leave your music on in the background while you work.  Even if you’re barely aware of it, there’s something truly magical about melody.

•    Try the no-excuses YOU UNSTUCK CSE process to Clarify your vision, Simplify the mission and Execute your plan.   Basically, you’ll write out your clear vision, describe the easiest route to get there, and then explain how you’ll execute your plan against measurable milestones.

Libby Gill is a business coach, brand strategist and bestselling author who works with entrepreneurs and executives to achieve a higher level of success. To learn more about her coaching, speaking and telecourses, or to sign up for her free newsletter, please visit http://www.libbygill.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/how-to-switch-off-the-fear-gear-1100004.html

A bad mood is capable of striking anybody at one point or another. These seemingly inexplicable ‘spells’ that assault our positive demeanor can ruin an entire day. When you’re moody nothing seems to go right. The negative outlook this creates can set the stage for experiencing conflict or difficulties in areas that were otherwise problem free. As your thinking patterns tend to lack positive thoughts you can easily create a ‘vortex’ of negativity that will lead to nowhere good.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of carrying around the negative emotions that result from moods like this is your inability to think clearly. Negative mood swings put you in a position where you base your reactions and decisions on emotions and feelings. This is NOT a good thing.

It is important to recognize these moods when they do strike so that you can take the corrective actions necessary. By recapturing your lost positive attitude you can then once again make proper social choices and successful business decisions.

Let’s look at 5 straight forward approaches you can take to reverse any mood swings to make your day a productive and happy one.

Focus on Something You Enjoy

You need to break the spell that has created your negative emotions. The quickest way to do this is involve yourself in an activity that brings you happiness. Whether it’s a game, reading, or talking to a close friend you want to reverse the negative feelings building up in you.

The longer these feelings linger the more damage they’re capable of doing and the harder it will be to vanquish them if they’re allowed to take root.

Release Negative Feelings

This may not always be easy to do but letting go of those feelings that are dragging you down will generally give your outlook a positive boost.

The fact of the matter here is the more you may subconsciously dwell on the source of your negative mood the bigger it will become.

Learn to RELEASE these toxins from you.

A simple approach here would be to understand how much you stand to suffer or lose by allowing these feeling to remain with you. Resolve to not let them dictate the course of your day or your relationships with others who matter to you.

Exercise

I have been a huge advocate of this approach for many years. By exercising you gain two immediate benefits.

First your focus is now drawn to the exercise itself which will minimize the negative mood your previous thought process had instilled in you. By increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain, which exercising will do for you, you’re able to think more clearly.

Secondly the exercising will make you feel much better physically and in fact on a medical level will improve your health.

You absolutely can not beat benefits like this.  

Identify the Source of Your Foul Mood

Reflect on what it is that has dampened your spirits and made you moody. Likely you will conclude either the source is NOT worth the angst it has created within. You may also come to realized that perhaps your ability to overcome the source of your foul mood is being inhibited by your foul mood itself.

To think clearly and be able to solve problems your mind can not be occupied with negativity or emotions. This will only sap your energy and distract you from focusing on the important matters.

Be Nice

Ever do something when after you think about it you regret you did it in the first place? Realizing it was wrong or unnecessary probably made you feel bad didn’t it? Well think the opposite here and consciously make it a point to do something nice for somebody without any intentions of being reciprocated. Words of encouragement, a compliment, unsolicited assistance, or even doing volunteer work all can make you feel more ‘human’ and help to ‘reattach’ you to others in a positive way.

This always helps to quickly dampen negative feelings you may be carrying around.

Being able to recognize a bad mood early on enables you to address the negative emotions that threaten your day. Taking proactive steps such as those mentioned above allows you to restore a flow of positive thoughts thereby correcting any self-destructive mindset. Mood swings are a natural part of our emotional cycle and can be altered by you under normal circumstances. It is important to take corrective action when you identify your judgment is being influenced by negative emotions and feelings. Through regaining a healthy positive attitude you are more easily able to interact on a social level. In addition the ability to make successful business decisions also increases now that you’re thinking more clearly as opposed to reacting emotionally. It is your responsibility to take the active measures that could be the difference between a good day or a forgettable one!

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
For additional Online Success Tips
and a free guide that demonstrates how to find both profitable markets and products visit:http://affiliatequickstart.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/5-ways-to-overcome-a-bad-mood-1100524.html

There is no place like the workplace to generate stress. In fact, for most people, stress and work are unfortunately synonymous.

Partly, this is due to our attitude about work. Most of us have grown up with the belief that we have to work, and somehow this belief is loaded with lots of negative attitudes and feelings.

It’s like when we were kids and our parents told us we had to get up in the morning to go to school, while what we wanted to do was stay in bed and keep dreaming. Remember all the excuses we came up with? The stomachaches, the “fevers”, the coughing spells? Remember how we took forever to put on our socks, to tie our shoelaces, to drink that glass of milk? Remember how we drove our mom crazy with our slowness, our negativity, our resistance? Guess where present day procrastination comes from…

Anyway, this negative attitude towards school that most of us shared, and was very age-appropriate and even gained us peer group acceptance, more often than not has been carried to our maturer years and our relationship with work. Somewhere inside we carry the subconscious notion that work has to be unpleasant, since it’s something we have to do, not something we choose to do.

Most people are under the impression that they would be much happier if they didn’t have to work for a living. They think that if they didn’t have to work, then they would be free to do all the things they would really like to do. The workplace is perceived as prison.

Research, however, has shown that idle people, people that have been “fortunate” enough not to have to work for a living, are not really all that happy, and in fact, are much unhappier than common, ordinary folk like you and me, who “have” to work even in low-income jobs. Why is that?

One reason is that we are equipped with a powerful instrument, our brain, and most importantly with the frontal lobes of our brain which distinguish us from any other mammal on earth. Among other things, the frontal lobes, make us more prone to boredom than any other species alive. Animals do not experience boredom. When they are not hunting, they sleep, period.

In humans, though, boredom begets more boredom and inertia, and inertia begets depression. Actually, we need to work, we need to be productive, not only because we need money to survive, but because our brain requires the kind of stimulation that results from steady, sustained effort, and goal-oriented activity.

Often, the stress we feel at work stems from our conflicted and un-clarified beliefs about work itself. So when we go to work carrying this concealed negative “aura” about us, it’s no wonder that others, our superiors, peers, subordinates sense this negative attitude of ours. Not only that, but it also reverberates with their own negative attitude, and negativity can escalate to great proportions.

Bad relationships at work, subtle and covert hostility, passive-aggressive resistance that we create as a result of irrational and childish beliefs about work can produce quite a bit of stress.

Of course, this is just one factor; the phenomenon of stress in the workplace is many-faceted and determined by many more factors. But think of this: stress is a feeling and our feelings are usually a result of our perceptions and interpretations of reality. If we can re-frame our perceptions in a more positive spirit, we can immediately experience better results.

Hi, I am Ismini Apostoli and I am a psychotherapist working in Greece. In addition to in-office therapy my services are open to people from all over the world, through online counseling by emails.
I work with individuals, couples and families in order to resolve a variety of issues, like depression, anxiety, stress, couple and relationship issues.
I also particularly enjoy helping people enhance their self-esteem, uncover hidden talents and abilities and develop their potential.
I invite you to visit my site at http://www.yourempowermenttherapist.com where you can get to know me better and read some more of my articles.
You can also visit my blog http://isminiapostoli.blogspot.com for articles, tips and practical resources for attaining your dream life.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/stress-in-the-workplace-1097706.html