Personal Problems That Can Cause Stress
- Your health, especially if you have a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis
- Emotional problems, such as anger you can’t express, depression, grief, guilt, or low self-esteem
- Your relationships, such as having problems with your relationships or feeling a lack of friendships or support in your life
- Major life changes, such as dealing with the death of a parent or spouse, losing your job, getting married, or moving to a new city
- Stress in your family, such as having a child, teen, or other family member who is under stress, or being a caregiver to a family member who is elderly or who has health problems
- Conflicts with your beliefs and values. For example, you may value family life, but you may not be able to spend as much time with your family as you want.
How Can We Handle Stress In Healthy Ways
Stress serves an important purposeit enables us to respond quickly to threats and avoid danger. However, lengthy exposure to stress may lead to mental health difficulties or increased physical health problems. A large body of research suggests that increased stress levels interfere with your ability to deal with physical illness. While no one can avoid all stress, you can work to handle it in healthy ways that increase your potential to recover.
There are several other methods you can use to relax or reduce stress, including:
Develop A Positive Self
The way you talk to yourself matters. Harsh self-criticism, self-doubt, and catastrophic predictions aren’t helpful. If you’re constantly thinking things like, “I don’t have time for this,” and “I can’t stand this,” you’ll stress yourself out.
It’s important to learn to talk to yourself in a more realistic, compassionate manner. When you call yourself names or doubt your ability to succeed, reply with a kinder inner dialogue.
Positive self-talk can help you develop a healthier outlook. And an optimistic and compassionate conversation can help you manage your emotions and take positive action.
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Stress Is One Of The Biggest Threats To Your Health
It has become so common that it is actually something of an epidemic. The more caught up we get in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, the more susceptible we are to the effects of stress. And those effects can be devastating, leading to dangerous hormonal imbalances improper nutrition and even weakened immune response that can leave your whole body open to a host of illnesses.
So what can you do to help alleviate the chronic stress that is taking over your life? You can begin by making sure you eat right and get plenty of exercise. Its the old standard for losing weight and improving health but this combination is important for a reason. Your body is essentially an engine and it needs both proper fuel and regular use in order to stay in top shape. Getting all of the necessary nutrients goes a long way toward improving your health as does working out on a regular basis. In fact, using a rowing machine or other types of gym equipment regularly can make a huge difference when it comes to battling stress.
Eating right, which means a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients and without harmful sugars and fats, can help to keep your body stocked with all of the building blocks it needs to maintain good health. Youll feel the difference as your mind and body are balanced and your stress levels begin to decrease. An added bonus is the ability to combat weight gain, which can be one of the most common and challenging side effects of chronic stress.
How Can You Manage Stress
You might be able to deal with the situation thats causing chronic stress directly. For example, if you are working too many late hours, maybe you can talk to your boss about your workload.
But there are times when you might not be able to get rid of the source of stress. Financial problems, family conflicts, and work demands dont always have simple solutions. At those times, it is important that you care for yourself so that you are better able to live with your stress.
When you are under stress, you are more likely to make poor lifestyle choices. For example, you may eat more unhealthy foods, get less sleep or use alcohol excessively. However, when you recognize your symptoms of stress, you can make lifestyle choices to help you cope better.
Here are some strategies to help you care your yourself when you are feeling stressed out:
Stress is an expected part of our busy lives. However, when you understand the purpose of stress and how you can manage it, you can experience greater health and well-being.
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How Do You Measure Your Stress Level
Sometimes it is clear where stress is coming from. You can count on stress during a major life change such as the death of a loved one, getting married, or having a baby. But other times it may not be so clear why you feel stressed.
It’s important to figure out what causes stress for you. Everyone feels and responds to stress differently. Tracking your stress may help. Get a notebook, and write down when something makes you feel stressed. Then write how you reacted and what you did to deal with the stress. Tracking your stress can help you find out what is causing your stress and how much stress you feel. Then you can take steps to reduce the stress or handle it better.
To find out how stressed you are right now, use this Interactive Tool: What Is Your Stress Level?
Strengthen Your Support System
Emotional support can serve as a protective shield against the damaging effects of stress. According to the American Psychological Association, a strong social support system can actually enhance your ability to handle stressors on your own by increasing self-esteem and confidence.
And its not just the amount of people in your life that matters its the quality of the friends, family members, and other people in your support system. Make sure youre leaning on the supportive, understanding relationships in your life to increase feelings of connectedness, self-worth, and security, as opposed to the toxic, depleting relationships.
Social networks take a variety of forms, such as having a phone conversation with a close family member, volunteering with an organization, or meeting a friend for coffee. The feeling of belongingness that arises when you connect with others can make stressful situations seem more manageable.
Life can be full of stress at some times more than others. Pay attention to when the stress extends for longer periods of time and make sure youre armed with coping tactics so you can manage it in a healthy way.
Feeling stressed? Treat yourself to six days of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation at Perfect Health, an intimate wellness retreat customized just for you. Learn More.
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Get Rest Away From Your Stress Through Stress Breaks
To limit the damage of excess cortisol include multiple Stress Breaks throughout your day to pull you back from your Stress Cliff, where stress begins to damage you physically, mentally and emotionally. Stress Breaks allow your physical body and your mind to seek equilibrium. There are essentially four ways to channel your stress or fight/flight energy:
Next month I’ll address several Stress Breaks to help protect your well-being.
About the Author
Jacquelyn Ferguson, M.S.www.jackieferguson.com In 1976, after returning from 2 years in the Peace Corps in Colombia, South America, Jackie earned her Master’s degree in Community Counseling/Psychology from her home state of Minnesota. She worked for several years as a Program Director at the Ruth Cooper Mental Health Center in Ft. Myers, FL, and then founded InterAction Associates, a management development and training firm. â
Literally hundreds-of-thousands of people throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and points in between have benefitted from her programs. She has also authored four audio programs and her recently published book, Let Your Body Win: Stress Management Plain & Simple, is now available at www.letyourbodywin.com.
The Great News About Stress
So far I’ve addressed the depressing news about stress: it can make you vulnerable to illness and disease development. The GREAT news is simple: to protect yourself schedule more rest away from your stress. It’s what I call the easy part of stress management.In direct proportion to your stress, schedule more rest away from it. Scheduling multiple Stress Breaks throughout your day allows your mind and body to gradually return to a state of improved balance facilitating your ability to recover from your daily dose of stress.
Even if you aren’t experiencing chronic stress – yet – getting plenty of rest away from your anxiety enhances your resiliency so when you do experience chronic stress – and you almost certainly will someday – you’ll be in better stress shape to handle it.â
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Have You Had Any Recent Major Life Changes
Life changes such as getting married, moving to a new city, or losing a job can all be stressful. You can’t always control these things, but you can control how you respond to them.
To find out your current stress level based on recent changes in your life, try this Interactive Tool: What Is Your Stress Level?
How To Get Rid Of Stress Once And For All: The Key To Reducing Stress Is Solving The Problem
by Tom Corson-Knowles |
I used to think stress was something outside of my control.
I would say things like, Im stressed out because of work, or Its really stressful to have to deal with that person.
But the truth is, you are completely in control of managing your stress.
Some amount of what we call stress is unavoidable. When you or a loved one gets sick or injured, youre going to feel stressed. Bad things happen to good people, and theres nothing we can do about that.
But the question is, when life throws a tough situation at you, what should you do about it?
After reading dozens of books and studying stress for years, I want to share a simple process you can follow to deal with your stress effectively.
But first, you have to understand exactly what stress is .
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Ways To Get Rid Of Stress #2 Keep Toxic People At Arms Length
You may not be able to fix other peoples behavior, but you can determine how much of an impact they have over your life. If you identify people who drain you emotionally, then its time to set some boundaries and keep them away from you as much as possible.
This includes friends, coworkers, family members, neighbors and other acquaintances who overstep boundaries and infringe on your happiness. They may not even know theyre doing it, so if you want to inform them and see if theyll alter their behavior, feel free to try.
Just dont expect them to change. Most people respond to being told that theyre stressing others out by getting offended. It may be better to just distance yourself without a word of warning.
How To Get Rid Of Stress
If you want to fight effectively in the modern world, you have to master these skills. And mastery only comes from practice.
These practices, combined with regular meditation and focused breathing, can help solve your problems, and get rid of that stressful situation once and for all!
How do you deal with stress? Share your tips in the comments below!
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Stress Hacks For Chronic Stress And Anxiety
Stress is supposed to be positive and temporary for most of us. But chronic stress, which is constant and persists over an extended period of time, can be overwhelming. With research showing that chronic stress is linked to major illnesses its important for everyone to practice self-care and learn how to manage stress.
Whenever you notice that your chest is tight and youre breathing fast and furiously, take a minute to pause, and practice one of these to get rid of your anxiety and chronic stress.
How To Decrease Cortisol With Supplements
Changing your diet is a long-term strategy for reducing cortisol, but you might want to jump-start your efforts with supplements to get results faster.
Fortunately, theres an entire group of supplements that specifically work to minimize the negative effects of stress.
These unique substances, known as adaptogens, are herbal remedies that increase your resilience to mental, physical, and environmental stress.
They work by reducing the stress hormone cortisol while strengthening function of the adrenal glands.
Adaptogens neither stimulate nor sedate, but instead act like a thermostat, bringing your body into a balanced state known as homeostasis.
Here are the main adaptogens that have been found to effectively reduce cortisol:
Not sure which supplements to start with?
Its always wise to make sure youve got your essential nutrient needs met first.
Confirm that you have adequate intake of vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Next, Id suggest starting with ashwagandha.
This traditional Ayurvedic remedy excels in stress reduction and decreases cortisol significantly more than many other supplements.
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Finding Chronic Cough Causes And Cures
Don’t ignore a chronic cough but don’t panic just because your cough lingers for more than three or four weeks. Most often, the puzzle can be solved without elaborate tests, and the problem can be corrected with simple treatments. In fact, you may be able to diagnose and treat yourself, especially if postnasal drip or gastroesophageal reflux is the culprit. Even so, your doctor can also help. In most cases, it won’t take much more than a stethoscope and a treatment trial or two. But if your cough is accompanied by sputum production, bloody sputum, fever, weight loss, night sweats, breathlessness, undue fatigue, or chest pain, you should consult your doctor without delay.
High Cortisol Testing And Diagnoses
Your doctor can order a number of tests to determine if you have abnormally high cortisol levels. Both blood and urine testing help reveal a problem, but a 24-hour urine test is used more often than a cortisol blood test to diagnose Cushings disease or syndrome.
The cortisol values listed below, which can be obtained from a blood test, serve as a reference range for whats considered normal. Cortisol levels above this normal range are considered high and can be risky or problematic.
But keep in mind that values differ depending on time of day, age and the type of cortisol test preformed. Saliva tests are now also recommended and appear to be as reliable as a blood sample. Additionally, an overnight dexamethasone suppression test may also be recommended, and it involves taking a dose of a corticosteroid medicine called dexamethasone to determine how blood cortisol is affected.
Because of this, your doctor will always need to evaluate your results in light of your specific symptoms and medical history.
- Normal cortisol ranges for adults and children in the morning are between five to 23 micrograms per deciliter or 138 to 635 nanomoles per liter
- Normal cortisol ranges for adults and children in the afternoon are between three to 16 mcg/dL or 83 to 441 nmol/L
- Normal cortisol for a newborn baby is between two to 11 mcg/dL or 55 to 304 nmol/L
Final Thoughts on Cortisol Levels
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This Quiz Can Help You Determine If You Are Stressed For No Reason
- Do you feel overwhelmed with responsibilities?
- Yes
What Causes Prostatitis
- The causes of prostatitis depend on the type.
- Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis are caused by a bacterial infection of the prostate that may happen when bacteria travel from the urethra into the prostate. Men who have urinary tract infections may be more likely to develop bacterial prostatitis.
- The cause of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is not known but a microorganism is thought to cause the condition. It may also be due to chemicals in the urine, the immune systems response to a previous UTI, or nerve damage in the pelvic area.
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