Stress Management Means Taking Charge Of Your Own Life

We live in a world today that is loaded with stress. Picture stress as a heavy weight, or, in fact, look at stress as a barbell with a weight on each end. We put the bar bell on our shoulders and starting out with a light weight we have no problem. We can handle. The next day we add an additional weight. We feel the difference but we can still handle it.

If we keep adding weight, the pressure keeps increasing and eventually we can’t handle the additional weight and we break down. That is exactly what happens to us when we are under constant, increasing stress. We need to take some of that weight off the bar. What we are talking about is managing stress. Understand that everyone has a breaking point. We saw that with our prisoners of war.

There is also bad stress. You feel like a runaway train. You are out of control. Afterward, you are exhausted. The next day you look back on the situation and feel like you could have accomplished more. Nothing good came of it.

When man was first put on this earth, he had to be strong just to survive. He had to be able to run and he needed to be strong just to get his food. There were many dangers facing early man. We refer to this instinct as flight or fight. Today’s world is quite different. Man doesn’t face the same dangers as prehistoric man. But his body makeup hasn’t changed that much.

We feel we have to manage it all, resulting in uncertainties and mental overloads. Some how we keep going, but our bodies protest against our demanding life style.

The flight or fight syndrome has been greatly reduced for modern man. Modern man is more sedentary, his body has no way to get rid of the adrenaline that has been pumped into it. The adrenaline has a harmful effect on the body and causes it to break down.

Many of us eat or drink to cope with stress. We gain weight for eating too much leading us right back to being discouraged, tense, and frustrated. Stress in itself is no necessarily bad, it is how we react to stress that can hurt.

What happens inside our body when there is violent physical action taking place or is going to take place? The breathing increases because the muscles are going to need oxygen. The heart starts to beat faster because it has to pump blood to the muscles. Blood is taken away from the stomach and the stomach cramps. The eyes dilate (pupils get larger) to be able to see better. Hearing is made more acute. The hormone adrenaline is dumped into the blood stream.

It is important to control the stress in your life. Make it work for you and not against you. Prolonged stress can result in high blood pressure and is contributing cause of heart disease.

What can we do to help ourselves? * The first thing to do is to take control of your time by making priorities and pace yourself. * Assert yourself. If you want it ask for it. If you do not like something, say so. Do not keep quiet and suffer all night thinking about what you should have said. * In times of stress, people need people. Seek the comfort and support of people you trust. We need someone who will listen to us. Although simple, these help measures really work!

Author Bill Havens knows the importance of discovering ways to handle stress. For information on what causes stress and more, visit his self development affiliate marketing site Winners Bounce.