Stress - Defined as a feeling of emotional or physical tension. Emotional stress usually occurs when situations are considered difficult or unmanageable. Therefore, different people consider different situations as stressful. Stress in its various kinds - physical stress, emotional stress and intellectual stress, is a disease of modern times. It afflicts people regardless of their station in life. Stress is present in the lives of the rich and poor, literate and illiterate, men and women. Stress is, however, more evident and is probably more widespread in technologically advanced countries, and is common among highly qualified professionals.
NIH / General information about stress - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
NIH / General information about depression - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
News-medical.net / Stress and your heart - http://www.news-medical.net/?id=7008
About.com / Stress and your heart - http://heartdisease.about.com
March of Dimes / Stress during pregnancy - http://www.marchofdimes.com
Yahoo Anxiety Center / information resource gateway - http://health.yahoo.com
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—once called shell shock—affects hundreds of thousands of people who have survived earthquakes, airplane crashes, terrorist bombings, inner-city violence, domestic abuse, rape, war, genocide, and other disasters, both natural and human made. Click on these links to learn more...
National Center for PTSD / home page - http://www.ncptsd.org
PTSD Alliance / home page - http://www.ptsdalliance.org/home2.html
ABC News / report about PTSD - http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=334445&page=1
APA / PTSD symptoms - http://www.apa.org/practice/ptsd.html
APA / Dealing with traumatic stress - http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=22
VVA / Guide on PTSD - http://www.vva.org/benefits/ptsd.htm
Veterans PTSD Reference manual - http://www.ptsdmanual.com
BBC Report on Vietnam veterans - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4462745.stm
Mental Health Channel / PTSD Guide - http://www.mentalhealthchannel.net/ptsd
Sleep Deprivation - Sleep deprivation is a common condition that afflicts 47 million American adults, or almost a quarter of the adult population. Symptoms can interfere with memory, energy levels, mental abilities, and emotional mood. Click on these links to learn more...
General information about sleep disorders - http://www.sleep-deprivation.com
Report on listening to music prior to sleeping - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4228707.stm
BBC’s report on the issue - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1989718.stm
CNN’s story about insomnia - http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/09/20/sleep.deprivation
WebMD Center for Sleep disorders - http://my.webmd.com
A few tips on reducing stress (from www.clevelandclinic.org) – Please remember, this information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
• Keep a positive attitude.
• Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
• Be assertive instead of aggressive.
• Learn to relax.
• Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
• Eat well-balanced meals.
• Rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
• Don't rely on alcohol or drugs to reduce stress.
There are a number of exercises that you can do to relax. These exercises include breathing, muscle and mind relaxation; relaxation to music; and biofeedback. A few that you can try are listed below. First, be sure that you have:
• A quiet location that is free of distractions.
• A comfortable body position. Sit or recline on a comfortable chair or sofa.
• A good state of mind. Try to block out worries and distracting thoughts.
2-minute relaxation - Switch your thoughts to yourself and your breathing. Take a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly. Mentally scan your body. Notice areas that feel tense or cramped. Quickly loosen up these areas. Let go of as much tension as you can. Rotate your head in a smooth, circular motion once or twice. (Stop any movements that cause pain.) Roll your shoulders forward and backward several times. Let all of your muscles completely relax. Recall a pleasant thought for a few seconds. Take another deep breath and exhale slowly. You should feel more relaxed.
Mind relaxation - Close your eyes. Breathe normally through your nose. As you exhale, silently say to yourself the word "one," a short word such as "peaceful" or a short phrase such as "I feel quiet" or "I'm safe". Continue for ten minutes. If your mind wanders, gently remind yourself to think about your breathing and your chosen word or phrase. Let your breathing become slow and steady.
Deep breathing relaxation - Imagine a spot just below your navel. Breath into that spot and fill your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon. With every long, slow breath out, you should feel more relaxed.
More tips on helping yourself (from the University of Chicago - scc.uchicago.edu) - When stress does occur, it is important to recognize and deal with it. Here are some suggestions for ways to handle stress. As you begin to understand more about how stress affects you as an individual, you will come up with your own ideas of helping to ease the tensions.
Try physical activity. When you are nervous, angry, or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve that "up tight" feeling, relax you, and turn the frowns into smiles. Remember, your body and your mind work together.
Share your stress. It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor can help you see your problem in a different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or mental health counselor. Knowing when to ask for help may avoid more serious problems later.
Know your limits. If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don’t fight the situation. Learn to accept what is, for now, until such time when you can change it.
Take care of yourself. You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. If you are irritable and tense from lack of sleep or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should ask your healthcare provider for help.
Make time for fun. Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; take a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.
Be a participant. One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it’s all happening. Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, get involved and become a participant. Offer your services in neighborhood or volunteer organizations. Help yourself by helping other people. Get involved in the world and the people around you, and you’ll find they will be attracted to you. You will be on your way to making new friends and enjoying new activities.
Check off your tasks. Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming and, as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, then do one at a time, checking them off as they’re completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.
Must you always be right? Do other people upset you - particularly when they don’t do things your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; it’s better than fighting and always being "right." A little give and take on both sides will reduce the strain and make you both feel more comfortable.
It’s OK to cry. A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might even prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they also release tension.
Create a quiet scene. You can’t always run away, but you can "dream the impossible dream." A quiet country scene painted mentally, or on canvas, can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. Change the scene by reading a good book or playing beautiful music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
Avoid self-medication. Although you can use prescription or over-the-counter medications to relieve stress temporarily, they do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Medications, in fact, may be habit-forming and also may reduce your efficiency, thus creating more stress than they take away. They should be taken only on the advice of your doctor.
The Art of Relaxation
The best strategy for avoiding stress is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. For a while, tune out your worries about time, productivity, and "doing right." You will find satisfaction in just being, without striving. Find activities that give you pleasure and that are good for your mental and physical well-being. Forget about always winning. Focus on relaxation, enjoyment, and health. If the stress in your life seems insurmountable, you may find it beneficial to see a mental health counselor. Be good to yourself.
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