Traffic jams. Toddler tantrums. Deadlines at work. Money troubles. Too much work. Not enough sleep. No time to eat right or even to think.

Does this sound familiar? Stress is all around us. It’s an inevitable and normal part of our daily lives. But over time, its effects can be quite taxing. Stress becomes a problem when you feel overwhelmed by its challenges. And though it may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it’s all in your head. Researchers have found that there are significant biological changes that take place in the body in times of stress. Extended periods of stress can cause destructive changes in the body such as depression and a suppressed immune system, which can lead to heart disease, cancer, and stroke. So if you are feeling stressed out, its time to get some relief. Learn about stress: how to identify it, and how to find relief.

Why Do We Get Stressed?

Stress is a normal physical reaction to an internal or external pressure that is placed on your system. People react to most stressful situations with the “fight or flight” response. The body is flooded with stress hormones, making the heart pump faster, the breathing rate increase, and the muscles tense up. This is the body’s way of gearing up for imminent physical activity. For instance, if you are in a minor car accident, your may feel a surge of energy that allows you to escape the car and help others out as well. However, sometimes the stress is emotional rather than physical and the body is not allowed to release the physical tension created by stress hormones. If you’re stuck in a traffic jam and late for a meeting, there is little that you can safely do to release the buildup of stress hormones in your body. Over time, stress can lead to back pain, headaches, raised blood pressure, indigestion, sweating, palpitations, irritability, and anxiety. It can also contribute to the development of such diseases as cold sores, ulcers, and heart disease.

What Causes Our Stress?

There are two types of stressors that may be causing you grief. External stressors such as traffic jams, a death in the family, or a financial hardship, are often out of our direct control. Internal stressors, on the other hand, develop through our own personality traits and emotions. It is our ability to handle these internal and external stressors that determines the amount of stress we feel we have. Chemical substances such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, sugar, additives, drugs, and environmental toxins deplete the body of energy and are further sources of stress.

How Can We Prevent Stress?

Stress is an inevitable and normal part of life. So there is no way to prevent it completely. However, there are various stress management techniques that can reduce the effects that stress takes on your life. The most important thing you can do to prevent stress from negatively affecting you is to learn how to recognize stress and the triggers that set you off. Also, avoiding substances such as alcohol, drugs, and nicotine will help the body remain better prepared to handle stress.

Am I Stressed Out?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you a “control freak,” insisting that everything be done your way?
• Do you have difficulty sleeping at night, because you are going over the events of the day, or worrying about what will happen tomorrow?
• Do you have a hard time showing your emotions?
• Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks that you need to accomplish on a daily basis?

Being able to identify your personal physical and psychological responses to stress is critical to reducing its negative effects on your life. If you try to deny the existence of stress, or “tough it out” in hopes that it will go away, you will be more likely to intensify the effects of stress rather than relieve them.

The physical symptoms of stress include dry mouth and throat; tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and back; chronic neck and back problems; headaches; indigestion; tremors; muscle tics; insomnia; and fatigue. Emotional symptoms include difficulty concentrating, feeling tense, irritability, impulsive behavior, difficulty in making a decision, poor judgment, difficulty relating to–and mistrusting–people, negative thinking, brooding, worrying, depression, anxiety, or feelings of worthless.

Tobacco, alcohol, and drug use can also be signs of stress.

Stress Relief

Now that you can recognize the triggers that are making you stressed, you will be better prepared for dealing with these situations. Try these techniques for relieving stress before it becomes a problem.

• Get Physical: Physical exercise, whether it is yoga, football, walking, or dance therapy, can help to relive the buildup of stress hormones in the body and promote a general relaxation of the nervous system.
• It’s All In Your Mind: Use mental exercises such as meditation, guided imagery, art, and playing music, as a useful way to reduce stress and promote relaxation in your life.
• Get Connected: Sometimes, all it takes to relieve stress in your life is to talk about the stressor with a close friend or family member. Pet therapy has also been reported to relieve stress.
• Eat Up and Eat Well: Stress suppresses the immune system and can cause or aggravate such conditions as heart disease and ulcers. Dietary changes, such as reducing coffee and other caffeinated beverages can reduce the jittery behavior, restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia that might magnify the effects of stress. Also whole grains promote production of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin for a greater sense of well being.

How do you handle stress? We all experience stressful situations in our lives, be they money troubles, cranky kids, or a difficultly at work. Sometimes, the stresses may seem overwhelming. When stress reaches this stage, it may begin to have a detrimental effect on our sleeping and eating patterns and our overall cognitive ability. Learning ways to reduce stress can help you cope more easily with stressful situations and protect your general health. Here are some techniques that will help you reduce the stress in your life.

Every Day Stress Reducers

1. Eat Well: People who are stressed out are more likely to eat unhealthy foods and eat when they are not hungry. But this will only compound the feelings of stress. Your body will respond physically by developing an upset stomach and possibly a headache. And you will likely feel guilt and pressure in addition to the other feelings of stress that you are experiencing. Go out of your way to eat well, so that you can provide your body the nutrients and energy it needs to get through this stressful time.
2. Exercise: Exercise can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and allow you to be distracted from your stressors. Even as little as ten minutes a day can act as a powerful mood enhancer. If you are feeling stressed, make it a point to take a walk on your lunch break or park further away from the grocery store and walk in. Any amount of exercise you can work into you day will go a long way towards reducing your stress and improving your mood.
3. Relaxation Techniques: If stress is a factor in your life, you’ll benefit from daily practice of relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or breathing exercises. Meditation is a good way to consciously escape the stresses in your life and focus your mind. Yoga is a relaxing exercise method that utilizes gentle stretches and body positions that can reduce stress and release chemicals in your brain to improve mood. Breathing exercises are a good way to calm yourself when stress becomes overwhelming. Slow, deep, controlled breathing can calm both the mind and body. Alternative nostril breathing involves alternately pinching off one nostril between your fingers, and taking slow, controlled breaths using the other nostril. This technique is another good way to reduce stress and release tension.
4. Make Time For Yourself: we often get stressed out by the overwhelming demands of others. Carve out a little time for something enjoyable, just for yourself. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive…take the long way home from work while you listen to a favorite CD, or spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom to rub your hands and feet with a good smelling lotion.
5. Slow Down: Try to make a conscious effort to slow down as you go through your day. Eat, walk, work, and drive at a more relaxed pace.
6. Prioritize Your Tasks: Stress can leave you feeling overwhelmed, disorganized and harried. And rushing from task to task will only exacerbate your worries. Take a few minutes while you shower or make your morning coffee to decide which tasks must be completed today and which of them you’ll tackle first. This is also a good time to think about whether or not you are taking on too many activities. Do you really need the extra money that working overtime allows? And do you really need to help plan every school event or fundraiser?
7. Get Comfy: Wear the most comfortable and loose fitting clothes that your work or other activities will allow. And stick with comfortable footwear. You’ll have a much easier time walking, working, and going about your day if you don’t feel constrained by your clothing.
8. Share Your Thoughts: Stay connected with friends and family who can help you work through your stress. Holding in your feelings or keeping your stress a secret may add to your stress and aggravate your symptoms. A support group is another good way to connect with people who understand your symptoms and can offer guidance on reducing your stress.

Occasional Stress Reducers

1. Massage: A massage can do wonders to loosen tension within the muscles and calm the mind. You can get an occasional massage from a licensed professional who understands the pummeling, kneading, and rubbing techniques that can help reduce your stress. If you happen to have a close friend or loved one who would be willing to exchange daily amateur massages, you should consider yourself very lucky!
2. Vacation or Retreat: You can’t run away from your problems everyday, but sometimes a vacation or relaxing retreat is just the ticket to break the cycle of stress and anxiety and gain a new perspective on your situation.
3. Splurge: Even if you’re living on a tight budget you can stash a side a little extra to purchase something that will help you feel less stressed. A new organizer notebook, a scented candle, or some healthy take-out dinner, could all be well worth the cost if they help you reduce stress and enjoy life!

My theory on the cause of depression, stress and anxiety is the lack of exercise, poor diet, excessive caffeine intake, dehydration, fluorescent lighting, radiation from cell phones and computers, alcohol consumption, refined sugar, white flour, MSG, nutritional deficiencies and not enough personal relaxation time.

For more information on Dr. Group or coping with stress, anxiety or depression naturally, using drug free methods go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org or www.ghchealth.com. We also have a forum where you can interact and ask questions regarding your condition.

I thought the holidays were supposed to be joyous. Why am I stressed out?

The holidays are a joyous time. But there are also many factors that come together during this time of year that can cause undue stress. Over-commercialization, financial hardships, perceived expectations, and the inability to be with loved ones can make the holiday season particularly stressful. The demands of the season, such as holiday parties, shopping for gifts, house guests and traveling can also add to the burden. Some people seem to take the holidays in stride, never worrying about a single detail. But for many others, the stress of the holidays becomes overwhelming, leading to feelings of resentment, disappointment, anxiety, and loneliness

What are the signs of holiday stress?

Stress can affect people in different ways, causing emotional, physical, behavioral symptoms, or a combination of all three. The emotional signs of stress include fear, guilt, grief, anger, panic, depression, apathy, emotional numbness, self-depreciation, and mood swings. Physical symptoms may mimic the symptoms of other illnesses. They may include digestive disorders (diarrhea or constipation), increased heart rate, nausea, headache, vomiting, shaking, sleep disorders (insomnia), changes in appetite, fatigue, dry mouth, sweating, itching, dizziness, and shortness of breath. People may also respond to holiday stress with behavioral responses such as substance abuse, aggressive behavior, social withdrawal, hyperactivity, jumpiness, loss of sexual desire and function, flashbacks, and otherwise reckless behavior.

What can I do to prevent holiday stress?

Keep your holiday expectations reasonable

It always seems like there is so much to see and do during the holidays. But no matter how much you try, it’s impossible to do it all. You simply cannot attend every party, make every gift, and organize every event. Slow down. Organize your time. And be realistic about what you can and cannot do.

Stay flexible

Some people feel that the chores and duties of the holidays are set in stone. Just because you decorated your house with all of the trimmings last year, does not mean it has to happen again this year. Try putting out just a few simple decorations that are meaningful to your family. And if you can’t host the big work holiday party this year, like you have in the past, offer to help find a suitable restaurant or club that can. Don’t get boxed into a routine that has ceased to be enjoyable.

Spread out the joy.

The holidays are a fun season of decorating, cooking, eating, visiting, and merriment. Don’t put all of your focus on one day (e.g. Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day). Instead, spread out your fun by enjoying all of the happiness that leads up to the big days. That way, if Thanksgiving Day, itself, is a little disappointing due to the weather or family disputes, you won’t feel as though the holidays were a complete disaster.

Try something new

Celebrate the holidays in a new way. If it’s too difficult or stressful to buy presents for all of your co-workers, try a “Secret Santa” approach instead, where you draw names from a hat and purchase just one gift for that person.
How can I cope with stress during the holidays?

Make time for yourself

If you know the holidays will be a particularly stressful time for you, make sure to plan an activity that you can really look forward to. Schedule a massage, carve out a day to have coffee with a friend, or “hide away” while you curl up with a good book. Recharge your batteries so that you can enjoy the holidays to the fullest.

Focus on other people

The holidays are a great time to show your holiday spirit by doing something for someone else. Volunteer at the local food pantry, help an elderly neighbor wrap gifts or write cards, or deliver gifts to needy families. Focusing on other people during the holidays can help you put your own life and stresses into perspective.

Stay connected

Reach out to supportive friends and family members if you start to feel overwhelmed by holiday stress. Call an old friend or plan a visit with your favorite cousin. And don’t forget to reach out to your spouse and children for help. Your kids will likely be more than happy to help you wrap Christmas presents…so what if the presentation is a little lumpy; it’s all part of what makes this season beautiful.

Brush off the guilt

Unfortunately, the joys of the holiday season can also bring tremendous feelings of guilt. Guilt over eating too much, spending too much, or not making the nicest presents, can leave you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. Remember, the holidays are a time for celebrating. Guilt is a waste of your precious energy. Enjoy yourself, make time for yourself and your loved ones, and worry about the extra calories later!
My theory on the cause of depression, stress and anxiety is the lack of exercise, poor diet, excessive caffeine intake, dehydration, fluorescent lighting, radiation from cell phones and computers, alcohol consumption, refined sugar, white flour, MSG, nutritional deficiencies and not enough personal relaxation time.

For more information on Dr. Group or coping with stress, anxiety or depression naturally, using drug free methods go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org or www.ghchealth.com. We also have a forum where you can interact and ask questions regarding your condition.

We all experience stressful situations and events throughout our lives. Sometimes the stress is temporary, such as being stuck in a traffic jam. Other times, such as when a loved one passes away, the stress can be more intense and long lasting. Stress can manifest in our lives through physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. These symptoms may vary in duration and intensity depending upon the stressor. Under normal conditions, these symptoms will dissipate with time. However, if stress builds up and becomes overwhelming, the symptoms of stress may become chronic. Here’s a look at some of the classic symptoms of stress.

Physical symptoms

The physical symptoms of stress can often mimic the symptoms of other illnesses, such as ulcers, spinal problems, asthma, or cardiovascular disorders. Nevertheless, you should not make any assumptions. If you’re unsure of the cause of your symptoms, you should seek the advice of a qualified health care professional. The following physical symptoms may be the result of, or at least aggravated by stress:

• sleep disturbances
• heart pounding
• back, shoulder or neck pain
• tension headaches or migraines
• skin rashes
• indigestion, cramps, heartburn, gas, irritable bowel syndrome
• constipation, diarrhea
• nausea
• weight gain or loss, eating disorders
• hair loss
• muscle tension
• tightness or a “knot” in the stomach
• fatigue
• high blood pressure
• irregular heart beat, palpitations
• asthma or shortness of breath
• breath holding
• insomnia
• restlessness
• sleeping too much
• chest pain
• sweaty palms or hands
• cold hands or feet
• skin disorders
• periodontal disease, jaw pain
• reproductive problems
• immune system suppression (frequent  colds, flu or  infections)
• growth inhibition
• chronic pain

Emotional symptoms

The emotional symptoms of stress can also mimic the symptoms of other emotional disorders, such as depression, or anxiety disorders. These emotional symptoms can affect you performance at work, your social relationships, and your enjoyment of daily activities.

• Mood changes
• Nervousness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Irritability
• Frustration
• Difficulty remembering things
• Hostility
• Abrasive behavior
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble thinking clearly
• Phobias or excessive fear
• Lack of control over emotions
• Loss of sense of humor

Behavioral Symptoms

Stress can also cause people to behave irregularly. It can cloud judgment and make it difficult for sufferers to manage work, chores, and daily responsibilities. Here are some of the behavioral symptoms of stress.

• Forgetfulness
• Disorganization
• Confusion
• Apathy
• Negative outlook
• Low self-esteem
• Fuzzy perception

Coping Mechanisms

Stress causes people to react in different ways. The coping methods that some people use, such as substance abuse, can deteriorate the sufferer’s health, wealth, and relationships with family, friends, co-workers, or even strangers. A person under stress may cope in the following destructive ways:

• Excessive aggression or arguing
• Violence
• Road rage
• Changing jobs frequently
• Conflicting with employers or co-workers
• Over-reacting
• Abusing drugs or alcohol

Intensity of Stress Symptoms

In dealing with stress, it’s important to understand the intensity of the symptoms that you’re dealing with. The symptoms of stress can be categorized as either acute, episodic or chronic.

Acute Stress: Acute stress is very common and very short lived. This type of stress may accompany a major lifestyle change, such as moving, or finding a new job. Daily aggravations such as a cranky toddler or irritating noise in the neighborhood can also bring on acute stress. The critical component of acute stress is that it is short term and it dissipates when the stressful situation ends. This type of stress does not usually stick around long enough to cause any real physical or mental damage.

Episodic Acute Stress: Episodic acute stress affects people that experience many short-lived stressful situations throughout the day. These situations may even compound one another…you’re running late so you drive too fast and get a speeding ticket that you don’t have the money to pay for, etc. If you suffer from episodic acute stress, you are likely disorganized, hurried, running late, and always expecting something else to go wrong.

Chronic Stress: Unlike acute or episodic acute stress, chronic stress never dissipates. Instead, it wears the sufferer down, day after day, week after week, year after year. The sufferer may even come to accept this stress as simply part of their personality. A relentless stress accompanies situations such as poverty, war, childhood abuse, or a traumatic situation. People who suffer from chronic stress often feel powerless, hopeless, and that there’s no way and no point in getting help.

Complications of Stress Symptoms

The symptoms of stress can also lead to other serious illnesses and conditions. These include obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, ulcers, hair loss, hyperthyroidism, and gum disease. If you’re suffering from an overwhelming amount of stress, it’s important to seek help to avoid the development of additional health disorders.

My theory on the cause of depression, stress and anxiety is the lack of exercise, poor diet, excessive caffeine intake, dehydration, fluorescent lighting, radiation from cell phones and computers, alcohol consumption, refined sugar, white flour, MSG, nutritional deficiencies and not enough personal relaxation time.

For more information on Dr. Group or coping with stress, anxiety or depression naturally, using drug free methods go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org or www.ghchealth.com. We also have a forum where you can interact and ask questions regarding your condition.

In order to stay healthy, prevent illness, and premature aging, it’s important to find ways of relieving the stress that we experience in our daily lives. Here are a few everyday reactions to stress, both positive and negative, presented in an easy to follow list of do’s and don’ts.

DO

• Make small, simple changes: If you are feeling stressed out, you need to make some changes in the way you do things, in order to keep the stress from accumulating and becoming problematic.
• Organize your time: You may be able to go about your life with little organization or scheduling in your daily routine. But when you’re feeling the effects of stress, you should go out of your way to be a bit more organized. Stress leads to hurried feelings and disorganization will only compound the problem. If you’re not used to making a schedule, just try to loosely outline the tasks that you need to accomplish each day so that you’ll be better prepared to meet these demands, and less stressed throughout the day.
• Eat right: If you are stressed, you may be tempted to overeat, under-eat, or make unhealthy food selections in an effort to alleviate your symptoms. But your body needs a good supply of nutrient rich food in order to maintain strength and energy and face the challenges of your day. Eating a wholesome, organic well-balanced diet is a good way to relieve the physical symptoms of stress.
• Exercise: Exercise is an excellent stress reliever. It helps to calm both the mind and the body, distract you from your worries, and relieve muscle tension. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers. If you’re too busy to make exercise a regular part of your day, try making small adjustments, like park further away from your office, or walk around the block while you check messages on your cell phone.
• Breathe: Often, when we’re  feeling stressed and hurried, we actually forget to breathe. Certainly, we take in necessary oxygen, but we don’t actually take the time to breathe. It’s amazing how calming and relaxing just one slow, deep breath can be. And practicing simple breathing exercises are an even better way to relieve stress. Alternative nostril breathing is done by pinching off one nostril with the fingers, and taking slow, controlled breaths through the other. After a few breaths, switch nostrils.
• Ask for help: Never be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s at work, at home, or amongst your friends. Your co-workers, family, and friends should be very understanding of your situation. In addition, they may be able to offer assistance, guidance, or creative suggestions for accomplishing your tasks. Don’t drown yourself in your stress! If you’re overwhelmed, ask for help.
• Keep in touch: Make the time to stay connected with friends and family members. They can support you through a stressful situation and possibly even offer assistance to ease your burden.

DON’T

• Tell yourself to relax: Trying to force yourself to relax can be very stressful. If you’re feeling stressed out, allow yourself to feel the physical and emotional symptoms, and to understand their cause.
• Focus on all the little details: Prioritize your tasks and the details that you need to focus on to do them well. You cannot expect to micromanage every detail of your life, let alone those of your spouse, children, co-workers, or employees. Focus on getting the job done right, and practice letting go of the little details.
• Attempt to remove all of the stress from your life: Stress is an inevitable part of life. If you try to maintain a completely stress-free existence, you will be disappointed whenever this method fails. Rather than ignoring stress, learn ways to manage and relieve stress so that it doesn’t detract from your life.
• Avoid feeling your emotions: Whether you’re sad, angry, or happy, sometimes we are just too busy and too stressed to fully appreciate our emotions. You may feel that by feeling your sadness or anger, you  make your stress even worse. But the opposite is actually true. When you ignore your feelings, you tend to compound the emotions. This doesn’t mean that you need to completely give in to feelings of anger or sadness whenever they arise. But allow yourself ample opportunity to recognize and safely express these emotions when they do.
• Put all your hopes on one technique, (such as a long vacation): You may be feeling stressed out and decide that a long vacation or an exercise class will do the trick, but placing all of your eggs in one basket is likely to lead to disappointment. Relieving stress usually involves making small simple changes in your daily activities and behaviors. Each change adds to the cumulative benefit of stress relief.

My theory on the cause of depression, stress and anxiety is the lack of exercise, poor diet, excessive caffeine intake, dehydration, fluorescent lighting, radiation from cell phones and computers, alcohol consumption, refined sugar, white flour, MSG, nutritional deficiencies and not enough personal relaxation time.

For more information on Dr. Group or coping with stress, anxiety or depression naturally, using drug free methods go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org or www.ghchealth.com. We also have a forum where you can interact and ask questions regarding your condition.

What Is A Stress Ball?

A stress ball is an object that fits in the palm of your hand and can be easily squeezed to decrease muscular and emotional tension. It may be in the shape of a ball, or it may be something a bit more interesting, such as a funny face, a body part, or a pack of cigarettes (for those trying to quit!)

How Does a Stress Ball Work?

Whenever you make a fist, regardless of whether or not you have something in your hand, you create muscle tension. And when you release your grip, your muscles relax. This process of acute muscle tension and relaxation can flush out muscle tension and relieve stress. You can perform this stress management technique without a stress ball, by simply tensing and relaxing the muscles or your hands, or anywhere on the body that tension exists. But a stress ball gives you something to focus on and may aid in relieving stress.

What Other Benefits Do Stress Balls Have?

Stress balls have been used for years for a wide range of medicinal uses. Stress balls were used in ancient civilizations to relieve stress, to improve coordination, prevent arthritis, prevent rheumatism, stimulate blood circulation, help during physical therapy and assist with meditation. Stress balls may also help in the prevention or treatment of carpal-tunnel syndrome.

How Can I Make A Stress Ball?

Stress balls come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can make stress balls to give as gifts or to sell for a school fundraiser. Or you may just want to make one for yourself! Gather up some supplies and friends and have a blast making your own stress balls. Here are a few simple techniques you can use to make your own stress ball at home.

The Balloon Stress Ball

This is a fun and easy stress ball that can easily be made alone, but like so many things in life, it may be more fun to make it with a friend. After you finish making this stress ball, decorate it with stickers, or paint a funny face on it. Just be sure to use decorations that will not irritate or rub off on your hand as you are squeezing it!

Instructions:

1. Look for a small, thick, round balloon.
2. Blow it up until it is about 4-5 inches around. (Don’t tie the balloon yet!)
3. Pinch the top of the balloon shut an inch or 2 from the hole.
4. Place a small funnel inside the opening of the balloon.
5. Using the funnel, pour cornstarch into the balloon.
6. Slowly release the top of the balloon so the cornstarch can slide down.
7. Continue adding cornstarch until your balloon is about three inches in diameter.
8. Tighten the end of the balloon and slowly let out any remaining air.
9. Tie the balloon closed as near to the cornstarch as you can.

The Dough Ball Stress Ball

Get a friend to help you with this project, as it can be kind of tricky to insert each balloon into the next. Once you are finished, you can carefully poke holes in the outermost layer to create fun polka dots!

Instructions:

1. Mix together one half-cup salt, one-cup flour, one-tablespoon oil, one-teaspoon cream of tartar and one cup water.
2. Heat dough in a pot on low heat until mushy, stirring constantly.
3. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth.
4. Allow dough to cool for one hour.
5. Gather three or four balloons and cut the neck off of all but one of them.
6. Form a ball of dough about two to three inches across.
7. Stuff the dough into the balloon. (The more dough you use per balloon, the less squishy your stress ball will be.)
8. Stretch the balloon over the dough and immediately insert this balloon into the next one hole first (so that the second balloon completely
9. covers the hole of the first one.
10. Insert your balloon/dough ball into another balloon the same way.
11. Insert your balloon/dough ball into the last balloon, and tie off at the neck.
12. Decorate your stress ball with a face, legs, or silly sayings!

My theory on the cause of depression, stress and anxiety is lack of exercise, poor diet, excessive caffeine intake, dehydration, fluorescent lighting, radiation from cell phones and computers, alcohol consumption, refined sugar, white flour, MSG, nutritional deficiencies and not enough personal relaxation time.

For more information on Dr. Group or coping with stress, anxiety or depression naturally, using drug free methods go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org or www.ghchealth.com. We also have a forum where you can interact and ask questions regarding your condition.

Stress can develop as a response to any situation or thought that upsets you. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. Stress can vary day to day from person to person. What’s stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another, and what bothers you today may not be as upsetting tomorrow. The same goes for anxiety: that is, it’s not always possible to determine the cause of anxiety, or what one’s reaction to it might be.

Stress and anxiety often go hand in hand with one another. They can cause both physical and emotional distress, and lead to the development of such serious disorders as heart disease, ulcers, and panic attacks. The signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety are often so similar that it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish the cause of the problem from its side effect. Regardless, there are ways that you can manage stress and anxiety so that they no longer have a detrimental effect on your life.

What Is Stress?

Stress is a natural part of life. From cranky kids to the morning commute, most of us experience several stressful situations each day. We typically respond to stress on both physiological and emotional levels. Some of the physiological responses to stress may include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, sweating, dry mouth, tightened muscles, appetite changes, sleep disorders, and headaches. Emotional and cognitive responses to stress include negative self-talk, restlessness, inability to concentrate, and memory loss.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety also involves physical and emotional reactions within the body. They tend to occur as the result of a stressful or worrisome event. For example, one might feel anxiety over an upcoming move, or their relationship problems. Some people may develop anxiety due to an irrational fear such as a fear of losing control, a fear of embarrassing themselves, or a fear of dying. For some, the signs and symptoms may occur for no apparent reason, and then continue for long periods, or occur frequently throughout the day. Panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety are all common types of anxiety disorders that involve excess levels of anxiety. The typical symptoms of anxiety include nervousness, increased heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure, dizziness, digestive disorders, tightened muscles, sweating, and panic attacks. Anxiety disorders occur most frequently in those who are extremely analytical, emotionally sensitive, have a low self-esteem, or tend to over react to situations.

Managing Stress and Anxiety

Take Inventory: The first step to managing your stress or anxiety is to try and understand the source of your feelings. What do you worry about most? Has something been on your mind lately? What seems to trigger your symptoms?
Stay Connected: Sometimes, just talking about your feelings with a friend or loved one can help to reduce their affect on you. Don’t feel like you are burdening someone with your problems. Your friends and family are there to support you just as you would support them. If you’re feeling stressed or particularly anxious, talk it out, even if you can’t understand why you feel the way you do.
Get Help: If necessary, seek the advice of your health care provider or a qualified therapist to evaluate and diagnose your condition. He or she may be able to help you determine the cause of your stress and anxiety and recommend methods for treating your condition.
Take Care of Yourself: Stress and anxiety can often lead to digestive disorders as well as poor eating and sleeping patterns. But it is very important to make sure your body is getting the nutrients and the rest that it needs to stay healthy. This will reduce your chance of developing more serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A poor diet, especially one lacking in vitamin B12, can also contribute to stress or anxiety.

Alleviating Your Symptoms

Here are a few guidelines you can use to help alleviate your anxiety and stress related symptoms:

Learn Your Trigger Points: Try to understand when and where your symptoms most frequently develop and how you can minimize them in those situations.

Give Yourself Permission To Be Stressed: We spend so much time fighting the symptoms of anxiety or depression. But often, simply allowing yourself to experience these feelings for a designated period (say ten minutes) will help you get past them and get on with your daily activities.

Listen To Yourself: Listen to your self-talk. Is it extremely negative? Do you blame yourself for things that may be out of your control? Pay attention to the thoughts that are in your head and make an effort to focus only on positive thoughts.

Reward Yourself: Set small, achievable goals for managing your symptoms, and then reward yourself when you achieve them. For example, if you generally become anxious when dealing with new people, reward yourself for getting the groceries without becoming upset.

Stress can be defined as any change that requires you to adapt. Physically, stress can be a demand placed on the body such as a force, pressure, or strain. Everyone who lives and breathes will experience stress at some point in their lives. Sorry. But when stress becomes overwhelming, it can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorders, frequent headaches, appetite changes, mood disorders, and the development of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and ulcers. The key to keeping stress from becoming a problem in your life is learning how to cope with the stresses in your life, both individually and as a whole.

Assessing Your Stress Level

This is the first step in learning to cope with stress. Start by creating a list of people, events, and activities that produce stress in your life. This might include things such as a new job, an upcoming school play, your financial responsibilities, or your family relationships. Next to each entry, list the ways that you currently use to cope with these stressors. For example, do you exercise when the pressure of work becomes overwhelming? Or do you schedule enough down time in your day to recuperate from a stress activity? The following are lists of healthy and unhealthy coping styles:

Healthy Coping Techniques

• Exercise
• Rest and relaxation
• Time Management
• Balancing Work and Play Activities

Unhealthy Coping Techniques

• Substance abuse
• Avoidance
• Procrastination
• Oversleeping or overeating

Making Changes

Now that you have identified the stressors in your life, and the coping styles you use to handle them, you can begin to look at the methods you could use to reduce stress and alleviate its symptoms. Take a look at your list and look for the areas where you can make changes. Can you eliminate a stressor? For instance, if an upcoming school event is causing you stress, maybe you could decrease your involvement in that event. Or if you financial worries have become stressful, maybe you should look at the financial techniques you could use to improve your solvency. Next, consider those stressors that you can’t change, identify healthy coping skills that you can utilize to diminish their effects on you. For instance, if your relationship with your mother has become stressful, look at ways you can build rest and relaxation techniques into the days that you must interact with her.

Learning New Techniques

Learning to Relax

It may seem strange, but many of us simply don’t know how to relax. In most cases, we simply don’t plan any time for relaxation, so if a free moment pops up, we are unsure how to handle it. The result is either boredom, or the initiation of a project to “kill time.” Take a minute to think about the activities that you personally find relaxing. Do you enjoy going for walks, reading a good book, meeting friends for coffee, checking out a new movie, listening to music, or taking a long, hot bath? Choose an activity (or two) that you find relaxing, and then work it into your day just as you would any other appointment or errand to which you assigned priority. Be realistic about the amount of time you can dedicate to this activity. If you have a tight schedule, even ten minutes of relaxation can make a world of difference. Practice this activity on a daily basis.

Advanced Relaxation

For those folks who are willing to try something new, learning a relaxation technique can greatly improve your ability to cope with stress. Techniques such as meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and progressive relaxation can help you learn to relax on a whole new level. Practicing these techniques on a daily basis will help you to become better prepared when the next stressful situation arises.

Managing Your Time

Head off stress before it becomes a problem. Prioritize your responsibilities and activities; You can’t expect to do it all, so pick the things that are most important and gently but firmly say “no” to all other demands. Create a daily schedule (even if you just have it outlined in your head) of what you need to accomplish each day and the order in which you need to do them. Break large projects into smaller pieces. And allow some extra time in each day for relaxation and to tackle the inevitable crises.

Developing a Support Network

People get stressed out when they feel like they have too much to possibly do alone. But hey, that’s what friends are for. Develop a network of friends and family members with whom you can share tasks, responsibilities and thoughts. You can start a carpool group to school or the office to cut back on the trips you make each day. Maybe you and your sister could take turns doing a “midweek shop” to pick up any extra groceries or supplies that you’ll need before the weekend. Or at the very least, you can call your best friend and vent about what a lousy day you’ve had.

Stress affects our bodies both physically and mentally. It can lead to the development of health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, as well as depression, and other mental health conditions. Anxiety, or excess fear and worrying, can lead to stress and vice versa. The remedy for both of these conditions involves learning new and better ways to handle stressful or anxiety producing situations before they become a problem.

How Do You Cope With Stress and Anxiety?

Your ability to cope with stressful and anxiety inducing situations will determine the toll they take on your life. And contrary to popular belief, your coping skills are not genetic, they’re learned. Just because your mother was a worrier, doesn’t mean that you have to be one too. It just means that your mother never learned good coping skills, and she passed along her unhealthy skills to you. But you can break the cycle by recognizing your unhealthy coping techniques and learning other ways to handle the stress and anxiety in your life.

Scientists have studied the effectiveness of different methods for dealing with stressful and anxious situations. Research has shown that those with the best response to stress and anxiety know how to take responsibility, take action, seek advice and support, express their feelings, stay confident, and learn from their mistakes. In contrast, those with the poorest responses to stress become hostile and aggressive, self-blaming and blaming of others, indecisive, they ignore their problems, bottle their emotions, give up, and overindulge in food, drink, cigarettes, or other substances.

Are You Overwhelmed By Stress and Anxiety?

People who are regularly overwhelmed by stress and anxiety tend to display a variety of signs and symptoms. Check the following list to see if any of these behaviors sound familiar.

• Walking, eating or working in a rushed manner
• Dwelling on thoughts about past mistakes or stresses
• Focusing on events that might happen in the future
• Frequent tension in the body
• Short-tempered or often on edge
• Constantly exhausted or fatigued

Managing Stress and Anxiety

If stress and anxiety are becoming overwhelming factors in your life, it’s time to learn some new techniques for managing the situations that are causing you problems.
Identify Your Triggers

What is the source of your stress or anxiety? If you need to, sit down and make a list of the things, situations, or people that have become distressing to you. What’s your reaction to the stress and anxiety they generate in your life? How does it make you feel physically? Emotionally?

Choose To Change

Take a look at your list and determine where you can make changes to eliminate or reduce stress and anxiety. Can you avoid the stressor? Or somehow shorten your exposure? If not, then you may need to learn new techniques to manage your reactions to it.

Take Care of Yourself

If you are trying to cope with a stressful or anxiety producing situation, the best thing you can do is to take care of yourself physically. Eat well-balanced and nutritious meals to ensure that your body is getting the vitamins and nutrients it needs to stay healthy. And make exercise a priority. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, divert your thoughts, and keep your body healthy. Avoid using nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other stimulants, as these can aggravate the symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Relax

Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive relaxation, yoga, tai-chi, or massage to reduce stress and relieve tension. If you work on these techniques everyday, you will be better prepared to handle stressful and anxiety producing situations as they arise.

Get Help

Stay connected with friends and family. Your social network can help you through rough times by offering emotional support and possibly even helping to alleviate some of your daily tasks and responsibilities. If necessary, seek the advice of a professional counselor or mental health specialist to help you learn how to identify the source of your stress and anxiety and better ways to cope with it.

Help Others

Helping others can be an extremely gratifying way to reduce stress and divert your thoughts from your own problems. It’s also a good way to maintain and strengthen your support network and to help you put your own problems into perspective.

Let go

There are some things that you just cannot change. As difficult as it may seem, learning to let go is one of the best ways for reducing stress and anxiety in your life.

RECOMMENDED READINGS:

“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff”
New York, NY: Hyperion, 1997. Carson, R.

“The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook”
Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 1988. Davis, M., Eshelman, E., & McCay, M.

It starts with a crying child, who can’t find their homework. You rush all around the house in search of her school project, acutely aware of the time on the clock. You’re already running late, and now you won’t have time for breakfast. Next, your husband gets a call that he needs to be at the office early for a breakfast meeting. He dashes out of the door and suddenly there’s no one to help you load up the kids in the car for school. Your cell phone is ringing with a call from the office and your child is still crying. You’ve only been awake for an hour, and already you’re sure you’ll never make it through the day in one piece!

We all experience some degree of stress in our lives. It comes in many different shapes and sizes and develops from a wide variety of sources. So in order to understand stress, and the effects it can have on us, it’s important to understand the different types of stress and the characteristics, symptoms, duration, and treatment approaches of each one.

Acute Stress

Acute stress is the intense, short-term stress that can often be exciting and thrilling in small doses. A challenging maneuver on a mountain bike trail can bring about acute stress that the body recognizes as interesting and exciting. But after hours and hours on the bike, that same challenging maneuver could be recognized as exhausting and overwhelming. By the same token, a new assignment at work may be seen as either an interesting challenge or a stressful project depending upon the capabilities and the time constraints of the employee. The body can recover fairly quickly from acute stress, but when it occurs repeatedly or when it is persistent, it can cause psychological distress, tension headaches, upset stomach, and other symptoms.

Because it’s short term, acute stress doesn’t usually have enough time to do the extensive damage associated with long-term stress. Although it may cause physical symptoms that require short term medical attention such as headache, back pain, jaw pain, and digestive disorders such as heartburn, acid stomach, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Episodic Acute Stress

Some people suffer from frequent episodes of acute stress. For these people, the body may not have a chance to fully recover from one stressful situation before they’re suddenly immersed in another. This type of episodic acute stress often causes people to be over aroused, short-tempered, hypersensitive, irritable, anxious, and tense. This type of stress can easily affect an individual’s performance at work as well as their relationships and daily activities. The symptoms of episodic acute stress are persistent tension headaches, migraines, hypertension, chest pain, and heart disease. People who experience this type of stress are also much more likely to develop coronary heat disease than those who can recover from stressful situations more effectively. Treating episodic acute stress may require changes in both an individual’s behavior and coping mechanisms.

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is the persistent stress which wears away at people slowly…day after day…week after week…year after year. Chronic stress can significantly affect an individual’s personality, work performance, mental capacity, and physical health. Poverty, illness, miserable employment, unhappy relationships, and dysfunctional families breed chronic stress. It usually occurs when the individual feels helpless and hopeless in their situation. Often, people give up on finding relief from this type of stress and just assume it is something they’ll have to endure. Long-term chronic stress can cause heart attack, stroke, cancer, and suicide. As with many such extended and multifaceted conditions, treatment of this type of stress often requires behavioral and stress management changes on a number of levels over long periods of time.

Assess Your Stress Level

Do you think you may be suffering from chronic stress? Take this test to determine your level of stress.

1. Do you feel run down and drained each day?
2. Do you think of your job in a negative light?
3. Are you easily irritated by your co-workers, your spouse, or your children?
4. Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your family or your supervisor?
5. Do you feel like you’re alone, with no one with which to share your problems?
6. Do you feel like you are out of physical, mental, and emotional energy?
7. Do you wish you could get more out of each day?
8. Do you feel that you are in the wrong profession?
9. Are you frustrated with your family life?
10. Do you feel that there is more for you to do on a daily basis than you could ever possibly get done on your own?
11. Do you experience frequent chronic physical symptoms such as headaches, heartburn, or jaw pain?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may be showing signs of stress. Slow down, get help where you need it, and take action to manage the stress in your life. If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may be suffering from chronic stress. Seek the advice of a qualified mental health specialist, or your family physician to learn how you can reduce the stress in your life before it permanently damages your physical and mental health.