Stress Relief And Relaxation Secrets You Can Use Today
By Judy McGuire, Thu Dec 8th

You may not even realise that stress is taking a toll on youevery day and if you don't get a handle on it, you are in bigtrouble.

There are a huge number of factors that lead to elevated stresslevels, including seventy hour work weeks, crazy commutes,Motorway gridlock, unnecessary queues, unpaid bills, endlessfamily demands, too much to do and too little time.

There are some pretty powerful resources that you can put towork to help you combat stress. You'll probably be amazed at howsimple some of them are.

Introduction

A recent study found that 90% of doctor visits are for stressrelated symptoms?

Stress bombards us every day from all directions. Maybe it'ssitting in the midst of Motorway gridlock when you are alreadylate for an important appointment. Or how about the bill youforgot to pay? It could be a phone call from the schoolcomplaining about your child's behaviour.

These are just the annoying little stress triggers that wehandle every day.

There's a whole arsenal of stress busting tools available thatwe will discuss here. Hopefully, the more you understand yourstress, the better prepared you are at controlling your body'sresponse to stress and restoration to a calmer state of mind.

More information, including more comprehensive explanations canbe found in the 5 part course, details of which can be found atthe end of the article.

What is Stress?

Chemically, stress is a condition that your body enters as theresult of a message received from your brain telling it toprepare to run or fight.

How to control Stress

What's causing your stress?

A slow build up of everyday annoyances: a dead car battery,traffic jam, buttons that pop off your clothes as you are goingto an important meeting?

It's the little things that get under your skin. Is it a tightschedule and seemingly insurmountable problems? Are there Billsto pay, a boss to please, a colicky baby to pacify?

Juggling many roles is a main cause of stress.

What you need to do is relax.

Keys to stress reduction 1 - 4

1Breathe deeply.

Relax your muscles, expanding your

stomach and chest. Exhaleslowly. Repeat several times.

Follow your breath as it flows in and out. Do not try to controlit. This is a good way to relax in the midst of any activity.This technique allows you to find a breathing pattern that isnatural and relaxing to you.

2Exercise regularly.

Aerobic exercise, such as walking and swimming, produces brainchemicals that uplift your mood and mental well-being.

Exercise also improves sleep and gives you time to think andfocus on other things. However, beware of compulsive exercise.

3Eat healthy foods.

You should never skip meals. Take time out for lunch no matterhow busy you are.

Carry nutritious snacks to the office, or even the shoppingcentre. A nutritionally balanced diet is important.

4Don't let others get you down.

Choose positive friends who are not worriers. Friends whoconstantly put you down or talk gloomily about life willincrease your anxiety.

Ask a good friend to help you talk out a problem and get it offyour chest. A long-distance call to an old pal can be greattherapy.

A further 8 simple keys are included in the 5 part course,details of which can be found at the end of the article.

Final Thoughts

Let's review some of what you have learned about stress.

Steel will snap from it and a pressure cooker will blow its lid.Stress, pressure and tension is a fact of everyday life for mostof us.

Remember that it puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke,insomnia, backache, headache, irritable bowel syndrome, sportsinjuries and infertility. With your health at stake, using someof the methods we have discussed is essential.

It's also important that you remember that stress is aphysiological response. It isn't all in your head! You owe it toyourself to take the time to use the stress-reducing techniqueson a daily basis.

This is part of a Report taken from the Health and Fitness 4 Meseries. For a copy of the full report, send a blank e mail to:www.hf4mestress@getresponse.com

About the author:This article was written by Judy McGuire, founder of Health andFitness 4 Me. Judy has expertise and specialist knowledge whichcan help you to lead a full and active lifestyle. Stress relatedreviews:www.hf4mestress.com