"It's time to start living the life you've imagined."
Henry James
Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest and that may be a factor in disease causation. Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins, illnesses, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied. While many people associate the term "stress" with psychological stress, scientists and physicians use this term to denote any force that impairs the stability and balance of bodily functions.
If stress disrupts body balance and function, then is all stress bad? Not necessarily. A mild degree of stress and tension can sometimes be beneficial. For example, feeling mildly stressed when carrying out a project or assignment often compels us to do a good job, focus better, and work energetically.
Likewise, exercising can produce a temporary stress on some body functions, but its health benefits are indisputable. It is only when stress is overwhelming, or poorly managed, that its negative effects appear.
An important goal for those under stress is the management of life stresses. Elimination of stress is unrealistic, since stress is a part of normal life. It's impossible to completely eliminate stress, and it would not be advisable to do so. Instead, we can learn to reduce and manage stress so that we have control over our stress and its effects on our physical and mental health.
Put simply, stress is our response to daily life. The right amount of stress can be a positive force. It helps us do our best work and keeps us alert, energetic, focused, and engaged in the world around us. However, too much stress can leave us anxious, depressed, and uncomfortable.
What can I do to better manage stress?
In general, stress is related to both external and internal factors. External factors include your physical environment, your job, relationships with others, your home, and all the situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations you're confronted with on a daily basis. Internal factors determine your body's ability to respond to, and deal with, the external stress-inducing factors. Internal factors which influence your ability to handle stress include your nutritional status, overall health and fitness levels, emotional well-being, and the amount of sleep and rest you get.
Managing stress, therefore, can involve making changes in the external factors which confront you, or with internal factors which strengthen your ability to deal with what comes your way.
What are some effective stress management techniques?
Exercise
Physical exercise not only promotes overall fitness, but it helps you to manage emotional stress and tension as well. For one thing, exercise can emotionally remove one temporarily from a stressful environment or situation. Being fit and healthy also increases your ability to deal with stress as it arises.
Relaxation and Meditation
There are many ways to use structured relaxation and meditation techniques to help control stress and improve your physical and mental well-being.
Eagle Vision Dynamic Seminars
Attend one of Eagle Visions Dynamic Three-Day Seminars on Stress Reduction, Empowerment and Self Healing. In these practical and informative training seminars participants learn to relax for increased health, wellness and vitality. Participants learn effective, practical, scientifically-based methods to relax physically, increase productivity and creativity, experience greater ease in attaining goals, reduce the stress of everyday life, heal their bodies and gain personal empowerment.
