Remedies for Depression

Posts Tagged ‘stress management’

Stress, depression and anxiety are part of our life. Virtually no one in this world can avoid themselves from these events. But being stressed out or getting into an anxiety disorder will only occur to those who lack control over their emotional response.

People often have the perception that they have no control about what their minds are doing. Through the events that happened around them, peoples’ emotions are easily involved and they develop a flaw mode of thinking as time goes on.

Stress, depression and anxiety are not just mental hazards; they are physical too. That is why most of us experience feeling lightheaded, short of breath and many other symptoms which may lead sufferers further down the road to mental disorders.

By properly managing one’s skills or changing the way of thinking, anyone can change himself to be the master of his emotions rather than the slave.

Below are 4 powerful tips to help you get rid of any emotional attachment to any event.

o Self-Hypnosis at Pre-bedtime

Self hypnosis is a powerful tool which is able to change your thoughts and the way your body reacts to your thinking. In major situations, people who are suffering under stress have the problem getting a good sleep or worse, they may suffer from insomnia.

Pre-bedtime hypnosis is useful to calm your mind down before sleep and help to attain a sound and deep sleep. All you need to do is to lie down in a comfortable position and spend two to five minutes, reflecting to yourself:

“I have been tired the whole day long.”

“Now it is time to rest. I am not going to think about other things.”

“I am going to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Tomorrow will be another good and productive day.”

“I am resting safely and comfortably now.”

Doing this might not be effective to some people because everyone is different and unique. It depends on each individual case. It is important to understand what causes you to be stressed and find out the magic word that will soothe your mind.

Remember the basic skill to make this work is to concentrate!

o Self-hypnosis at post-bedtime

How we feel in the morning determines the rest of the day. When we wake up feeling stressed or depressed, then the rest of the day will not be better than what we imagine.

In reality, some people may find morning time rather depressing because they might think that it is another stressful day for them to work, having to deal with unexpected events or face difficult problems.

Morning hypnosis is another useful spell. Unlike a fairy tale, it only serves as a spirit booster and helps you to change your thinking for the entire day. Say to yourself:

“Yesterday is over, now is the beginning of my new day.”

“I am the main character of my life; I decide what I want for the day.”

“Okay good, I am full of energy now. I am going to perform my best today.”

“Okay, by end of today I will achieve something I want!”

Close your eyes and isolate yourself from any disturbance. Make this process not longer than 5 minutes.

Same as pre-bedtime hypnosis, concentration is the key to send the magic word deep down into your subconscious mind and let it work for you.

Do not ever be skeptic about your ability to do your own self-hypnosis. Even a professional hypnotist will not be successful in hypnotizing you if you do not believe in him.

o Self-talk

When you are caught up in a distressful situation, self-talk is a great way for you to bring back your direction.

“Okay, I am cool. I am cool.”

“Something bad is happening to me, I know I should handle this consciously.”

“It will be alright. Losing this will not cost me my life. It is not the end of my world.”

By doing this, obviously you are the master of your mind, taking control of the situation and being able to decide what will be your next move. However, most people will have these thoughts running through their heads:

“Why is this happening to me?”

“I am not going to live without this.”

“I do not want this to happen to me, etc.”

You will realize that by suppressing or avoiding these feelings, it will just worsen the situation, and these negative thoughts will linger in your mind.

o Breathing skill

Last but not least, learning a breathing skill is highly recommended when you are having stress, depression or other emotional situations.

Frankly, I myself was an anxious guy. I had experienced shortness of breath, extremities tingling and nausea during an anxiety attack. At first, I thought I was going to die.

That attack brought me to a specialist and he explained what was actually going on with my body and the entire episode was caused by flawed mode of thinking. He later taught me the proper way of breathing should I experience another anxiety attack.

I doubted his answer and solution given to me. Until my next attack, I have no other choices but to learn the breathing skill taught by the specialist. Incredibly, I shook off the symptoms in just a minute and immediately, my body got back to normal.

Then, I found out that when someone is highly distressed or severely anxious, the breathing pattern will change as a physical reflex. Shallow chest breathing can cause your heart to beat faster and your muscles to tense up, hence exacerbate any distressful event.

To deal with this situation, breathing from your diaphragm will oxygenate your blood, which help you to relax almost in a split second. The actual way of doing it is:

Try one of these 4 tips, and you will see positive results to help you get rid of emotional attachments.

The Mind Is The Limit

We all experience it at one time or another; this trespasser called stress. It is perhaps the number one cause of most health problems today. Whether the stress be a result of work, school, family problems or other issues, it is very important to learn how to effectively manage your stress levels. Let’s explore ways managing stress in your life can be accomplished in a healthy and appropriate manner.
Managing stress can be dealt with in many ways. Talking about the problems you are experiencing with friends, loved ones or a professional can often be a great help. Keeping everything bottled up will only create more problems later on, and often cause stress-related health problems.
You should also exercise often. Go to the park and walk for 20-30 minutes either every day or every other day. Exercise relieves tension and produces a calming effect. Yoga exercises are an effective form of exercise that decrease stress as well. Sit in a quiet room alone and begin breathing exercises. Choose a mantra which will help you to stay focused.
Music does calm the savage breast. Listen to some classical or instrumental music. Ocean or nature sounds are a perfect way to release stress. They slow down your heartbeat and clear your mind, great things to assist you in managing stress. Of course, if you have any little children in the house, gentle sounds and music can often calm them down and reduce your stress.
Healthy meals can become an important factor in limiting your stress. Ensure you eat three meals a day, and make an effort to avoid too much caffeine and sugar, especially around bedtime. Sleep deprivation can cause stress. Remember to go to bed early. Seven to eight hours sleep can make all the difference.
Managing stress can be challenging. Every day you seem to be pulled in every direction, trying to accommodate others. The first priority is to take care of you. You are the thread which holds your family together. If you are stressed, you won’t be much good to anyone. Give yourself a break every now and then. Laughter is a wonderful release; laugh as much as you can. Avoid stressful situations whenever possible. Take everything in stride. If you can’t finish a task, don’t worry about it. If dinner doesn’t turn out as you expected, improvise or order out.
Life is too short; and stress can reduce it further. Nothing is more important than your health or state of mind. Managing stress depends upon your ability to understand its cause, and utilize every measure available to nip it in the bud.

People are finding real hard when dealing with torment of stress, depression or anxiety. Situation may even go harder to help their loved one to get rid of this suffering episode.

For someone who had ever been to this traumatic event, you would know surrounding people are actually hard to connect with us or understand us. As a result, sufferer may feel isolated and the torment can be exacerbated due to loneliness and helplessness.

If you care about someone who’s under stress, depression or anxiety, here are some suggestions for what you can or can’t do to reach your loved one.

Human are unique, so do the pain
When people try to comfort their depressed loved one, they always say that: “My dear, cheer up! Forget about the sad things and tune your modes of thinking to the right way and everything will be alright!” or “Be optimistic!”

Although stress, depression and anxiety are generally caused by flawed modes of thinking, but they are many other symptoms involved. Sufferers may undergo physical effect such as severe headache, back pain, hypertension, loss of sex drive, muscle pain and much much more. Besides, there are many other effects or symptoms and it’s important to understand that no sufferer experience the same symptoms.

So, sufferer may always needs a logical and physical solution for them to get rid of their particular problem once and for all. Rather than being convince by the kind of simplified overall solution.

Don’t belittle or compare their situation
Another common reaction will be given: “What are you so worry about? There are lots of people in this world having the situation much worse than you do having now but they live with happiness”. Yet this is another misleading statement.

In fact, millions of people around the world living in squalor and poverty are not sufferers, but majority of them are not satisfied with what they currently have and maybe they had been through the terrible time.

It is not wrong for convincing a distressed sufferer but don’t expect this is effective as they just care about themselves when they are down. This is the symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. They are struggling hard to solve their own problem and seeking for help, it’s entirely useless to point out others which may have it worse and may not help any way.

Never ever to be frustrated
Frustration is the most common emotion to happen when people are not able to understand what their loved one is going through. And it can soon give way to anger and annoyance as the people running out of patience.

People may complaint: “Why are you being so pessimistic? Everything is going well but you only think of the negative side. Everyone is worried about you but you just let it be. Please do something so that we won’t be disappointed!”

People might think that they are just helping them to meditate themselves or regain their self-esteem. But the outcome is more likely to let the sufferer resent you and disappointed for your misunderstood. Sufferer probably will start avoiding you and their torment is deepened.

So, don’t ever throw tamper in front of the sufferer and give them space.

Positive Reminder
Self-deprecation is common symptom of ones suffering stress, depression and anxiety. Sufferers have no self-confident where they will put themselves down at every opportunity, no matter when they’re alone or accompany by other people.

Sufferers may probably say: “No, you go ahead. I won’t bother because I’ll just get it wrong like everything else I do.” When you hear this, avoid the urge to challenge it or reprimand. Instead, gently and subtly remind them of a time when something went well.

Just say “Hey, do you remember that time when you…” Challenging or reprimanding will only arouse resentment and they’ll just think you’re against them. This is a very subtle way of reminding the sufferer of a more positive event.

It is not easy to help your loved one to solve their emotional illness. We are advisable to provide them more space and secure them with your love.

Are you lonely?

Did you know that being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives.

Lets face it, we’ve all been there.

We get depressed when we fail in our exams, when we’re rejected by the person we love, or when someone very close to us passes away.

That’s just part of life.

But, depression, however, can be more fatal than just plain loneliness. It could render Life-Long consequences that could ruin your Self-Esteem, Health, and Well-Being in the process.

Well today is your lucky day because I’m going to share with you some great tips to help you conquer the ‘Melancholy Mood’ so you can get the MOST bliss out of your daily activities.

So, with that said, lets go to Tip #1.

Tip #1. Do you get enough Light and Sunshine?

Did you know that lack of exposure to sunlight is responsible for the secretion of the hormone called Melatonin, which could trigger a dispirited mood and/or a lethargic condition.

Melatonin is only produced in the dark. What it does is it lowers the body temperature and makes you feel sluggish.

So, if you are always cooped up in your room (with the curtains closed), it would be difficult to restrain yourself from staying in bed.

This is the reason why many people suffer from depression much more often in winter than in the other seasons.

It’s simply because the nights are longer.

If you can’t afford to get some sunshine, you can always lighten up your room with brighter lights to help offset the darkness.

Or…

You could go have lunch outside the office for a change and take frequent walks in the early afternoon instead of driving your car over short distances.

The choices are endless. It’s really up to you.

Tip #2. Keep Busy and Get Inspired.

You’ll be more likely to overcome any feeling of depression if you keep your mind busy doing the activities you like doing the most.

Do the things you love.

If you’re a little short on cash, you could engage in simple stuff like taking a leisurely stroll in the park, playing sports, reading books, or engaging in any activity that you have passion for and would love to pursue.

Also, set a Goal.

No matter how difficult or discouraging life can be, remain firm and have an unshakable belief that you are capable of doing anything you desire.

With this kind of positive attitude, you will attain a cheerful disposition to beat the blues.

Tip #3. Take a Break. Sit back and Relax.

I mean it.

Listen to some soothing music you like. Soak in a nice warm bath. Simply take a break from your stressful workload and spend the day just goofing around doing the things you love.

In other words, go have fun. Life’s to short as it is.

Tip #4. Maintain a healthy diet and Stay Fit.

Avoid foods with lots of Sugar, Caffeine or Alcohol.

Sugar and caffeine may give you a brief moment of energy; but they will later bring about Anxiety, Tension and Internal problems.

Alcohol on the other hand is a depressant. Many people would drink alcohol to simply “forget their problems.”

All they’re doing is aggravating their conditions in the process.

Also, did you know that exercising regularly is a vital depression buster.

Why you ask?

Simply because it allows your body to produce more Endorphins than usual.

Endorphins are sometimes called “the happy chemicals” because of their Stress-Reducing and Happiness-Inducing properties.

Tip #5. Get a Social Life outside of work.

No man is an island. Your inner circle of friends are there to give you moral support.

Spending time and engaging in worthwhile activities with them could give you a very satisfying feeling.

And we all now… nothing feels better than having group support.

And… never underestimate the power of Touch.

What I mean is… doesn’t it feel so good when someone pats you on the back and gives you words of encouragement during your most challenging times?

Hug or embrace someone today.

Get intimate.

Establish close ties with your family and friends.

The love and care expressed by others could tremendously boost your immune system and fend off illnesses.

Best of all, you’ll live a more secured and happy life.

Now go give those 5 Tips a try and see how they pan out for you.

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Emotional stress is someth ing that we all experience when we have to cope with the many demands and responsibilities of home and work. Stress can be defined as an intense emotional and physiological reaction to a situation or the mental representation of a situation as a memory or anticipation. Chronic stress is produced when stress reactions do not resolve themselves and become habitual. The sustained physiological effects of chronic stress can have a serious effect on the body and lead to an increased risk of disease. The psychological effects of chronic stress produce fatigue, poor concentration and an impaired ability to perform tasks, which leads to more stress. Stress produces a general feeling of helplessness and negativity, both of which reinforce the stress reactions. This produces a lack of vitality, enthusiasm and creativity and many people describe chronic stress as a heavy blackness that covers everything and in its severe form, chronic stress leads to depression. Chronic stress can result in an increased chance of accidents as well as reducing work performance. Chronic stress also reduces our listening and learning skills and this reduces the quality of communication in our personal relationships and family.

It is well recognized that stress reactions are learned and originate from the influence of our own mental outlook and from belief patterns acquired from our parents, family and culture. Stress always contains both an objective component and a subjective component and in most situations, it is the habitual subjective emotional reactivity that generates the emotional tension and physiological characteristics of stress. There is pain and there is suffering. Pain is the objective component that is often inevitable or unavoidable, but suffering is a subjective reaction that we generate and add to the pain. The Buddha described this subjective suffering as dukkha and not surprisingly, mindfulness, which is one of the central teachings of the Buddha, was and continues to be very relevant for working with and resolving emotional stress.

The other major source of stress comes from unresolved traumas that result from physical injury, assault, domestic abuse and violence. In general this kind of trauma-related stress results from experiences and associated emotional reactions that we cannot process, because they are outside of our normal range of experience. These unresolved wounds become repressed and submerge into the subconscious mind where they continue to simmer and generate a generalized anxiety. This is described as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Occasionally, in severe cases of PTSD resulting from war or other intense situations, the stress reactions will erupt as nightmares and flashbacks in which the individual re-lives the trauma.

Whatever the source of the stress reactions, it is important to understand that each reaction has an internal structure in the form of negative thoughts and beliefs and associated emotional energy that gives power to these thoughts. It is often very helpful to examine these negative thoughts and try to change them. This is the approach taken in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Another approach is to change the emotional energy that empowers the thoughts and beliefs, because without this compulsive charge, the beliefs will have no power to generate stress. This is the approach taken in MMT. Through careful attention and investigation of the emotion through mindfulness, we can uncover the internal structure of the emotion and discover what needs to change. As the structure changes, so does the emotion. Resolve this and you will neutralize the stress reactions.

OVERCOMING STRESS REACTIONS: THE FOUR Rs

Stress is generated by habitual emotional reactions to external events and internal beliefs. These patterns of negative thinking can be changed by the application of the four Rs, which are the primary focus of MMT. These are: RECOGNITION, REFRAMING, RELATIONSHIP, RESOLUTION.

RECOGNITION

All habitual emotional reactions rely on two key elements: ignorance and emotional energy. The first task in MMT is to learn to recognize our stress reactions as they arise in stressful situations. We train ourselves to watch very carefully for any impulse to react. This counteracts the automatic and mechanical part of what makes reactions habitual. The maxim of MMT is that all change begins with mindfulness and mindful-recognition is the first and most important step. You know what pushes your buttons. It might be in your personal relationships with your partner or with your children or perhaps with your parents. One of the most important steps you can take on the path of self-transformation is to take the initiative to examine what stressors cause you to react and to learn to recognize your impulse to react. This is very empowering and changes your attitude from being a victim to being a warrior. For most of the time, most of us react out of habit and have no awareness of what is happening while it is happening. We are simply seduced into the same automatic patterns of reactive thinking over and over again. Clearly, the first step is to break this pattern of ignorance and know what is happening as it happens. This is the fundamental first part of mindfulness. Mindfulness means to be present for experience as it is unfolding.

REFRAMING

Now you are learning to recognize anger reactions, disappointment and frustration reactions, fear and anxiety reactions as they arise in real-time. This new awareness can be very transformational by itself by simply making you conscious of what you are doing. It is a truth that what you don’t see is what has the greatest power over you. Awakening to what is happening is therefore the first step to change.

The next step that paves the way for transformi ng the emotional energy that powers stress reactivity is to change your relationship to the emotion. Our usual response is to say I am angry or I am afraid or I am upset and we literally become the emotion. Contrast this to saying I notice anger/fear/upset in me. Now the emotion becomes reduced to an object, not me, that I can relate to with mindfulness. This simple reframing of how we perceive an emotional reaction - as me or as an object that has arisen in me is itself transformational.

RELATIONSHIP

However, what keeps a reaction alive is the associated emotional charge, without which the reaction would have no power to cause stress. MMT teaches us how to form a non-reactive relationship, the Mindfulness Based Relationship, with this underlying emotional energy that compels us to react. This is the RELATIONSHIP phase of MMT.

The mindfulness relationship is very important. This is where we allow ourselves to open our awareness and investigate the emotional energy, which is quite different to our usual reactions of ignorance, avoidance or aversion. We choose to be fully present with the inner feelings behind the stress reactions, rather than getting sucked into the content and story line. Just as in personal relationships, it is the quality of our PRESENCE, our ability to listen with an open mind and heart that is most important. Now we are learning to cultivate this same presence for our inner emotional stress. The nature of the mind is such that if you allow things to change, they inevitably will. If you allow things to change and unfold into this safe spaciousness of the mindfulness-based relationship, things will change in a beneficial direction that will transform and resolve the inner conflict and pain. It is the habitual reactivity that stops this natural healing and as we learn to disengage from the patterns of reactivity we create the right conditions in which emotional tension will resolve itself.

RESOLUTION

Mindfulness creates a therapeutic space that allows the emotion to unfold and undergo transformation. If you give it space it will change. This is one of the great discoveries made by the Buddha, 2500 years ago and which we are rediscovering today. It is not what we do that matters as much as how we relate to our emotional stress. When this relationship is based on the receptivity and openness of mindfulness, then we create the best possible conditions in which emotional tension can resolve itself.

Resolution can be understood as the process in which a stress producing emotion like anger or anxiety or disappointment undergoes a process of unfolding and differentiation. When we investigate anger with mindfulness, we begin to see that the anger is actually an assembly of more subtle content - the inner structure - in the form of feelings, memories, sensations and often some form of inner imagery that pulls all these parts together into the form of an emotion. The anger differentiates into feelings of sadness, emptiness, fear. With intense stress reactions resulting from trauma, we will likely notice vivid inner imagery. It is by uncovering the internal structure of the emotions and associated imagery that change becomes possible and mindfulness provides one of the best ways of cultivating a safe relationship with painful content by teaching you how to stay present and avoid becoming reactive to what you are uncovering.

Through becoming conscious of the inner structure of the emotions that power our stress reactions, the emotional energy will change and resolve. Without this emotional power, there is nothing to sustain the emotional reactions and life-long patterns of stress producing reactivity begin to dissolve, leaving you free from their compulsive grip. Like the petals of a lotus bud that were previously held and constrained so tightly, the mind begins to explore a new freedom with all its possibilities and choices. This is the freedom that the Buddha talked about and that is possible for all of us to discover through the practice of mindfulness. MMT teaches you how to apply mindfulness to resolve your patterns of habitual reactivity so that you can realize your full potential and enjoy your life and relationships to the full.

Peter Strong, PhD is a scientist and Buddhist psychotherapist who specializes in the study of mindfulness and its application in Mindfulness Meditation Therapy. Peter teaches mindfulness meditation (vipassana) and works with individuals and couples using Mindfulness Meditation Therapy for resolving difficult emotional problems including anxiety, depression, phobias, grief and trauma and the management of anger and stress. Besides face-to-face work, Peter also works with individuals and couples online via email and web conferencing. To learn more visit http://www.mindfulnessmeditationtherapy.com/

Email enquiries welcome.

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health diagnoses. It is essential for those suffering from these disorders that they can have many different options for treatment. Even more outstanding is the idea that major depression has become the leading worldwide cause of disability. Depression and anxiety are both very disabling to people and their lives. However, sometimes the typical medications can have terrible side effects and many people do not want to take them because of this. Therefore, there are anxiety and depression alternative therapies available. Anxiety and depression often occur at the same time and can make overcoming the symptoms even more difficult. Anxiety and depression alternative therapies are available to help with many of the different symptoms.
One of the leading symptoms of depression and anxiety is insomnia and sleep disturbances. The root of sleep disorders in people with depression and anxiety is physiological. There are a few very specific things that should be done to try and alleviate the sleeplessness that can occur. They are all considered to be anxiety and depression alternative therapies. The first is to make sure the body has plenty of vitamin E and B complex. While the vitamin E helps people sleep, the vitamin B complex calms the nerves. Second, it is helpful to avoid any stimulants. This includes illegal substances, caffeine, and sugar. It is also important to exercise.
Not only can exercise help counter act the depression, it can also help tire a person out and help them sleep. Then it is a good idea to learn to meditate or use relaxation exercises. Lastly it is suggested that psychotherapy be obtained. That way, there is someone the person can talk to about the disturbances, stresses, and feelings that they are experiencing. Getting the troubles out of the mind can slow down the racing of thoughts that can occur.
Anxiety and depression alternative therapies are often inexpensive and easily accessible. However, when already stressed and depressed and it can be difficult to try and make additional life changes. It is also important to note that they are not an instant help, but do take some time. So people must be patient. Another one of the anxiety and depression alternative therapies is something called Emotional Freedom Technique.
This is said to be acupressure for the mind. This is a treatment of gentle pressure of the head, chest, and hands. The pressure in specific places is said to relieve emotional difficulties. People with depression and anxiety should be able to seek treatment without the side effects or stresses of medication trial and error.

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health diagnoses. It is essential for those suffering from these disorders that they can have many different options for treatment.
Even more outstanding is the idea that major depression has become the leading worldwide cause of disability. Depression and anxiety are both very disabling to people and their lives. However, sometimes the typical medications can have terrible side effects and many people do not want to take them because of this.
Therefore, there are anxiety and depression alternative therapies available. Anxiety and depression often occur at the same time and can make overcoming the symptoms even more difficult. Anxiety and depression alternative therapies are available to help with many of the different symptoms.
One of the leading symptoms of depression and anxiety is insomnia and sleep disturbances. The root of sleep disorders in people with depression and anxiety is physiological. There are a few very specific things that should be done to try and alleviate the sleeplessness that can occur. They are all considered to be anxiety and depression alternative therapies. The first is to make sure the body has plenty of vitamin E and B complex. While the vitamin E helps people sleep, the vitamin B complex calms the nerves. Second, it is helpful to avoid any stimulants. This includes illegal substances, caffeine, and sugar. It is also important to exercise.
Not only can exercise help counter act the depression, it can also help tire a person out and help them sleep. Then it is a good idea to learn to meditate or use relaxation exercises. Lastly it is suggested that psychotherapy be obtained. That way, there is someone the person can talk to about the disturbances, stresses, and feelings that they are experiencing. Getting the troubles out of the mind can slow down the racing of thoughts that can occur.
Anxiety and depression alternative therapies are often inexpensive and easily accessible. However, when already stressed and depressed and it can be difficult to try and make additional life changes. It is also important to note that they are not an instant help, but do take some time. So people must be patient. Another one of the anxiety and depression alternative therapies is something called Emotional Freedom Technique.
This is said to be acupressure for the mind. This is a treatment of gentle pressure of the head, chest, and hands. The pressure in specific places is said to relieve emotional difficulties. People with depression and anxiety should be able to seek treatment without the side effects or stresses of medication trial and error.
Anxiety and Stress are not to be taken lightly and our mission is to educate those suffering from these real calamities on how they can cope with them and eventually eliminate them from their lives.

Every day seems the same.You never seem to have enough time to relax and take time for yourself. If it’s not the kids and their hectic schedules, it’s the pressures of work. Are you constantly striving to balance your domestic responsibilities with the high demands of the work place?Sometimes you are irritable and restless thinking about those unpaid bills, the kids needs, your partner’s needs, and the demands of your boss.

If your answer is yes, you have something in common with nearly half of all Americans today–stress.

What is Stress?

Stress is a combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that we experience in response to events that seem to threaten or challenge us. As defined by the famous stress researcher Hans Selye, “Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it.” These demands may be physical or emotional in nature and the perceived threat/challenge can be real or imagined. However, it is the perception of threat that triggers the response.

During a stress response, the body experiences increased levels of cortisol, adrenalin and other hormones that produce an increased heart rate, quickened breathing rate, and higher blood pressure. Blood is shunted from the extremities to the large muscles, preparing the body to fight or flee. This is also known as the fight-or-flight response.

The stress-response system is self-regulating. It decreases hormone levels and enables your body to return to normal once a crisis has passed. However, due to our hectic lifestyles, many of the stressful circumstances tend to be prolonged. As a result, you may be on the fight-or-flight reaction longer than is necessary. During this time, you may often end up feeling overwhelmed, tense, and frustrated. What is good for your body during a short-term crisis could be quite harmful over long periods. This long-term activation of the stress-response system can disrupt most of your body’s processes, and may lead to other long-term complications.

What Causes Stress ?Leading Causes/Sources of Stress:

Stress may be linked to external factors such as:

Stress can also be a result your own:

How does one recognize stress?

It’s not always easy to recognize stress, especially when you are experiencing the symptoms of stress as part of your daily life. Reportedly, women and men exhibit stress differently. While women confess feelings of nervousness, lack of energy, or wanting to cry, men talk about trouble sleeping, or feeling irritable and angry.

The most common symptoms of stress are:Emotional: Worry, anger, irritability, anxiety, frustration, and impatiencePhysical: Fatigue, headache, back pain, jaw pain, trembling, cold hands and feet, and muscular stiffness.Digestive: Heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, and fullness.Vital sign: Rise in blood pressure; rapid heartbeat.Mental: Confusion, inability to concentrate, indecisiveness, nervousness, occasional sleep problems, and blankness.

How can stress affect you?Stress affects performance of daily duties and responsibilities, resulting in negative lifestyle changes including relationship challenges, career dissatisfaction, deteriorating health, complacency, and substance abuse. It not only steals vitality, health, and energy, but also undermines our ability to perform at our best.If the cause of your stress is temporary, the physical and psychological effects of stress are usually short-term as well. Normally, our bodies rest when stressful events cease and life gets back to normal. However, stress becomes dangerous when it interferes with the ability to live a normal life for an extended period of time.Recent studies suggest that stress and anxiety contribute to a majority of illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidemia, obesity, lung ailments, allergies, sexual problems, cancer, and psychological disorders.In some cases, stress may result in short term memory loss, poor mental ability, lack of focus, poor concentration, poor judgment, difficulty making decisions, and depression.

Further, stress has been reported to affect the vitality and reproductive systems in both males and females, and is linked to some of the leading causes of death.

Stress Management:

Meditation,

Yoga,

Natural Supplements.

Though hundreds of natural products claim safety, I personally feel,we need to bother about efficacy first and safety next. I came across very few clincally tested natural products which are available over the counter/online in United states.Please go for that, they work.

Drugs:

While many people who are treated for having some anxiety disorders might experience depressions at a time or other, there’re people who are suffering from depressions and anxiety symptoms often than some others who are suffering from similar kind of problems. Depression and anxiety symptoms often possess the feeling of impotent and feelings of being desperate. Trying to know why an individual is feeling so might eventually help to find a remedy for it. Depression and anxiety symptoms might often lead to deteriorate an individual’s physical health to a marked decline in her or his psychological and emotional wellbeing. Depression might very well cause any person to go to very extreme conclusions about the solutions to these kinds of issues. The dangers of committing suicide in folk who exhibit depression & anxiety signs are high; therefore it’s extremely important for people who’re showing these kinds of signs must get some help.
How do you find if any person is show casing depression or anxiety signs? One of the very common signs of an individual who’s suffering from depressions & anxiety symptoms is while the person’s constantly sad or is pessimistic. Other depressions & anxiety symptoms might include the feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
Sleeping problems might also be a symptom of these depressions of anxiety and dilemma. The most common sign is while a person begins contemplating suicides or when thoughts of death are only present in that person’s mind.
There’s quite a very big need to refer a physician if you’re seriously thinking of terminating your life as the result of these kind or depression anxiety symptoms. Also, you might need the aid and support from the people who are dear in your life. If you’re not the only one suffering from these problems but someone in your own family or in your circle of friends, you might need to look a solution to make them to seek some professional help. You may easily ascertain if their depression anxiety signs have drifted from very bad to worse while you begin to see some drastic changes in people you knew so well. It might help if you make them to speak about what’s bothering them. Sometimes, a talk will help ease these depressions & anxiety but finally, professional help might be needed. If you feel that the speech or some help you might have given will not be enough, you might need to speak your friend for seeking the aid of some psychiatrist to reach the cause of the problem.

Stress - Stress and Diet

Regular exercise is one great way to deal with the symptoms of stress. Combining a proper diet with that makes for a terrific, positive addition.

Nutrition studies are always difficult to interpret and any conclusions drawn should often be tentative. Later ones often appear to contradict earlier ones. But overall the research suggests what is consistent with ‘common sense’: a balanced diet, with adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables, and some proteins is an aid to reducing stress.

Supplements can be helpful if your diet doesn’t contain a large enough amount of chemicals that help reduce stress. Serotonin, for example, is a brain chemical that helps induce calm. A diet that already contains it, or that contains compounds that help the brain produce it, assists the body in combating stress.

But since the effects are slightly delayed (it takes about 30 minutes for serotonin’s effect to kick in) and lasts for several hours (about three hours), timing is also important.

Serotonin levels are often naturally higher in the morning, but decrease in the late afternoon. You can help your body by tailoring your diet accordingly. A late afternoon snack is a good idea. Baked, rather than fried, potato chips help stimulate serotonin production. Pretzels, too, are low in fat but healthy.

Stress is related to diet in other ways. It doesn’t merely reduce helpful neuro-transmitters but encourages counter-productive habits, as well. Some people take to eating excessive amounts, particularly of high fat foods, in order to compensate for the symptoms of stress. Some studies suggest, however, that high fat foods tend to slow down or inhibit serotonin levels.

Moderation in intake is wise for other reasons, too. Just as inadequate exercise leads to poor fitness, excessive caloric intake amplifies the damage. As you become flabby and overweight, body image can suffer, leading to a downward spiral in self-image. The result is increased stress and often depression.

Breaking that vicious cycle requires effort, but it carries double rewards. As you become more fit, you reduce the physical effects of stress-induced biochemicals. You also improve your body, helping create a body image that elevates your mood. That kind of investment in your well-being is well worth the effort required to break the cycle.

Eating at regular times is helpful. When people are stressed, they’ll often skip meals because of the depressive effect stress has on appetite. Often, too, stress is work related and less time is available for meals at scheduled times. That behavior has a compounding effect. Here again, you need to break the cycle by making a commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

During meals, focus on positive things in your life and environment. Make a conscious decision to set aside whatever internal or external factors are contributing to stress. Give yourself a parole from ’stress jail’ and the freedom to enjoy a healthy meal.