Stress

Stess and How to Cope with it

by Jane Arnaud

Physical, mental or emotional stress can affect us all in different ways. Some of us are less prone to getting ‘stressed-out’, whilst others find that the smallest setbacks or problems raise our blood pressure. We have all experienced days when we feel stressed, even if we can’t quite put our finger on what has made us feel like this.

Other times we are well aware of what is stressing us out. Be it the stress of a heavy workload, money worries, or the general stresses of everyday life. It is perhaps how we deal with these moments, and more advantageously how we prevent or minimise our stresses that matter.

Some people may find counting to ten and taking a deep breath helps when confronted with a screaming toddler demanding a packet of sweets. Others may find counting to ten and leaving the store when hearing the screams of someone else’s toddler demanding sweets! How we choose to cope is important as stress can detrimentally affect our health and well being.

As well as the obvious affects that stress can have on us, like sleep deprivation or the breakdown of relationships, there are more serious implications. Stress could contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and other illnesses. Don’t let this panic and stress you out! There are simple, effective ways to help minimise your stress levels. Many of these techniques are cheap and readily available to all of us. Sometimes we just need a point in the right direction, and a bit of time out.

Here are some of the techniques I have used to combat the stress in my life:

Combatting stress through the benefits of a warm bath

Reduce Stress and Keep Fit by Walking