😖We all have stress

Every day, we all deal with some kind of stress, but if you worry so much that you're losing sleep and having trouble focusing at work, it's time to take action. Fear and worry are powerful feelings that, if untreated, frequently result in anxiety and even depression. The first thing to remember is that just as a seed cannot grow without soil and water to nourish it, your anxiety cannot grow without you feeding it. An intense fear or worry about a possible outcome is what causes anxiety. These are the thoughts that are running unchecked through your head. Controlling your thoughts is the only way to manage your anxiety. You can begin by thinking back to other times when you worried about something. Did the fear come true or was the worry groundless? How much time have you wasted wallowing in agony over a situation that never happened? Everyone experiences anxiety at some point. It is when worry takes over your life that it becomes a serious issue. Worry has never solved anything. Because worry is a form of fear and intense fear can paralyze us, anxiety can actually make us fear making a decision and prevents us from solving the problem. Instead, we just keep thinking about the same negative outcomes that could happen. Our fear actually creates additional fear. If there is something wrong, then you need to focus on fixing it instead of worrying about it. If it can't be fixed, worrying about what might happen tomorrow will only make today worse. Worry on its own has never fixed anything. Anxiety can become a vicious cycle that feeds itself. The only way to overcome the anxiety is to overcome the fear, and this is accomplished by changing your thought process. Rather than having a mind full of fear, fill it with hope and favorable outcomes. Events seldom turn out as terrible or as wonderful as we imagine they will. Our thoughts tend to the extreme while life is usually somewhere in the middle. Focus on the good things, and whenever you notice that something negative is creeping into your thoughts, push it aside and return to the good things. It is like a tug-of-war, either you control your anxiety or your anxiety will control you. Start with small issues and work your way up to larger ones, always picturing a positive outcome. Once you can keep these positive results in mind, you then need to begin taking positive action to make them come about. Anxiety relief begins with a positive thought and progresses through positive action. If you carry a lot of worries around with you, you need to either let some of them go or grow your shoulders.

This article might be of interest to you if you are one of the many people who are experiencing stress. I think I'm one of the country's biggest stress-heads, but thanks to a friend's help, I've been able to deal with most of my worries recently. Because I have a very good friend named Ian, I feel very fortunate. I have known Ian for most of my life and am able to talk to him about any problems that I have. He is a good listener and always seems to come up with some positive advice. Ian has made an effort to instill a more carefree attitude in me because he is well aware that I stress out far too much. I have been unable to adopt this attitude for some reason, and my worry has continued to the point where I have even experienced panic attacks. During a recent outing, I was as usual complaining in a negative manner about various things. Ian carefully listened to what I had to say about my most recent worries and fears before offering some thoughtful advice. He suggested that I might not have had enough fun in my life and that I might need a weekend off. He explained that a little sun and a few beers could do me a lot of good. It could be a way to forget about all the demons in my head and have a good time, etc. Looking back, I have actually started to feel sorry for Ian and am surprised that he has not had enough of my moaning ways. I thought it was a good idea after thinking about what Ian had said. In any case, trying it was absolutely worthwhile. Ian agreed to join me during this break when I asked if he wanted to. What a sucker for punishment! We decided to travel to Devon, which is on England's south-west coast. This is an area that I love as it is such a relaxed place to be, especially compared to the busy city where I live. It was a superb weekend and I made sure that I did not stress or even think about anything from back home. Although it was difficult to carry out, it was necessary for both Ian and me. We consumed delicious food and probably more alcohol than many would recommend. The beautiful weather made it easier to recover from the previous night's abuses. I even considered the possibility of moving to Devon in the future because it might help me relax more. At the moment, for many different reasons, this is out of the question however. If you are constantly under pressure or in a stressed out state, I would advice a similar course of action. Give yourself a break to have fun and allow your body to relax.

Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet

 Unknown

 What mom couldnt write a book on the effects of stress?  Is there a mother out there who doesn't know everything that turns a perfectly decent woman into a fire-breathing dragon, making her blood pressure rise, her head pound, and her stomach acid burn? Stress is part of the job description of motherhood.  In fact, a search for the top ten workplace stressors reveals nothing more than a description of a typical mother's day. So, what should a mother do? Well, if you don't believe me, any mother can reduce stress and improve her ability to deal with the chaos she faces every day by doing a few very easy things. Here are a few to start with.

 Breathe yes, it sounds rather simple, but when was the last time you took a really deep breath?  Deep breathing helps you lose weight, re-energizes your brain, and removes stale air from your lungs. Its true!  The next time you start to boil, try this exercise. Using your abdominal muscles, fill your lungs completely to the count of five (count quickly!)  then hold your breath for the count of 20 (thus the counting quickly part dont want you to pass out!)  then completely empty your lungs to the count of 10.  Do this five times in a row, 2 to 3 times a day.  This is especially good first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

 Sun Yourself According to Dr.  Marie-Annette Brown and Jo Robinson, authors of the book When Your Body Gets the Blues you need 20-30 minutes of outdoor light everyday.  Their research shows that bright light is critical (as it) enhances your mood, reduces your food cravings, and gives you more energy.  It even increases the blood flow to your brain, improving your memory and sharpening your thinking ability.

 Take a Hike Wendy Bum gardner, the Walking Guide for About.com, reports that one study of 50 women divided into a group who walked briskly for 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and a control group that did not exercise found that the walkers experienced half as many colds as the control group.  The walkers also showed an increase in natural killer cells, immune system cells that attack bacteria and viruses.  Another study of employee fitness programs showed that people who exercised as little as once a week averaged nearly five fewer sick days annually than those who did not participate in such programs

 Follow Your Nose Use the benefits of Aromatherapy to quickly decrease stress. 2-3 drops of Lavender Essential Oil on a cloth hankie can be carried around in your pocket.  When stress hits, put the hankie to your nose and breathe deeply 3-4 times (in fact, you could save time and combine this exercise with the first one for a double whammy effect!)

 Trip the Light Fantastic Put on some great music, and dance.  Don't be concerned about how you look. In fact, take your kids to the park with a boom box, and dance together.  Invite others to join you.  Make a celebration! Laugh!  Get a laugh by renting a funny movie. Laughter is one of the best health medicines out there today.  Take full advantage of it, and try and have one hearty laugh every day.

 So the next time you're feeling stressed, instead of popping pills, take deep lavender-scented breaths, while walking and dancing around the block in the sunshine.  Now, thats a serious stress-buster!

Susun Weed can provide you with additional information on how and why the following simple calming exercises, herbal allies, or movements work to bring about instant calm: -> Unfreeze yourself: Curl up in a fetal position (on your side with keens drawn up), breathe deeply, and hum. You may want to rock back and forth. Concentrate on what feelings want to emerge. Do not be surprised if grief is what you are really feeling. -> Focus your eyes: Look at anything, steadily, with concentration, and breathe deeply. Breathe, focus, and feel a warmth in your upper abdomen. -> Conjure an image of safety: Imagine a huge image of safety, such as a cowrie shell, the palm of Buddha or Christ, a giant mothers lap, or a cloud of pink light. Surround the object of your anxiety with this image. Fear locks up movement and speech; a clear visualization can unfreeze you. -> Take an herbal calmative: Tincture of red clover is a profound relaxer and soothing calmative. Additionally, its salicylic acid content—similar to that of aspirin—makes it an effective pain reliever. Motherwort is also effective. Motherwort doesn't make you sleepy; rather, it calms you down, making you ready to take action without sending you flying or bouncing off the walls. Try 10 to 20 drops as soon as you feel your nerves starting to fray or just before a stressful event. Repeat every five minutes if needed. -> Try yoga postures: Yoga postures, yoga breathing, and quiet, focused medication soothe the sympathetic nervous system instantly. Regular practice alleviates anxiety, often permanently.