Stress Management: Psych-tips, Issue 5

Stress Management: Psych-tips, Issue 5

It`s easy to feel stressed-out in today`s busy, high-pressure world. Everyone experiences stress and it`s perfectly normal. What is stress? Simply put, stress is the body`s response to any demand made upon it. Stress is a physiological response, it`s not just "in your head."

This month`s series of newsletters will provide you with tips and techniques for dealing with stress and minimizing it`s effects on your health. The first step to learning how to cope with stress is recognizing it.

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My Tip of the Week: Stress Awareness and Management
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Signs and Symptoms of Stress: irritability, elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, feeling anxious for no specific reason, trembling, eye-twitches, insomnia, headaches, indigestion, and tight neck muscles and/or lower back muscles.

Self-awareness is essential to learning how to deal with (and avoid!) stress. Try this tip:

Keep a stress log. Any time you feel symptoms of stress or feel overwhelmed, record the time, what you`re doing or thinking, and the symptoms. Analyze your log for patterns and you`ll quickly learn your stress-triggers.

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My Recommended Site of the Week
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http://www.aomc.org/stressBC.html

For more information about the symptoms of stress and how your body reacts to stress, check out this link.

As a college professor and freelance writer, Tara Kuther, Ph.D., is overly familiar with the stress and it`s effect on health. Ease her worries by subscribing to Growing Up, her website/newsletter on lifespan development, psychology, health, and personal growth. Send a blank email to growingup-subscribe@egroups.com