Stress isn’t always a bad thing.  You’re probably aware of the tense rising exciting stress you feel when you’ve been given a challenge that’s just out of your reach, but which you’re sure you can do.  This positive stress, called eustress, is what every honed athlete feels just before their “big race”.  Our bodies are primed to handle stress in low doses.  It gives us the “fight or flight” reaction which was vital for our survival in the past. 

But it’s when your stress becomes prolonged or unexpectedly severe that it becomes harder to manage.  And dangerous to your health.

You have to take an active role in the management of your stress relief options and choose solutions that work best for you.  One way you can alleviate stress is to move your body more.  For some, committing to exercise seems like more of a load in the stress department.  But in reality, exercise releases endorphins, which combat stress hormones.  Some people become addicted to the feeling they get when they’ve exercised.

You may also want to engage in some deep meditative activities that help you calm your mind down as well as your physical functions.  Meditation and exercises such as yoga, deep breathing and tai chi can instantly reverse the harmful effects stress has on your mind, body and soul.  It can take as little as 15 mins meditation/deep breathing every day for you to get relief from your stresses.

Whatever you do to relieve stress remember that prescription drugs, alcohol or other addictions which seem to help are actually masking the symptoms of stress, and not tackling the problems.  The only long term health benefits from stress relief come from stress busters like exercise and mental focus.  

The most important thing you can do if you’re suffering from on-going stress is to take a break from it so that your body has a chance to heal.  Break the cycle.  De-stress.  How you do it is ultimately up to you!

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