Stress Management

The best way to deal with stress is through meditation...just 20 minutes a day will suffice. We have to re-tune our bodies and connect with our inner self. Just sit down and 'switch off' and relax..its easy. I used to do this every day before my children came home from school....it certainly gives your body a boost before you have to help with the homework and then start cooking the supper.

Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned 'thinking' mind into a deeper state of relaxation and awareness. Different meditative disciplines encompass a wide range of spiritual and/or psychological practices which may emphasise different goals - from achievement of a higher state of consciousness to greater focus, creativity or self-awareness or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.

Stress, believe it or not, is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human body to respond appropriately to emotional and physical threats to the body, whether actual or imagined. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart rate. Although the body begins to try to adapt to the strains or demands of the environment, the body cannot keep this up indefinitely, so its resources are eventually depleted and the body is unable to maintain normal function. The result leads to obvious illnesses such as ulcers, depression, diabetes, along with mental illness.

Both negative and positive stressors can lead to stress. Some common categories and examples of stressors include - sensory input such as pain, bright light, or environmental issues such as food, housing, health, freedom or mobility. Social issues can also cause stress, such as a relationship conflict, break ups or major events such as births, deaths, marriage, and all too common divorce. Life experiences such as poverty, unemployment, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, heavy drinking or insufficient sleep can also cause stress. Students and workers may face stress from exams, project deadlines and group projects. Over, the long term, distress can lead to diminished health or illness - to avoid this stress must be managed. Stress management is effective when a person utilises strategies to cope with or alter stressful situations. There are several ways of coping with stress, such as controlling the source of stress or learning to set limits and to say 'NO' to some demands that bosses or family members may make. To relieve stress why not take up a hobby, exercise, meditation or relaxation techniques. Listening to certain types of music can create inspiration, relaxation and positive feelings as a method of stress management.

Sunshine also makes you feel much better. The body produces vitamin D naturally when subjected to just 15minutes of sun per day. Exclusion from the sun can lead to deficiency unless adequate amounts are obtained through diet. A lack of sunshine is considered one of the primary causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - a serious form of 'winter blues'. It's hard to 'load up' on vitamin D (especially during the winter months) through diet alone. A vitamin D supplement helps defend against certain diseases and also keeps bones healthy.

Moonlight is considered by many people to be more romantic than sunlight. Moonlight is light that comes to earth from the moon. The light does not originate from the Moon but is actually reflected sunlight. However, the Moon does not reflect sunlight like a mirror but emits light from those portions of its surface which the sun's light strikes.

Have you noticed that people are much happier when the sun is shining. It works wonders for stress management. Why not treat yourself to a break away to a sunny climate!!!

Laughing is also a powerful stress reliever, it raises the endorphin levels in the brain making you feel more content and boosts your immunity level too.