The Best Ways to Handle Stress
Every day when we wake up in the morning, we have a choice to make as to whether or not we’re going to be stressed out that day. That’s right, how stressed you are depends on you and what you decide. Stress is everywhere around us. However, it is our ability to cope and deal with it that makes the difference in how it affects us. It is very much a mental thing. If you are trying to figure out the best way to handle stress, begin by thinking about your mind.
The mind is a very powerful thing. It controls how the rest of your body reacts. For instance, if you are driving in your car and you notice that a light has turned red but the person in front of you doesn’t stop and almost crashes into another car going through the intersection, how does your mind react to this? Your mind probably processes the event taking place and you think to yourself about how dangerous the incident was. The rest of your body reacts accordingly as well. You may feel all of your muscles tense up; you may sweat a little, and you may notice that your breathing has become more shallow and reserved. You are in fight or flight mode and the adrenaline is kicking into high gear in preparation for a high stress situation.
If you don’t get a handle on stress, it can be deadly. There seems to be a high correlation between people who are stressed out all of the time and cholesterol levels being high. As a result of high cholesterol, many people put themselves at risk of having a heart attack- and, in fact, many wind up having a heart attack! Look at all of the major news anchors out there. Tim Russert is, perhaps, one of the most recent news reporters to have died suddenly from a heart attack. While Tim may have given off the impression that he was totally fine and not stressed out, his job was an inherently stressful one. No doubt, because of the long hours that Tim kept at work, it left him little time to eat well or sleep well, which contributed to his weight gain. His weight issues then put more strain on his heart to work harder. Because his heart was working harder and his arteries were clogged from a poor diet and health lifestyle, he was probably on the fast track to an early death- a death that may have been preventable.
There are some people who handle stress by taking anti-anxiety medications or other medications to help temporarily relieve the anxiety and worry that often accompanies stress. However, this is only a temporary solution, and one that may sometimes have dangerous outcomes such as addiction or overdose. What people need to realize is that the best way to handle stress is through a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and simply being able to confront and discuss whatever it is that is bothering you.
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