25 ways to reduce stress

Getup 15 minutes earlier
Smile
Laughter
Have a Pet
Walk in the rain
Yoga
Playing Games
Listen To Music
Eat a Balanced Diet
Believe in yourself
Ask a friend for a hug
Give a friend a hug
Look at the stars
Read something
Be cheerful and optimistic at work
Hum a song
Look at a painting
Feed a bird
Draw a picture
Exercise
Get to work early
Watch a movie
Eat a meal by candle light.
Get enough sleep
Talk less & Listen more

How to relieve from PTSD

We can get help from these people

* Family doctors
* Mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists
* Hospital psychiatry departments
* Religious leaders/counselors
* Employee assistance programs
* Community mental health centers
* Social service agencies
* Private clinics and facilities
* Local medical and/or psychiatric societies

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, then call someone who can help you right way

* Call your doctor's office.
* Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
* Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.

If you have a family member or friend who is suicidal, do not leave him or her alone. Try to help immediately from an emergency room, physician, or mental health professional.

Signs and symptoms of PTSD

If you have some of the following problems, then you may have PTSD.

* Shame or guilt
* Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event
* Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
* Poor relationships
* Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much
* Hopelessness about the future
* Memory problems
* Trouble concentrating
* Not enjoying activities you once enjoyed
* Hearing or seeing things that aren't there
* Feeling like the event is happening again
* Trouble sleeping or nightmares
* Not feeling close to people
* Becoming easily angered
* Trying not to think about the trauma or staying away from people who remind you of it
* Not being able to recall parts of the event
* Feeling emotionally numb or detached from others
* Being irritable, angry or jumpy

It's important to get treatment as soon as possible to help prevent PTSD from getting worse.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a type of anxiety problem. Also PTSD is an emotional illness that develops as a result of a terribly frightening and life-threatening events.
Trouble in sleeping, Getting angry quickly and nightmares are some of the symptoms of PTSD.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can occur at any age, including childhood. The duration of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder varies within 3 months in half of the cases and others having longer than 12 months.

Rape, physical abuse, an airplane or car crash can cause PTSD. Mental illness can also cause PTSD. then let us see few signs and symptoms of PTSD.

Stress in women

Women have more intimate networks than men do, and when they're stressed, they turn to seek out the company of the other women. In July 2000 Psychological Review, have explained why women live five years longer than men. Women are feeling more isolated, so try to fight that situation. Go for a walk, because it releases endorphins.

The basic relaxation response was first described in 1975 by Harvard Medical School researcher Herbert Benson. His approach has two steps: First, close your eyes and focus on your breath (that's the foundation). Second, choose a phrase, a word, or a prayer and repeat it to stay in the moment and be mindful.

Few things to relieve from stress

Try to indulge in the pleasure of family and friends.
Invite old pals to a women's night out.
Call your sister.
Eat moderately and keep moving.
Try to exercise regularly.
Practice mindful relaxation.

Few things has to be followed for managing stress

i) Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times a week

ii) Eat well-balanced food

iii) Recognize what you can change

iv) Relaxation techniques can reduce muscle tension.

v) Maintain your ideal weight.

vi) Avoid nicotine and other stimulants

vii) Take breaks during work

viii) Get enough sleep.

ix) Develop some mutually supportive friendships/relationships.

x) Always be kind and gentle with yourself.

Few stress relieving tips

1. Physical exercise is one of the most effective ways of relieving stress. Exercising the body regularly is very effective in managing stress.

2. Daily go for a walk twice in the morning and in the evening. Try to get your heart going a little faster for at least 15 minutes a day.

3. Take out a paper start drawing or write a poem and this will help you in relieving stress. Also, you can read books.

4. Sleeping (deep sleep) 8 hours a day also relieves us from stress.

5. You can sing a song or dance to a tune and this also helps in relieving from stress.

6. Walk, work and eat at a relaxed place.

7. Go outside and see simple things like scenary, moon, near by lake, etc.,

8. Take a deep breath and this is one of the simplest way to relieve from stress

Practising these stress tips will promote a healthy way of life.

Stress Relief

Natural Techniques to relieve from stress

Exercise
Yoga
Meditation
Herbs
Dietary adjustments

Exercise and diet are simplest of the remedies for stress. Yoga and meditation helps in releasing the tension and help in deep breathing which provides more oxygen and eliminates the toxic carbon dioxide. Asanas, pranayamas and meditation can be done separately for stress relief.

Herbal treatments are done for stress relief. Exercise and diet are simplest ways to relieve from stress. Deep breathing itself is a good exercise. It helps the body in getting more oxygen and eliminates the unwanted carbon dioxide. There are few more things that relieve us from stress.

Symptoms of stress

Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways. The signs and symptoms of stress vary from person to person. Some people experience physical symptoms, such as low back pain, stomach problems and others, emotional symptoms, such as crying, feeling depressed.

We can classify the symptoms of stress in four ways
i) Cognitive Symptoms
ii) Emotional Symptoms
iii) Physical Symptoms
iv) Behavioral Symptoms

Cognitive Symptoms :-

Memory problems
Inability to concentrate
Seeing only the negative
Constant worrying
Trouble thinking clearly

Emotional Symptoms :-

Moodiness
Restlessness
Short temper
Sense of loneliness
Depression

Physical Symptoms :-

Headaches or backaches
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea, dizziness
Weight gain or loss
Loss of sex drive
Frequent colds

Behavioral Symptoms :-

Eating more or less
Sleeping too much or too little
Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
Teeth grinding
Nervous habits like nail biting

If you find any of these symptoms, it is important to see the doctor.

The effects of stress

The effects of stress affect not only man, but also animals. Stress can affect children, adolescents and adults. The effects of stress on the body can be categorized into short term and long term effects.

Short Term Effects of Stress

When a person encounters a threat, his body gets geared up to handle it by the 'Fight or flight' response. During this response certain functional adjustments occur in the body. These changes persist till the threat exists. These immediate, transient effects are the short term effects of stress. These functional adjustments can cause few symptoms.

• Palpitation
• Chest pain
• Cold clammy skin with gooseflesh
• Breathlessness
• Dry mouth with difficulty in speaking and swallowing
• Abdominal discomfort
• Headache, back ache and neck pain
• Depletion of energy stores
• Flare up of diseases like eczema, psoriasis, arthritis
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Memory disturbances
• Sleeplessness
• Loss of appetite
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Outbursts of anger

Short Term Effects of Stress

When the stress factor is persistent or repetitive, the body keeps secreting the stress hormones and their blood levels remain continuously at a higher level and hence the associated functional adjustments.

Few symptoms are

• Chronic head ache
• Mood swings
• Anxiety disorder
• Substance abuse
• Weight loss
• Heart attack due increased blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol
• Sleeplessness

What can cause Stress?

A poor diet can make stress or anxiety. Performance anxiety is related to specific situations, like taking a test or making a presentation in public. People with generalized anxiety disorder experience almost constant worry or anxiety about many things. Panic disorder or panic attacks can happen suddenly with unexplained fear, rapid breathing, and increased heartbeat.

For example, a student feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate him to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make him hard to concentrate on the material he need to learn.

Stress can occur as a short term response, delayed response or a prolonged response. Let us see one by one.

Short Term Response or Acute Stress

Acute stress is the normal physiological 'Fight or flight response'. It can occur at any one of these situations.

• Hunger
• A narrow miss of an accident
• A competitive exam
• A job interview
• A short lived illness

Prolonged Response or Chronic Stress

This could be any one of the following.

• Workplace stress
• Stress at home
• Financial stress

Delayed Response

It is caused by exceptionally stressful conditions in which the person feels helpless, like

• Natural calamities
• War
• Rape
• Heath of beloved ones

What is Stress?

I think everyone is familiar with Stress. Stress is nothing but a normal physiological response of the body to situations or stimulus which are perceived as 'dangerous' to the body.. Stress can affect anyone at any time.

When it occurs frequently it affects health - both physical and mental.
One thing we should know is that stress and health are closely relate to each other.