Stress is mental or physical tension caused by the need to adapt to change in our lives. We face potentially stressful experiences daily. Stress can be positive, (graduation or a promotion), or negative, (threat of job loss or physical danger). It can result from major life changes or the cumulative effect of everyday worries. Stress itself is not what causes us to become ill, it's our reaction to it. How you respond to stress determines the impact it will have on your life.

The stress response is an evolutionary adaptation that increases our chances of survival in the face of danger. Briefly, it works in the following way. When you perceive danger, your body reacts to prepare you to fight or run away by sending panic messages to your nervous system, which in turn causes your endocrine system to produce adrenalin and other hormones and chemicals that arouse your body. Once you determine that a situation is not dangerous, the process is reversed and, with time, your body returns to normal.

Regardless of the source, stress causes us problems. It taxes nerves, muscles and organs. Typical symptoms of stress can involve shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, heartburn, headaches, poor concentration, and muscle tension. Stress can cause conditions that may undermine long-term health such as susceptibility to infection and disease, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, sleep disturbance, and memory loss. It is also a major factor in depression and anxiety.

Effective stress management requires learning and using healthy prevention and maintenance skills. The following suggestions can give you some tools to deal with stress in the moment and prevent unnecessary stress in the future.

• Notice what is happening to your body. Is your breathing rapid and shallow? Is your heart beating faster? Are your muscles tense? What are you feeling in your body?
  
  
• Deep breathing is helpful in deactivating the stress response. Learn to breathe from your diaphragm by placing one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Notice which hand rises and falls as you inhale and exhale. To shift from chest to abdominal breathing, blow out until you have no more air in your lungs. This will produce a vacuum that will pull in a deep, diaphragmatic breath on your next inhalation.
  
  
• Practice deep breathing several times a day. This will reduce your overall level of stress and you will be more likely to remember to use breath control to relax at stressful moments.
  
  
• Combine abdominal breathing with progressive relaxation for greater stress reduction. Lie or sit comfortably with your head supported and gradually tense, then relax, your muscles beginning at the feet and progressing upwards to the head.
  
  
• Thirty minutes of brisk walking or other aerobic exercise is an instant stress reducer as well as a desirable habit to establish for overall health benefits.
  
  
• When you are feeling stressed, notice your thought process; negative and frightening thoughts invariably precede negative and frightening emotions. Reduce your stress level by controlling your thoughts ("I will not panic, I can get through this.") Think yourself past the stressful event. ("In an hour I'll be past this test, dental visit, traffic jam, etc."). Keep your problem in perspective. Will it still be important in six weeks? Six months?
  
  
• What we say to ourselves can set us up for failure and increased stress, especially if it involves irrational ideas. Give up the idea that you have to be perfect. Give up the belief that emotional misery comes from external pressures and that you have little control over your feelings.
  
  
• Get enough rest and recreation, eat and exercise in healthy ways.
  
  
• Establish a regimen of breathing, relaxation, visualization and meditation exercises to enhance your overall well-being. There are many books and audiotapes available that describe these skills in great detail.
  
  
• Do not procrastinate; stress mounts as deadlines approach.
  
  
• Plan ahead. Get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning so you don't feel so rushed. Practice
  preventative maintenance on your car, appliances, home, teeth, personal health and relationships, and they'll be less likely to fall apart at the worst possible moment.
  
  
• Become more aware of yourself and your surroundings. When people are aware of possible stressors and their potential impact, they are less likely to be caught unawares and seriously upset.
  
  
• Take responsibility for your feelings, thoughts and actions, and find healthy ways to express them. Learn to let go of feelings from the past if they block your energies and ability to love and learn in everyday life. Unexpressed feelings hold back growth, damage your body, and can harm other people as well.
  
  
• Find ways to develop your inner, psychological or emotional strength. This type of strength is built on feelings of self-worth. They enable us to accomplish our goals, stand our ground, initiate action, take charge of our lives, and to bounce back after adversity.
  
  
• Maintain patience toward imperfection in yourself and others.
  
  
• Keep a strong stable support group of family and friends. They can help you express fears, anger and frustrations, provide warmth, encouragement and love, and assist you in solving problems or making decisions.