Studies indicate that many people drink as a means of coping with modern life and its accompanying economic stress, job stress and marital discord. Today’s fast-paced society offers little in the way of social support. While a drink after work or with dinner can be pleasurable and safe and is commonplace, people with excessive or […]

Stress often is accompanied by an array of physical reactions. These symptoms can be characteristic of other physical or mental disorders. A health care professional can rule out other causes after you have undergone a physical examination. Signs of stress can include the following …

Completely banishing stress from your life may never be an attainable goal. Nor, some would argue, should it be. If you consistently try your hardest and seek new endeavors, you will naturally feel challenged and sometimes even stressed. This is all part of personal growth. But sometimes stress threatens to overwhelm you.
Fortunately, there are steps […]

Perform diaphragmatic or “deep breathing” exercises.

Lie face down on the floor and begin breathing deeply and slowly, with your hands resting under your face. Do this for five minutes.

Sit in a reclining chair. Put a hand on your abdomen and a hand on your chest. As you […]

“You are what you eat.”
How many times have you heard this statement? In a world where the food police virtually have an open book to hassle everybody about their eating habits, they hammer this message home to educate people about the benefits of healthy eating.
In cases where individuals have become grossly overweight, then this statement […]

I receive many emails from concerned relatives, partners and friends who are trying to help a loved one suffering the torment of a stressful or depressive episode. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that people who love us are also affected by these illnesses and may find it difficult to understand what’s happening. They want to […]

When I was a teenager, I babysat for a boy who was around 7 years old. We'll call him Christopher. I usually babysat Christopher on Friday nights and placed him in bed promptly at 9:00 pm.
Now, the first time the following incident occurred, I'm not going to play it cool and say I was […]

There is no shortage of causes of stress in today’s busy lifestyle. The percentage of employees reporting work-related burnout grew from 39 percent to 53 percent between 1995 and 1998, according to an Aon Consulting survey. Whether generated by job, family or community obligations, stress can trigger physical problems such as heart disease, rash and […]

Individuals differ dramatically in their response to a problem or a stressor. Some people are born with a temperament that predisposes them to higher or lower levels of tolerance to stress.
Your cognitive reaction to a situation plays a role in determining how stressful a situation is to you. This reaction is characterized by your appraisal […]