(Cont'd)

In fact with laptop computers, and cellular phones, we have a virtual portable office which we take home with us every night. This can be fun and exciting at the beginning, but when it becomes part of our daily routine, we start to feel distressed and we question the meaningfulness of our work and our life. This is why managing stress and developing good daily habits, is so important today.

Contrary to what some of us may believe, stress is in fact a positive factor in our life. We need to have some degree of stress in our lives in order to get things done and to achieve. When we feel stressed, we can actually feel energized, rejuvenated, challenged and motivated. Stress only becomes problematic when we are not managing it effectively. We are then experiencing distress and we begin to feel discouraged, out of control, impatient, restless and tired.

What can we do to manage stress more effectively?

We can certainly put ourselves on what I call a “preventive distress management program”. We can begin by eating healthier foods and, if needed, lose any excessive weight we carry. Eating healthier means eating more fruits and vegetables, reducing the intake of fat, processed sugar and caffeine and drinking lots of purified water. This will help increase our chances of remaining healthy and of recuperating faster when we are ill. This in itself will lead to a considerable reduction in unwanted stress in our lives – because when are ill, we feel helpless and when we feel helpless we feel stressed.

We can also exercise regularly. This will help us stay fit and healthy. Exercising regularly also has the benefit of releasing the excess energy which we carry in our bodies - excess energy which builds when we experience too much stress. When we do not release that excess energy, we often experience more difficulty sleeping. In turn, when we don’t sleep well, we feel more irritated and tired and are less able to handle challenges and difficulties. We therefore feel distressed.

To help us manage stress effectively we also need to feel surrounded by friends and relatives who are supportive and who can listen to us. Expressing ourselves is an essential way of releasing the tension build-up that we can experience from time to time.

It is also very important to take time daily to really calm ourselves. One tool that is available to us, among others, is The Managing My Life Deep Relaxation Exercises. When used first thing in the morning and at night to go sleep to, these Deep Relaxation Exercises can really be very helpful. They have the effect of helping us become calmer, more centered and more relaxed throughout the day. They also have the effect of releasing stress in order to help us attain a deeper and more restful sleep.

Finally, we need to learn more than ever to "live in the present" and we can do this best by becoming regularly involved in activities we enjoy and which absorb our total attention.

Ready to make a change? Click here.