Best of Stress Management

WHY SHOULD YOU LEARN TO COPE WITH STRESS?*

In the best of all possible worlds, when a stressful situation ends, hormonal signals switch off the stress response, and the body returns to normal. Unfortunately, stress doesn't always let up. If you tend to harbor anxiety, and you worry about daily events and relationships, your stress response never shuts down. Studies show that long-term activation of stress symptoms can have a hazardous, even lethal effect on your body. When the signs of stress persist, you are at risk for many health problems that people often do not realize are, in large part, attributable to stress, such as:

As if this weren't enough, stress adversely affects reproduction, sexual behavior, and growth. Stress inhibits the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu, fatigue and infections. It causes digestive problems and can even lead to suicide.

For all these reasons, it is important to recognize the symptoms of stress and learn what to do about them. Fortunately, recent years have brought increased societal awareness and a greater understanding of factors that limit and relieve stress.

Medical research also has proven the effectiveness of many mind-body techniques.

Continue to How to Relieve Stress

*This section authored by Helpguide and used with permission. To read this and other articles, visit the Helpguide at www.helpguide.org.