Stress is a normal part of life.
It is the body's normal physical and psychological response to the problems, anxieties and difficulties of life that everyone contends with daily.
When faced with potential causes of stress, the nervous system activates the fight-or-flight or "sympathetic" response.
A virtual alarm system goes off as hormones are released and the whole body braces for action.
The increased pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and other physical signs characterize the physiological experience of stress.
Emotionally, the person may experience anxiety, excitement, worry, fear, an adrenaline surge, aggression, and other strong feelings.
Everyone lives through this stress experience every day, in varying levels of intensity.
Most causes of stress are really unavoidable, such as personal and relationship problems, money and job worries, conflicts and life changes.
Over time, the stress these cause can accumulate so much as to produce an actual physical illness or psychological disorder.
Stress can interfere with how a person performs daily activities, disrupting his work and personal relationships.
This is why stress management is extremely important.
It is essential to good health and normal day-to-day functioning.
Stress management can be likened to the process of resetting and controlling the body's alarm system, even when there are causes of stress present.
With stress management, the body learns to be calm even under considerable provocation or threat from the outside.
The body's hormones, vital signs and emotions do not have to go into overdrive every time it comes face to face with causes of stress, and this is what stress management is all about.
There are definite measures that anyone can do to help reduce stress and its effects, and to promote a healthier, more relaxed disposition.
In particular, there are five ways to a stress-free, healthier life, and these are: 1 - Good diet and nutrition.
This means two things: getting all the nutrients necessary for health, and avoiding harmful substances such as nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and sugar.
2 - Vitamins and supplements.
Some vitamins and herbal supplements help with stress management.
Examples are magnesium, vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, and all immune-boosting supplements.
3 - Exercise and lifestyle modifications.
Exercise strengthens the immune system and promotes better health in general.
One should lead an active, non-sedentary lifestyle, and engage in enjoyable activities such as sports and hobbies like fishing and hiking.
4 - Complimentary therapies.
Yoga, meditation, taichi, acupuncture are age-old practices that have been long used to promote health and better stress management.
5 - Emotional and spiritual healing.
Faith and prayer, as well as intimacy and the feeling of connectedness with other people, are non-tangible things that make a person strong.
They enable one to survive both great adversity and the mundane stresses of daily living.
We are all too well aware that stress can lead to depression.
Remember, people can and do make recoveries from depression and go on to lead their best lives imaginable.
Seek help.