141 Ways To Alleviate Stress
By Michelle L. Casto
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2003,
2011 Michelle L. Casto
Smashwords
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Michelle Casto
Destiny Mentor, Transformation Expert, and Author of the
“Get Smart!” LearningBook Series
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Contents
What is Stress?
Stress is an interpretation of an event or circumstance that is understood to be a threat. It can be any force or pressure put on a system (living or nonliving), and may result in a need for that system to adapt or change. Stress on human beings is like a rubber band. You stretch to meet the environment around you, the demands of your lifestyle, and the pressures you put on yourself. If you are pulled too far, stress manifests itself in real conditions mentally, physically, and emotionally. Just as a rubber band will break when stretched too far, human beings have a point at which they will break. The secret is to learn how to handle stress in your life and avoid be-coming over-stressed.
The A B C’s of Stress
Activating event
Belief about the event
Consequences of the event
Stress is the internal pressure that we put on ourselves from external factors. Living with moderate stress keeps you sharp and ready to move forward, however extreme stress can put you out of commission. Your breaking point depends on your stress levels, and how much you can deal with effectively. Some people thrive with stressful situations, while some people snap at the slightest uncomfortable circumstance. Depending on your current stress level, when you are confronted with a stressor, you may respond with shock, or feel stuck.
The fast-paced, technologically advanced, and complicated world has brought many changes to our lives. The pace of change does not seem to be decreasing, but rather increasing. These changes put more demands and pressures on each of us to make adjustments. We all have to learn to do more with less. While stress is a definite modern world reality, being “stressed-out” is not. We mistakenly believe that being stressed-out is “just the way it is”. Even worse, we often get into competition with each other over who is feeling the worst!
This is crazy thinking. Stress can be a powerful motivator in our lives, and in fact, you can learn to use stress to your advantage. If you think about it, one form of stress or another is responsible for everything big and small in our world. For example, Earth “stresses” a piece of coal until it turns into a beautiful diamond. The key is to find out how you can use the stress in your life to create a diamond out of a rock!
As with most everything in life, prevention is the best medicine. By learning about your personal health risks, family history, current health, and life choices (eating, exercise, smoking, drinking, stress), you can make smarter decisions. Ultimately, your life choices affect how you feel and how you function.
Stress management comes down to self-management. It is about selecting appropriate options, as well as making smart decisions.
Get Smart!
Stress is the process of adapting to external circumstances that disrupt or threaten to disrupt one’s equilibrium.
Stress Management involves effective adaptation to these circumstances.
141 Ways to Alleviate Stress
There are as many ways to alleviate stress in your life as there are people in this world. Following are 141 ideas to get you thinking. I suggest that if you put just ten of them into practice, you will experience reduced stress levels in your life. Read through them all and circle the ones that you plan to commit to using on a regular and consistent basis.