Stress results in increased production of CRH, a stress hormone. During a study conducted for finding out links between sleep and stress, both middle aged and young men were given same dosages of CRH before sleeping. The effects of this hormone were more significant in the middle-aged individuals. This hormone made sleeping difficult for these men and even if they managed to sleep the sleep was extremely light, which made staying asleep almost impossible.

Individuals suffering from chronic sleep deprivation, on the other hand, are at higher risk of developing depression. Depression is more common among individuals not getting enough hours of deep sleep i.e. people with slow-wave sleep. Slow-wave sleep is defined as the sleep that gets disrupted easily by CRH.

A study conducted by a team of researchers from Israel has revealed that the style adopted for coping stress might influence the quality of sleep one gets when under extreme pressure. This study involved monitoring of the stress levels of some teenage students both during the regular months at school and again during the periods of extreme academic pressure. It was found that students focusing more on emotions and fretting about developing anxiety had problems in getting adequate sleep. On the other hands, students focusing on their tasks and avoiding anxieties and emotions had much less sleep problems. According to sleep experts, to ensure that you can sleep deep for adequate time, you must start slowing down from around 2 hours before the actual time of sleeping. During these 2 hours you should not get involved in activities like studying, working, talking over the telephone etc.

It’s a known fact that yoga offers several benefits to the pregnant women; one of the most significant benefits among them is the stress relieving power of yoga. A pregnant woman is allowed to perform some slow and meditative yoga poses that work by identifying and relaxing the stress affected areas of her body. Practicing yoga regularly under the guidance of a professional also helps in calming the mind of pregnant ladies. Yoga involves certain breathing techniques, which helps pregnant women to rejuvenate their mind.

The other exercising form known to relieve pregnancy related stress effectively is aquatic exercise. Some examples of this exercising form are water aerobics, swimming etc. The buoyancy of water offers a feeling of weightlessness to the pregnant women; this rids them of the physical stress associated with pregnancy temporarily. Performing aquatic exercises also help pregnant women to stay cool and refreshed. According to some medical experts, performing water aerobics or swimming during pregnancy helps in reducing the intensity of labor pain.

The other foms of exercises that can be helpful for pregnant women suffering from stress related problems are weight training, walking, dancing, stationary biking and stretching. Performing low impact forms of the above mentioned exercises helps in relieving stress from the joints, muscles and ligaments of pregnant women. If the pregnant woman is habituated with high impact exercising for a long time, the doctor might allow her to perform activities like jogging and running for staying stress free. However, you must consult your physician before practicing those high impact workouts.

Creative crafts:

This may include handmade projects such as a work of paining, home decoration, knitting, woodwork, needle work etc. Getting engaged in one or more of these creative activities will help us in staying distracted from the day to day stress. Medical studies conducted on the effects of creative crafts on human stress levels have revealed that performing such tasks leaves positive impact on our spiritual, psychological and physical health. It has been found that a large share of people practicing any of the above mentioned hobbies have experienced notable decrease in their blood pressure levels and improved heart conditions.

Keeping pets:

If you are not an animal hater, this is a wonderful way of ejecting stress. However, you should also not try this hobby if you don’t have enough time out of work to take care of the pet. Pets offer exceptional social support, which contributes significantly in bringing down your stress levels.

Photography:

Photography allows a person to convey his feelings.  Taking photographs of positive situations helps a stressed out person to understand the beautiful and positive sides of life. This is an effective way of training the mind to look at things more positively, which is the most essential thing to do if you are looking to get rid of stress.

Sports:

On returning from a hard day’s work, getting engaged in thrilling sporting activities like bowling, cycling, football, basketball etc helps in combating stress. Mingling with teammates and friends helps in coming out of the frustrations associated with work.

1. Relieves tension: During massage therapy our muscles get manipulated, which helps in releasing muscle tension. Too much emotional stress often results in tension in our back and neck muscles; as a result of this we start experiencing stiffness in the back and neck. The discomfort caused by tight muscles augments the stress levels even further. Undergoing massage therapy will relieve muscle tension instantly, which in turn will help in reducing stress levels.
2. Reduces blood pressure and heart rate: Anxiety often results in increase in our blood pressure levels and heart rate. Massage therapy helps in normalizing the blood pressure levels and heart rate of an individual. This induces a calming sensation and makes one feel that stress is slowly melting away.
3. Reduces pain: As massage therapy helps in reduction of muscle tension, increases supply of oxygen to our bloodstream and stimulates blood flow, it offers significant pain relief. When the supply of oxygen to our muscles is enough, healing of sore muscles and injuries will occur much faster. Pain reduction helps in stress management.

Depending on the level of stress a person is suffering from, the doctor will recommend him the intervals between to massage sessions. Based on the condition of patient, the stress and pain relieving effects of a massage can last for months, weeks or days. Majority of the health insurance companies offer coverage for massage therapies prescribed by physicians. For enjoying maximum benefits of massage, you must always opt for licensed massage therapists. Licensed massage therapists know ways of healing different health disorders through massage. Getting the massage done from an unlicensed person might result in aggravation of muscle soreness and injury.

Let us first get informed about the benefits offered by art therapy. Art therapy comes with the following effects:

• Helps in shifting moods extremely quickly. After undergoing the therapy, you will find unhappiness and anger go away almost instantly.
• Helps in coping up with the workplace stress.
• Helps in expressing the emotions. Expressing things that you are feeling helps to get rid of anxiety.
• Art therapy works as an aid for improving interpersonal skills, getting rid of behavioral problems, resolving conflicts and increasing self esteem.
• The best thing about this therapy is that this can be done by people of all ages. A child can also spend time with colors and brush to get rid of stress caused by issues like school phobia.

When art therapy is done in clinical settings, it includes visual art, development and other creative procedures involving psychotherapy and counseling. Majority of the art therapist will first ask you to create items that will express your feelings at that point of time. The therapist will ask you about the meaning of your creation. The art therapists possess the skill of applying varied art forms for stress management; these include: painting, drawing, sculpting etc.  Other than undergoing art therapy sessions at the clinic, you can undergo stress therapy at home on your own. Whenever you suffer from feeling of stress and anxiety when at home, you can spend time doing something creative; it can be painting, sculpting or drawing.

Step 1: Sit with your legs crossed or lie down in a relaxed position. Close the eyes and allow your breathing to become deeper and slower.

Step 2: Breathe for stress relief. Inhale from the belly or the diaphragm instead of breathing from your chest or shoulders. Make sure that you are not forcing this change; practicing for a few days will make this act easier for you.

Step 3: This step involves visualization. While breathing in visualize that relaxation has come to your body flowing gently through the limbs and reaching each of your body part. While breathing out visualize that you are exhaling all kinds of stress stored in your body. After doing this for some time, you will experience a feeling of peace. Doing this regularly will allow you to lead an absolutely stress free life.

The visualizing step may include other techniques. While breathing in visualize that your feet and hand are becoming warmer. Practicing this visualizing technique for some days will also help you in managing stress.

Another useful visualizing technique used for stress management is: imagining that with every breath the body is getting loose. You will have to imagine that every time you exhale, the limbs are becoming more like spaghettis and the face is turning expressionless.

The techniques discussed above should be practiced for at least 5 minutes and with time you will be able to do them for more than 20 minutes. The longer you will practice these techniques the better will be the effect. This breathing exercise is also extremely beneficial for individuals with sleeping disorders.

1. Drinking a warm glass of skimmed milk every day may help in recovering from stress. Milk contains an agent called tryptophan.  Tryptophan encourages serotonin production in human body, which helps in stabilizing our mood and lowers stress level significantly.
2. Eating fish containing omega 3 also help in reducing anxiety and stress. The effects of omega 3 are more evident that stress relieving medications like Prozac. Fishes like tuna, salmon and sardines are rich source of omega 3.
3. Have 2 ounces dark chocolate every day. Chocolate is rich in magnesium, a natural agent acting as brain relaxer.
4. Your breakfast must include whole wheat breads. Whole wheat breads contain high amount of vitamin B complex, which is known for its great anti-stress effects. Having whole wheat breads for breakfast will also regulate the digestive system.



5. For defeating stress you must skip the coffee you used to have every morning. You may love your coffee, but you must know that having coffee or any other caffeine based food items may increase stress levels.
6. A diet for stress management must not include a lot of animal proteins. However, this doesn’t mean that stress management diet should not include any protein. Protein is extremely essential for defeating stress; just make sure you have protein only from plant sources, like pulses, nuts etc.
7. If you want to rid yourself from stress, you should stay away from drinking alcohol. None of the above tips will work for you if you drink alcohol. Drinking alcoholic beverages will cause sleeping disorders, which are directly linked with increase in stress levels.

Dealing with stress begins with identifying the stressor present in your life. This may sound easy. In practice it is difficult. An individual’s stress sources are not generally obvious. In addition, one tends to overlook one’s own thoughts, behaviors and feelings that cause stress. You may be aware of the fact that work deadlines are worrisome. However, it could be your procrastination that may be responsible for stress related to deadlines.

To get to the true stress sources, one must scrutinize one’s habits, excuses and attitudes closely. Accepting responsibility is the key to dealing with stress. Responsibility must be accepted for the role one plays in the creation and maintenance of stress. This gives you a sense of control over your stress levels.

List down the measures you undertake to cope and manage with stressful situations. Maintaining a stress journal is a good idea. An individual’s coping strategies must be healthy and productive. Most individuals have coping strategies that aggravate the problem.

The following are some of the coping strategies that can prove damaging:

• Smoking
• Use of recreational drugs
• Consumption of alcohol
• Overeating or consuming less food
• Spending too much time at the TV or computer
• Withdrawal from the social circle
• Excessive sleeping
• Procrastination
• Anger and physical violence

There are umpteen healthy ways of dealing with stress. Individuals can either alter the situation or alter their reaction. Each individual’s response to stress is unique. All individuals cannot benefit from a common strategy. Individuals need to experiment with various strategies and techniques. Let your focus be on things that give you a sense of control.

All stress cannot be avoided. Avoiding a situation that should be addressed is not a healthy practice. Individuals can get rid of numerous stressors. The following are some of the effective ways of dealing with stress:

• Say ‘NO’: It is important to be aware of one’s limits. Be assertive and say no to added responsibilities. The responsibilities could be professional or personal. Biting more than you can chew is sure to cause stress.
• Avoid people who cause stress: Some individuals are potential stressors. This causes strain in the relationship. The time spent with these individuals needs to be reduced. Alternatively, terminate the relationship.

Breathing

How many of us know about deep breathing being associated to stress reduction? And how many of us take it serious enough? – Hardly handful. Commit to sit and breathe deeply. This will oxygenate your blood and energize your brain cells which were dying of stress. Deep breathing not just benefits you with the wonders of stress relief, but also is beneficial for the bodily health of a being. In other senses, it relieves mental as well as physical stress of the person.

Meditation

Literally, there is a difference of just a letter between Medication and Meditation. But if you try to understand the real disparity, they’re apart like black and white. With meditation, you make your brain enter a function area which is similar to sleeping. Yet, even sleeping cannot bring you the relaxation and relief from stress as much as meditation. It takes you away from all the worry of living and acquaints you with the Divine. Physical benefits of meditation are release of some essential hormones for the promotion of health. Meditation can be defined as mental focus on nothingness.

Yoga

One of the most ancient practices known to have a complete control of all your health is yoga. It is like yoga is the key to the doors behind which all your good health is locked. It is a practice of self- improvement, physically, mentally, and emotionally. When it’s about stress management, they say ‘Master yoga and you hold the reins of your stress.’

Music

There have been numerous therapies wherein music is demonstrated to help conditions from milder stress to chronic one. But, while choosing music as one of your stress relievers, you need to take care that you choose the right music for yourself. Stressful, sad, gothic and loud music can alter your stress conditions to greater levels. Light and sweet melodies, may be just instrumentals, can prove healing in literal terms.

Sex

Last but the everlasting, sex is known as one of the best stress relievers which affects humans in a positive way. Every living body has a different kind of energy stored within, the sexual energy, which over time gets accumulated and screams for a discharge. Release of this sexual energy results in the release of tension which was built up due to its accumulation. Apart from relief from stress, physically sex is healthy for a living body. The sad part is that many people still misunderstand sex and do not avail the health benefits of it.

You just went through an account of the indigenous stress relievers which you can avail at hand any time you wish to, without falling prey to any of the perilous side effects. Avoid being a slave to stress when you can master it.

Well, anything is not as harmful unless it causes some kind of actual damage to your body and mind. Talking of humans, damage can be caused to the physique or the mental state in the form of illnesses. Are there any stress related illnesses which cause some damage to human? Yes, unfortunately stress does cause a whole lot of illnesses, different in different people. While, researchers have had a tough time to extract the actual and definite cause of stress, and the relationship between the causes and effects of stress, there are certain illnesses which rise out of mere stress. And it is all intermingled – stress in the body causes mental illnesses as well, and mental stress gives rise to physical ailments. Let us have a clear note of some stress related illnesses.

• Physical stress can show up in the form of muscular tension, like headaches, jaw aches, back pain, and so on. These are physical stresses occurring regularly and repetitively. Hence, these are categorized under repetitive stress syndrome. Not just causing, but stress can elevate any such kind of already existing pains.
• Digestive and gastric problems can also come up as after effects of taking stress. Heartburn is one of the major stress related illnesses followed by stomach aches, diarrhea, constipation, etc. Alterations in appetite are also stress- related distortions in the body.
• Stress hugely affects sleep of a victim. Insomnia, reduced or disturbed sleeping, and oversleeping are forms of disorders resulting due to stress.
• Not all directly visible illnesses are caused by stress, but this bug is also responsible for numerous indirectly related health problems to it. Addiction or substance abuse is one of the major disadvantages that stress brings along. Numerous people begin it with taking tension for tiny issues and end up getting addicted to alcohol or drugs or become chain smokers. And what, if not stress, would you like to call the root for these problems?
• Stress immensely affects your respiratory mechanism. Breathing is linked to the rhythmic beating of the heart, which is mechanized by the brain. Stress kills the brain cells, and there is always a risk of the essential brain cells fading off due to stress, causing breathing difficulties like asthma.
• Stress itself is a mental disorder, and yet it gives rise to many more of its kind. Anxiety and depression are sisters to stress. Schizophrenia and temporal amnesia are its cousins. While other problems like eating and sleeping disorders, differed understandability, reduced concentration are all stress related illnesses of the brain that occur on a magnified scale now -a- days.
• The most crucial and fatal forms of stress related illnesses are the cardiovascular diseases. Unregulated beating of the heart, hardening and narrowing of arteries and major problems like heart attacks most of the times find their roots in stress.

Not just these, but there are countless to be listed health problems for which stress is primarily accountable. The basic and subtle stress related health problem is the gradual decrease in the body immunity, which is ultimately liable for other health issues.