How To Deal With Stress More Confidently

By Samantha Jones

When you know what to do to relieve stress, you can approach
stressful situations with more confidence. We experience
stress when we are faced with anxiety or fear. This can be
as a result of physical danger or a situation which worries
us on an emotional level.

But as you may know, worrying never made any situation
better yet. Rather than worrying, you have to take action or
learn to accept situations as they are.

Stress can prevent us from taking action at the very times
when it is most important that we do so. Stress and anxiety
have a tendency to make us indecisive and take up more time
thinking about potential consequences than doing something
about a situation.

A lot of us will do this over thinking of problems while
under stress, believing that it is helpful to them. Most of
the time, this is not the case at all. People will think of
exactly how they can proceed and fail to take action, or be
so committed to a plan that they will be inflexible in the
face of changing circumstances with predictable results.

Most of the time when we are faced with a stressful
situation, the best thing to do is to act confidently and
work with the outcome to continue towards your goal.

To be able to do this, most of us could use some training in
assertiveness and conflict resolution. When the stress we
are experiencing is due to the expectations placed upon us
by others, this is especially important, doubly so when the
stress is due to arguments and conflicts.

It is also important to have a clear sense of what is
important and what is not, so that we don't sweat the small
stuff. This means having some perspective on our lives and
it is often achieved by taking up a new hobby or sport, some
useful activity that you can be enthusiastic about. This
will stop your whole life revolving around your work, your
relationship, your health or whatever it is that is causing
the stress.

A good way to defuse acute stress is to do some slow-moving
exercise like tai chi or yoga. Mediation and breathing
exercises can also be incredibly helpful. Even taking a walk
can help to reduce your stress level.

Autogenic training, a method of relaxation which was devised
specifically for handling stress consists of 15 minute
visualization sessions, preferably done three times a day.
You can buy CDs which teach you how to use this powerful
relaxation technique.

Another way to keep a lid on your stress level is to listen
to music. You should listen to down tempo music, preferably
instrumental. You definitely don't want lyrics which can
engage you emotionally.

Even with our hectic, over scheduled lives, you can avoid
stress. There are ways to cope with stressful situations and
you should even think of it as a challenge.

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The Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety

The physical symptoms of an anxiety attack are immediately
recognizable to anyone who has experienced this in the past.
Among other symptoms, the person may experience difficulty
breathing, sweating, chest pain, numbness in the
extremities, and uncontrollable shaking. Any combination of
these symptoms, or even experiencing other unusual symptoms,
can accompany an anxiety attack.

Physical symptoms of an anxiety attack can mimic those of a
heart attack or even nervous breakdown. Many people wind up
in the emergency room of a hospital as a result. Although
this step is not really necessary for the panic attack,
people may still benefit from professional care. People who
suffer from severe anxiety may need other alternatives in
dealing with the anxiety.

Researchers believe that the full-blown physical symptoms of
an anxiety attack are linked to the survival 'fight or
flight' response that is an instinctive survival reaction in
most creatures, including humans. In humans, when the brain
perceives a dangerous situation, it releases stress
hormones, primarily cortisol and adrenaline. Physical
manifestations include an energy rush, increased sensitivity
to surroundings and marked aggressiveness. These changes
allow the body to react quickly to a situation and repair
itself quicker if it is injured in some way. However during
an anxiety attack, these manifestations occur for no
apparent reason and the body often absorb or defuse this
change in it's homeostasis. Hence the physical symptoms of
an anxiety attack, as described before.

Recent research suggests that recurring panic attacks are
related to an increased incidence of future stroke or heart
attack. Those who experience a single instance of the
physical symptoms of an anxiety attack without a prior
record of anxiety disorder are not necessarily prone to
cardiovascular issues or any long-term issues. But further
study is needed to determine if repeated panic attacks
actually cause heart problems or are only related to them in
some way.

Doctors speculate that medications commonly prescribed for
anxiety disorder can put the patient at risk of a
cardiovascular event. No matter what, physical symptoms of
anxiety attacks are an indication that something is not
right, and the underlying problem needs to get taken care
of.

Anxiety attacks can be difficult to deal with. Although any
physical symptoms of an anxiety attack may be treated from a
medical standpoint, people still need to address the
underlying cause of the anxiety attack. There are various
therapies available to help people discover and deal with
the stress that is causing the attacks. One effective
therapy that can help a person control their reactions to
stress through sheer willpower is cognitive behavioral
therapy.

Deep breathing, advanced relaxation techniques,
aromatherapy, acupuncture, or massage therapy can help
people address the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack.
Regardless of what others may tell you, it is not easy to
relieve an anxiety attack by simply talking yourself out of
it. Anxiety should be treated as the medical condition that
it is. With proper treatment, people can alleviate the
effects of anxiety.