Ready to rip your hair out? So stressed you can't sleep? Tired of tense muscles. It's time to relax. Stress isn't good for you. Mentally, stress causes anxiety, tension and hyper-alertness. Prolonged, unmanaged stress leads to irritability, loss of concentration, and a weakened immune system. Learning to relax can counteract these stress responses.
Did you know that over two centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin used detailed grids to measure his progress toward the 13 goals he had set for himself? He believed this logging process deepened his self-understanding and enhanced his efforts to modify his behavior.
Today, many accomplished people use the same technique in their efforts to achieve more and perform better. Re-search confirms that recording aspects of behavior and progress toward goals—a process psychologists call self-monitoring—enhances success in making a variety of life changes. When combined with goal setting and other behavioral-change techniques, self-monitoring is a simple but powerful tool.
You wake up to the sound of an annoying alarm, you’re dead tired, and you just plain feel out of sorts. Ugh! How do you go out into the world -- or even get out of bed! -- when you are feeling so blah?
When was the last time you heard an infant say she couldn’t come out to play because she was having a bad hair day? How many toddlers do you know who’ll refuse an ice-cream cone because they want to squeeze into their “skinny jeans”? We are not born with a body image. The way we feel about how we look is learned and influenced by family, friends and the media. It is also influenced—positively or negatively—by our race, our gender and the culture in which we are raised.
Do you feel completely overwhelmed by all the demands in your life? Are high levels of stress causing you emotional and physical health problems? Does it seem impossible that you could every handle the things that are stressing you out? Don't Worry. You can learn to manage and release stress with a few wise strategies.
