In REALITY, children do experience stress and it can actually be a large amount depending on the external factors occurring in their lives. As they age, the quest to fit in increases and so do cortisol levels. Just as adults feel stressed when they are overwhelmed with too many tasks, children feel the same way when they are involved in too many extra-curricular activities. If they are only complaining about what they are involved in rather than making comments about what they learned and are excited for then you might consider cutting back on their participation in certain activities.

When children see their outer environment in turmoil, their inner environment begins to react. Factors that can cause stress in a child’s habitat are parents fighting or divorce, war or images on TV that display uneasiness in their world, and illness or death of someone they are close to.

Fortunately, most parents are aware and able to tend to the needs of their children. If you feel that you are not, there are resources online to help you.

Another way of continuing a stress-free lifestyle is to start doing yoga and keeping up with it. The Mayo Clinic describes yoga as a practice that “brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety.”

Check out the video section for a sample of some yoga moves you can try at home.

One powerful and commonly used remedy for stress management is music therapy. Music can make tasks that seem like chores more enjoyable. If cleaning puts you in a bad mood, remember that a clean house decreases stress levels, so put on some jams and get to it! Music also cuts down on road rage. (de-stress in 5 min)

Other methods to de-stress utilize your body. Simply taking 4 or 5 long, deep breaths or bending in half and trying to touch your toes and holding the stretch can begin to melt your stress away. Go ahead and get up right now and bend down and try to touch your toes… count to 7 slowly. Now keeping your head down roll up vertebrae by vertebrae saving your neck and head for last.

Uncertainty about the feelings of the other person in your relationship can also be a cause of stress. You will constantly be wondering if they are going to leave you, or making sure you are perfect to ensure their happiness.

If your partner is abusive,  stress will be placed on your relationship. If you do not feel like you can leave your loved one, there are resources for help.

Relationship Stress Test Video

Children may also be a source of stress on Parents with the worry about their future or if your children are misbehaving. A family councilor may need to intervene in family affairs to help smooth out issues that you cannot fix on your own.

When to seek Counseling.

Fortunately, most college offer centers where you can go for advice and courses to help you manage your time and relief the stress you are feeling. There are many resources on the web as well.

There are several ways we may be sabotaging our own health by creating stress for ourselves. Some of these include:

Overreacting

Being “Type A” personality

Negative Self Talk

Pessimism

Overwhelming Yourself

These are emotions and reactions to situations that are unnecessary in our lives. They only create emotional clutter. Let’s clear it out and de-stress. When something happens that we do not expect, does the situation really deserve a reaction as big as we allow? NO! Situations do not have feelings, but we do and we react to stress. Make a pact with me today to be more optimistic and uplifting to yourself!

(quiz)

Many things in life we have no control over. Because of this, it is useless for us to use up our effort to in pushing the impossible. This creates friction and stress and gets nothing accomplished. As an alternative, strive for acceptance of what will not change. Though this is hard, it will become easier with time and you will find yourself not only flowing with life and it’s edges more, but having less reactions physically and emotionally from where there was once excess stress.

As you learn to go with the flow, and become more flexible, you will find that as things don’t go according to plan it isn’t a problem. Something should not stress you out just because you cannot control it. Why is this? This is because there are TOO MANY THINGS IN LIFE THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL! Once you can accept this and learn to let things go, you will be much happier and healthier. Now go do some yoga.

Unfortunately, our bodies are greatly affected by our environment. We are emotionally and physically affected by stress. If we don’t get stress under control then we will be uncomfortable with headaches and stomach aches, and we might also experience anxiety and depression.

*stress management tips are coming up soon!*

It seems that control is a contributor to stress though. When we have less control than we planned, our stress levels increase.

The goal is to use stress to our benefit, and to not view it as a perceived threat in our lives. With the right amount of stress, we can be productive and happy instead of panicky and uptight. Once we are informed and have ways to overcome and manage the stress in our lives, I know that we will be able to eliminate much of the unnecessary weight that causes us to be unproductive and unhappy.