Circle the “Stress Rating” number for events that pertain to you during the last year. Total your score. Being Raped 100Being accused of rape 100Discovering you are HIV positive 100Death of a close friend 97Death of a close family member 97Contracting a sexually transmitted diease 94Concerns about being pregnant 91FinalContinue Reading
When psychologists recommend learning to relax, they aren’t talking about laying on the sofa and watching a good movie on television. They are referring to regularly practicing one or more relaxation exercises that involve a combination of deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques to release muscle tension. During these exerciseContinue Reading
A daily habit of writing or Journaling can be beneficial in a number of ways. Some individuals are self-conscious or have difficulty expressing themselves and may find it uncomfortable to talk to friends or relatives about specific emotion-laden problems. Anxiety producing situations or people can be easier to write aboutContinue Reading
Type A people tend to be extremely competitive and self critical. They constantly strive toward goals without feeling a sense of joy in their efforts or accomplishments. Check the items that apply to you. Do You… Are You a Type A? If most of this list applies to you, youContinue Reading
Stress has a way of affecting a person’s mental state, their emotions, their physical health and their relationships with the people around them. Print out this page and take a few minutes to assess the stress levels you’ve experienced recently. Ask yourself if your stress levels seem to fade awayContinue Reading
How stressful is your life? Positive life events may be as stressful as disasters. For example, marriage, usually considered a happy event, rates 50 on the scale of life change units, just below having arguments with your spouse or partner. Review the following life changing events, print out this pageContinue Reading
Prolonged stress can result in physical illness. Your body’s immune system, which is regulated in part by the brain, mobilizes defenses – such as white blood cells – against invading microbes and diseases. Upsetting emotions and stress can affect the immune system and this increases susceptibility to disease (Miller, CohenContinue Reading
Our lives are filled with stress. Everyday living confronts us with a continuous stream of potentially stressful situations. From driving, school work, driving to work during morning rush hour, harsh weather, the daily struggle, relationships, to watching the latest terror attack, school shooting or lock-down on the nightly news. WhetherContinue Reading
Stress is an everyday fact of modern life and difficult to avoid. It attacks us environmentally through bad weather, pollution, traffic, noise and lockdowns. Stress is present in our schools (bullying), on the job, in our relationships, in our mailbox, in our personal economics, and in illness or loss ofContinue Reading
Knowing the damaging effects of stress, one of the simplest ways of reducing and managing stress, requiring no expensive equipment or membership, is relaxation. More than sixty studies have found the relaxation procedures can help alleviate headaches, high blood pressure (hypertension), anxiety and insomnia (Stretter & Kupper, 2002). One suchContinue Reading