There are any number stress management techniques and for coping with stress in general and dealing with both the physical and emotional causes for stress. There are techniques for both short-term symptoms of stress and even long-term or chronic symptoms of stress are possible.

There are also a certain amount of self employed techniques that are actually or can be counter productive in the quest for a cure. The following are some of the more typical errors.

In an attempt to alleviate the tension and worry that accompany stress, some individuals can head down the wrong path will unwittingly engage in self-destructive behavior.

The type of stress that can lead to being short-tempered and cause the individual behave angrily toward a friend or family member can many times be heightened by excessive alcohol drinking or even coffee drinking that results in a high intake of caffeine. Many times these dots aren’t connected and the cycle continues causing more stress symptoms more often.

Lack of sleep or chronic lack of sleep (insomnia) is one of the most common causes of stress. Again, the theme here is the cycle of stress itself. When something is troubling you, and you are physically uncomfortable, it's difficult to relax enough to sleep. And when you don’t get enough sleep and become fatigued your patience grows shorter and you ability to reason becomes inhibited and thus the stress continues. During this type of a stress cycle, when you do manage to fall asleep, it's often interrupted during the night, or not the type of deep sleep that is genuinely restful.

A heightened focus on problem solving is natural and generally a sign of good mental health. But completely obsessing, even in the face of serious issues, is counter-productive. Try to step outside the problem as if you are consoling someone or a friend who is faced with the problem. You would be concerned, of course and this will give you a different perspective of the situation. We're often much better at maintaining objectivity when the problem belongs to someone else.

Some people try to cope with stress by doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. One of the techniques used to combat stress is the ability to focus on something else that takes your mind away from a stressful situation. However, burying oneself into projects at work or school as way of shifting focus away from problems at home may at best provide a change of focus, but ultimately is not a productive way to deal with the stress at home in this situation. Avoidance can only be partially successful, and only temporarily at that.

Some problems do go away on their own and ignoring (or more accurately not over-reacting to them) can be a viable strategy. But a reality check is the key here… the circumstances combined with the internal evaluations that lead to chronic stress do not disappear simply because we're not thinking about them.

A temporary break to gain perspective and get the emotions under control is healthy. Hiding one's head in the sand is not.

Fundamentally, all these incorrect and unhelpful methods have a common root. Reality doesn't go away when some aspects of it are inconvenient or unpleasant.

Life is filled with obstacles placed in your way. The existence of those hurdles and the need to overcome them - when combined with doubts about our ability to do so - leads to stress. Learning to correctly evaluate and deal with life’s obstacles leads to gaining confidence in one’s ability to do so and with each hurdle overcome one’s self confidence grows stronger… and stress stays on vacation.

By: Jeff Foster
For more important information on coping with and managing stress, be sure to visit http://www.0-stress.com where you will find advice and tips on stress the causes of stress, depression, phobias and much more.

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When you feel good, are in the moment and are creating your life as you want it, you're in sacred space. Joseph Campbell defines sacred space as any place where you're hermetically sealed off from the world. This can be a room, or an activity, or just a state of mind. But the idea is that when you're in sacred space, whatever you're doing becomes a meditation. Your actions are coming from your soul, your mind is neutral and open and so it projects perfectly the light within you and you feel good. Time seems to fall away and you feel charged. This is sacred space and it's a metaphor for the soul. The soul is sacred space. Campbell says that whenever he would have to travel, he preferred a standard, no-frills room. As soon as he took his books out and put them on the table, the place became his-- a metaphor for his sacred space.More...

Yoga is such a way to create sacred space. You stop the mind with yoga and when you sit in meditation, the soul's influx creates a feeling of wellbeing. In this way you've sealed yourself off from the world for however long-- 5 minutes, 90 minutes or half a day. Anything done with focused attention is a meditation. If fishing is what you do to get in the middle and make the world out there fall away, then that's your meditation. Anything that you do that puts you into flow is a meditation. So you don't have to do yoga. I always tell people, yoga works for me but there are many rivers that flow into the ocean. If you've got a way of creating sacred space for yourself and your life works, God Bless, that's the whole point as far as I'm concerned.

If you're not enjoying what you're doing, you should examine that. Many people, myself included, have been at a period in life when everything seems a struggle and a chore. If you're not careful, you can adopt a philosophy that, it's just the way life is. That's simply not so. It all starts with finding a sacred space where you can seal yourself off from the world for a period of time so that you can use your imagination to create a new picture. If you make this a regular practice, the ability to focus your imagination on the experiences you want to have will become very strong and you will create the habit of conscious creation. The big catch is you actually have to do it!

If you can't find any way to get into your center, then yoga is one great way to go. Many if not all of us are in our heads a lot these days. It's a sign of the times-- computers have allowed everything to move so fast that people rarely slow down until they're completely exhausted or worse, they've gotten sick and then they just absolutely have to rest. Sacred space and creating a meditative flow is more important now than ever before. People need a way to plug in and recharge quickly so they can keep going.

As a writer it's very important for me to create sacred space in order to write. As soon as I think about who's going to see this and who's going to buy it or what the outside world will do with it, I'm finished. You really have to set yourself up in life with some apparatus for creating sacred space. It's only from that anchor, that core center still point, that you can begin to see exactly what you want to be-- what you want to create. It all comes from that still point within.

It's only from up on the bridge, at the helm, where all the controls are that you can truly gain the perspective to steer the ship.

By: Patrick Lacho
Patrick Lacho is an IKYTA certified Yoga instructor and writer based in Los Angeles. He teaches a yoga bootcamp http://www.ybc40.com, which takes students through a forty day transformation using yoga, meditation and sound.

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Anger, fear, sadness: the Big Three. Most of us learned at an early age that there are only two things to do with them: you either express them, spilling them out onto others; or you sit on them, stuffing them into the body and trying to forget you ever had a feeling. (“Angry? Nope, not me. I never get angry.” “No, I’m not sad. I didn’t even cry when my mother died...”)

But there are drawbacks to both these approaches to so-called “negative” feelings, aren’t there? Expressing our anger, fear or sadness can create a lot of trouble for us when others withdraw or even outright reject us because they’re uncomfortable with feelings themselves. And closing down our feelings – well, that often leads to depression, not being able to feel at all. Even worse, those “stuffed” feelings are now chemically locked into our cells, giving rise to physical ailments of all kinds. (Most people know ulcers have something to do with repressed fear and worry; but do you know that asthma, allergies, tumors, endocrine disorders, auto-immune diseases and many heart issues are now considered to arise from stuffed feelings?)

The good news is that there’s a third alternative: when a feeling arises, just feel it, healthily and completely.

So what on earth does that mean?

First, a feeling is actually just a bunch of chemicals running through the body. When an event, either outer or inner, triggers an emotion such as fear, anger or sadness, the adrenals and other endocrine glands flood the body with hormones and neuropeptides. If the feeling is fully felt, these chemicals pour out through the bloodstream, giving instructions to the cells (e.g., “shut down digestion; send blood to the arms and legs; shorten reaction time,” etc.) – and in three to ten seconds the counter-chemicals, the calm-down hormones, chase them down, neutralize them and you are back to normal!

“Right, sure,” you say. “When did I last have a big feeling that lasted only ten seconds? What about the feelings that go on for days? That’s why I don’t want to feel my feelings!”

Good point. Enter another factor (I was going to say “villain,” but that’s not really fair): the mind. When a feeling arises, it’s like a big wave: up, peak, down in a few seconds. EXCEPT that our mind feels its job is to explain why the feeling is there! Whenever the mind spots a feeling coming up, it goes bananas trying to assign a logical “reason” this emotion has arisen. It creates a story. “It’s because of Her or Him. I’m worried about This or That. What if That happened… How could He/She… How dare They…” etc., etc. In my article Cell Memories I explain why virtually all of these supposed reasons are false, but for now the important thing is that these stories are like a giant skyhook that grabs the wave of feeling and keeps it at its peak, for minutes, hours, days, weeks…

I bet you’ve caught yourself at this game a few times. How many times have you felt your anger at someone begin to fade, and then jacked it up again with another thought, another cause for outrage? Or made yourself remember a loss, or a threat, keeping the feeling going? Well, our mind does this all the time in a less overt way, spinning story after story to “account for” our feelings, and keep them going… Yet what is a feeling? By itself, without the story, it is just a bunch of chemicals going through the body – and it is over in three to ten seconds!

So how do you get to feel a feeling, fully and healthily, and have it melt away in seconds, leaving no residue, no “stuffed” cell memories, no explosions onto other people? Leaving you in a state of expansive, restful calm?

Here’s how:

Listen to your thoughts for “stories.” You can tell a story because it feels charged with anxiety, worry, fear, regret, guilt, anger, etc. Common story lines begin with phrases like “If only I…” “What if…” “How could he/she/you/they…” “I can’t stand…” Stories are usually about the past or the future, not the present moment.
Imagine using a pair of golden scissors to cut the story off close to your head.
Immediately turn your attention to the feeling in the body that triggered the story in the first place. Notice where it is concentrated in the body, if it feels tight, loose, sinking, rising, hot, cold, etc.
Name the feeling: “This is sadness/ fear/ shame/ guilt/ rage/ hatred/ frustration…”
Picture the feeling as a wave rising up. Keep feeling…
Picture yourself diving into the wave, burrowing into it, swimming right down into the core of it. Keep feeling…
Feel the wave peak and begin to die down. Stay in the core, just paying attention.
As the feeling disappears, notice what is here after the wave has come and gone. Open your awareness into this calm, smooth ocean of peace, well-being and tranquility.

Now, it took much longer to read that than it does to experience it! And the more often you practice cutting off the story and opening into the wave of feeling, the sooner you will learn that NO feeling, EVER, when fully experienced, does anything more than lead you right into the peace and expansiveness at the core of your being. And so who could ever want to stuff a feeling, or throw it at someone else, when just by feeling it fully, you are led into a very delightful state of well-being?

How much do we do, or refrain from doing, because we are afraid that if we do this, or don’t do that, say this, or don’t say that, we will “feel bad”? And just suppose there were no more “bad” feelings – just chemical states in the body that rise and fall in seconds, leaving us in peace and well-being if we are willing to honor them with our complete attention, letting go of any story about them and simply feeling them fully. What if we were never again subject to being blackmailed by the threat of “feeling bad”? What if we just embraced any feeling that came along, because we know where it’s going to take us – and fast?

Would this be true freedom? My experience says yes. When you can open completely into any feeling and know that it will lead you into the core of your being, an amazing thing happens: you are free to be completely yourself. No one else’s opinions can pull you off course, for you are not afraid to “feel bad” if they disapprove. And – even more miraculous – as you learn to open fully into the more contracted end of the feeling spectrum, you are also learning to welcome the more expansive feeling states. The joy, peace, love, gratitude and freedom that are your true birthright can now come pouring into your awareness, because the door is open to welcome them. Enjoy!

By: Patricia Kendall
Patricia Kendall, Ph.D., Accredited Journey Practitioner, specializes in assisting clients worldwide to move through feelings into the infinite Wisdom at the core of their being, and then to release old cell memories under the guidance of that Infinite Intelligence. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing follow swiftly and naturally. Read additional articles on her website at: http://lifepathconsulting.com. Interested in Archangels? Check out Pat’s e-book Good Morning, Raphael.

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There is an old saying, "laughter is the best medicine". Why not treat yourself to some laughter? Visit our jokes directory and relax with some jokes, humor and humerous anecdotes.

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A few years ago, I was at work one afternoon when all of a sudden I felt as though I couldn't breathe. My chest was tight and my ears felt as though water was rushing through them. I began to cry, which is something I almost never do. My co-workers wanted to call an ambulance, but I didn't want to make a scene. I allowed two of them to take me to a nearby emergency room.

Once there, my blood pressure was taken. It was 180/110. Tests were done and it was determined that I had experienced my first anxiety attack. Confused, I tried to understand what had caused those terrible feelings. It seemed to have come out of nowhere.

The next day, around the same time, I began to feel the symptoms of an anxiety attack again: difficulty breathing, tight chest, shaking, fear of losing control. Luckily, I had done some research and learned that once you've had an anxiety (or panic) attack, you are more likely to have another one, especially at the same time of day the last one occurred. This is known as an anticipatory attack.

I struggled to remember how to stop an anxiety attack from recurring: taking deep breaths, reducing my intake of caffeine, and trying to eat a healthy diet. Sometimes medications are needed, and my family doctor determined that I needed an anti-anxiety medication to help me get past this first stage of dealing with anxiety. Day by day, when the afternoon rolled around, I was able to control my stress level and not let it go into a full-blown anxiety attack. Eventually, those feelings went away and I have not had another attack since.

Anxiety attacks are prevalent in persons with a high stress level. They also can be found to occur in substance abusers. Family history plays a part, as they can be hereditary. They can also be an indicator of abnormalities in the brain.

Anxiety attacks are a real disorder. Unless a person has experienced one, he or she may have trouble understanding the severity of the situation. Research shows that over two million Americans are affected by these attacks and that women are twice as affected as men are.

Once a person has experienced an anxiety attack, he or she may avoid the activity which is perceived to have triggered the attack. This can wreak havoc on both professional and person aspects of life. If the avoidance isn't explored and treated right away, agoraphobia (fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas) may occur.

Psychotherapy is a recommended treatment for anxiety attacks. Most attacks are caused by emotional triggers. Getting to the cause is more important than simply treating the symptoms. Medication is also an effective treatment, especially when used in conjunction with psychotherapy. There are prescriptions for controlling anxiety as well as controlling your heart rate.

With appropriate treatment ninety percent of people find relief from these attacks. Untreated, your quality of life can be severely impaired. The important message is that it is a real disorder and that treatment is available for anxiety attacks.

By: Samantha Kay
For more information on anxiety try visiting http://www.BestAnxietyRelief.com a website that specializes in providing anxiety related tips, advice and resources to include information on the best ways to recognize anxiety attacks.

Featured by Resources For Attorneys, a Legal Resources and Lifestyle Resources directory for attorneys, lawyers and the general internet public.

There is an old saying, "laughter is the best medicine". Why not treat yourself to some laughter? Visit our jokes directory and relax with some jokes, humor and humerous anecdotes.

Comments: For those of you that would like to comment on this or any other post in this blog, go to the Contact me link on the upper right hand side of this page and send your comment via that link. If your comment is on topic, whether pro or anti, and even fairly well written, we will post it with the article. If you have a site that you would like to be linked to your comment please supply it and we will include it.