Stress and weight gain - these 2 are said to go "hand-in-hand", by many researches that study the effect of stress on weights.

How does stress come about in the first place?

It's the result of our life that's so fast-paced; that's trying to do too many things at one time; that's so full of demanding requests of this and that at work, at school, in the family and in the society that we "stress up" when encounter these "challenging" situations.

How does your body deal with stress?

Well, when you encounter stressful situation, your adrenal glands release cortisol, a stress hormone. when you've lots of stresses, your cortisol also runs high.

When your cortisol is high, you could experience insulin resistance wherein cells in your body become resistant to the effects of insulin and your pancreas produces higher levels of insulin.

When you're insulin-resistant, your body converts sugars and carbohydrates into fat rather than burning them as energy. Hence, you gain weight.

That's how, in a nutshell, the connection between stress and weight gain begins......

Stress also contributes to weight gain in other forms, such as through:

A slow metabolism which makes you hard to burn off calories
A craving for unhealthy fatty, sugary and salty foods which of course cause you to put on weight when you excessively consume them
A change in blood sugar levels which can bringforth mood swing, tiredness and condition like hyperglycemia
A fat storage that's gone out of whack as you tend to store fat at the abdomen area, which spells higher health risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers than fat stored in other areas of your body
An emotional eating episode which leads you to eat or binge more than you normally would, even though you aren't hungry


How to reduce stress?

Well, the best antidote is exercise.

Exercise promotes the secretion of the "feel good" neurotransmitters known as endorphins - the mood-elevating chemicals. They help to elevate your mood and alleviate your tension and bottled-up frustrations and anger, hence you feel good about yourself and have better outlook on every aspect of your life, including your stressful situation.

It relaxes your body and mind so you've clarity of mind and focus of attention in everything you do.

It also increases your self-confidence and reduces your inclination towards negative thinking and depression and gives you a sense of mastery over your life. These positive developments would be strong weapons to counteract the pressure of life you face.

You'd be surprised that even light exercise like slow walking can have positive effect on your brain and body, to let you handle your problems better. When you exercise, problems of work, family, kids, money and what nots seem less looming because you tend to shed off these problems during the workout.

Can I say exercise is thus a channel to vent off all your bottled up pressures, tensions and frustrations?

It is a channel, an effective one, at that.

Studies have shown that people who regularly exercise are less stressful and are able to better manage their problems.

Hence, make exercise an important part of your life.

You don't have to do lots, just a regular dose of 3-4 times per week for 30 - 60 minutes per session, is enough to de-stress you one way or another.

Go walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing.....and vent off whatever pressure and frustration you've, through your workout!

By: Cecelia Yap
Cecelia Yap is an avid exerciser and author of the popular exercise website: perfect-body-toning.com - a web site born out of her passion which she successfully turns into a profitable business

Perhaps you have a passion or hobby you'd like to write about. Find out how you too can turn it into a profitable business like Cecelia does, here: http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/my-passion.html.

Contrary to believe, anxiety disorder is more prevalent in our society than initial thought and generally affects women more than men. In the US alone, almost 20% of the adult population is affected by some form of this mental condition. The various forms of anxiety related disorders include specific phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety and panic disorder.

The development of anxiety is usually caused by factors such as family genetics, chemical/hormonal imbalance in the brain and environmental issues such as unresolved issues at home/work, built up stress as well as fixed defined behavioral patterns in the individual.

There are several physical symptoms that are tell tale signs of an anxiety attack. These manifestations include irritation, insomnia, tension, shortness of breath, feeling chest pains, rapid heartbeats and dizziness. Even though anxiety is prevalent in our society and can sometimes be rather serious, the silver lining is that is it definitely treatable.

The treatment for anxiety comes in many forms with the most common one being prescription of medications such as antidepressants as well as anti anxiety medicines. These medications can be used short term or long term depending on the severity of the anxiety attacks and can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment.

Therapies which are conducted by counselors and therapist are an excellent treatment for anxiety disorders. Some of these therapies include behavior therapy, which involves the control of unwanted behavior and cognitive therapy, which is about getting rid of negative thought patterns in the individual. Other popular therapies include cognitive behavior therapy as well as relaxation and calming techniques such as aromatherapy, breathing and massage.

Natural remedies can also be used to treat anxiety disorders and symptoms. Some of these natural treatments include taking of dietary supplements, such as vitamin B complex, eating right to maintain the optimal blood sugar levels and exercising.

Know that you must exert control over your anxiety rather than letting it run your life. This disorder is treatable or at the very least, it's symptoms can be managed through the various treatments described above.

By: Rachel Andrews
Rachel Andrews is the owner of the anxiety and panic attacks site. Do sign up for her newsletter and learn more about eliminating your anxieties and panic attacks forever! Do not let these problems consume your precious life as it is treatable.

When I was a kid I used to read Readers Digest and one section I always think of was "Laughter is the best medicine". As I have gotten older I have come to realize that laughter may not be the best medicine but it sure is good medicine for what ails you. It's hard to be sad, depressed, stressed out or anxious when you are laughing. Laughter can sometimes even make you forget about physical pain.

Laughter may not actually cure stress, depression, anxiousness, sadness or pain but it can sure help decrease stress, lighten depression, ease anxiety, mitigate pain and lessen sadness. Many medical researchers say that people who laugh often live longer lives.

Laughing is not hard, in fact it's easy. Read some jokes, learn and tell some jokes, watch some comedy acts on television, go to a comedy club or have a friend tell you some jokes. Eventually you'll find some jokes, humor or satirical stories that will appeal to you and before you know it you will find yourself laughing.

When my wife gets depressed I read some jokes, learn them and then retell them to her. Pretty soon her mood starts to lighten and her depression either lessens or goes away all together. When I get sad or frustrated I start reading jokes and quickly I start to feel that whatever is making me sad or frustrated isn't so bad and my mood improves immensely.

Go ahead, read or listen to some jokes and turn on the laughter. You'll be surprised how much better you will feel.

Copyright 2008 The Joke Index

By: David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
This article was written for the Joke Index, a portal to blogs and websites dedicated to Funny jokes, humor, humorous anecdotes, satire and stories and first published in the Stress Management blog from Resources For Attorneys.

One of the best stress management tips is living your life purpose. As a stress management way of living it has to be at the top of the list.The idea of an ideal kept before the mind as a reason for living certainly has something magnetic about it. We are all here for a purpose and to accomplish a certain thing. I have heard the term "I am on a mission" used a few times. Have you ever met someone like that? These kinds of people are driven and know where they are going. I hope that before you finish this article you will have, if not already a life purpose, at least think about what your life purpose could be.

It brings you many stress management advantages to have a life purpose. One that is so obvious it is often overlooked is that you are going in the direction you want to go. Not a direction or goal someone else has for you. It is true that if you don't have a purpose for being here the you are still living a life of purpose. It is just a purpose that belongs to somebody else. An agenda or goal you may not agree on. So its always better to have your own purpose and life mission.

Everyone is different. For some a life purpose could be having a great family. For others it could be having great relationships. A successful career for someone else. Writing a number one bestselling book for another. It differs.One thing is for sure. A life purpose keeps your energy focused and clear. It has other advantages, listed as follows.

Another stress management advantage to living a life of purpose is that there seems to be more 'flow' and less stress in your life. People and resources just seem to be there when you need them. I'll give you an example. You want some work done and you need a person with a certain skill but you currently don't know anyone. Somewhere and somehow this person pops into your life. He has all the skills you need for the job to help you accomplish your task. You are living a life of purpose and many favorable conditions, associations ,and events come your way. Life is not so much struggle but more of a positive flow.

The amount of stress we experience and the degree of our problem solving ability are closely related. Life is full of problems. Some we solve with greater ease than others. The better you get at solving problems the better life gets. Living your purpose helps you tap into your intuition. This is a big help in problem solving. Sometimes logical left brain thinking is needed to fix a problem. Sometimes creative right brain thinking is needed. Intuitive insight is what you require sometimes to solve a major problem. Living life with a purpose gets you more in touch with your intuition.

A super stress management tool is to have your own life purpose. My experience has been that it allows you to enjoy better relationships, a more successful and creative career, and better conditions in society as the method of working is one of contribution and adding value. It is my wish that you enjoy the same.

By: Jim Cassa
Jim Cassa is an entrepreneur that has rapidly learned some of the most effective Stress Management Techniques available out of the need to cope! To learn the some surprisingly powerful ways to reduce and eliminate stress, Click on http://instantstressmanagement.blogspot.com