Stress is both the saving and downfall of the human race. Without the adrenalin that it produces in the human anatomy, we would probably have been lost in the food chain in prehistoric times, unable to save ourselves from predators. However, too much of it can also be a killer. In this day and age, particularly in the present economic climate, stress can be an unpleasant, dangerous factor in our lives that can cause physical and mental health problems.

Technology makes our lives easier, but also makes greater demands. Before the advent of electricity, people went to bed earlier and slept more. Our ancestors were seldom sleep deprived unless suffering from indigestion. Before the advent of email, work ended when you went home. Now work goes home with you. Life is busier. Life is uncertain. Financial concerns are ubiquitous. We worry, worry, worry and pressure builds up.

Whereas some stress is healthy if it is just gets the heart beating a bit faster, relentless stress is one of our greatest health risks. It's important, therefore, to monitor stress and learn to reduce it when pressure builds up. Some people are naturally able to do so, but most need to learn methods of stress-reduction. Fortunately, it can be done. Here are some remedies:

- Adequate rest and sleep.

Exhaustion leads to mistakes and depression. Try keeping a proper bed time routine, with enough hours of sleep each night.

- Communicate.

Talk things out with with family or friends. Don't lose touch with human connections. Often you can solve your own problem just by talking it out. Remember, a problem shared is a problem halved.

- Get professional help.

If talking it out with loved ones doesn't help, seek professional help from an appropriate person.

- Breathe.

How many times have you been in an exercise class and heard the instructor say, "Don't forget to breathe?" Sometimes, we are so intense that our breath patterns are interrupted, causing insufficient oxygen to get to the brain. So stop, take a deep breath and let the air out slowly. Breath is life; make sure you are giving yourself the air you need.

- Self massage.

An effective strain reliever is a massage that rids the body of knots. It's easy to perform your own mini massage unobtrusively. Try rubbing the temples and jaw firmly. The back of one's neck is another spot that tightens from tension and it's easy to give that a rub, as well as slowly raising the shoulder towards the ear while lowering the head sideways to meet the shoulder on each side. Also, learn to relax the jaw by dropping it and rubbing it. A tense jaw is sure sign of stress and can cause migraine headaches.

Soothe and rub tightness away, or better still, treat yourself to a massage at a spa.

- Stop!

The poet William Davies once said, "What is life if full of care, we have no time to stop and stare?" Stop. Look around you and inwardly put some distance between you and your problems; get relief from the demands on your life and allow yourself to remember some happy experience. Take time to "stop and stare." Take time to meditate or pray. This is the best stress reliever of all.

Learn more about this author, Glynnis Hayward.
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