by Janette Peel

Created on: April 16, 2009

Life is full of daily chores and obligations, but they are nothing to worry about. They are simply an integral part of your life, just as you too are part of the bigger picture.

Keep up and seeing yourself as part of society is hard work and with the glare of the media, politics and progress, it can seem like everything will just keep rolling with or without you. You may fall into a survival mindset', that you think will protect you from feeling of insignificance and you can become isolated and detached.

As Nelson Mandela said, "Feeling small doesn't serve you. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking." Everything on Earth is the product of an individual's thought and actions and this includes you. It may be that day to day issues in your life cause stress, but very often these are exacerbated by something bigger.

Take a moment to step back from this and ask yourself is it really worth worrying over. And then take a step forward and integrate yourself into the lives around you rather than the lifestyle.

Your work, relationships, home life and health can all trigger feelings of stress. You can learn to recognize the symptoms before you become overwhelmed with worry. If you find you relate too well the following list, give yourself a little break. Life can be hard enough without always being tough on yourself.

Irritability

Mood swings

Tiredness and problems sleeping

Loss of appetite

Compulsions, like retail therapy, overeating, smoking and drinking

Obsession with your appearance

Insecurity

Loneliness

Fear of silence

Obsessive working, or conversely absenteeism

Loss of concentration and memory

Say goodbye to stress. Stress in not a necessary evil. You can live your life fully and achieve your goals without undue worry and anxiety if you know the triggers and counter them with a practical, positive outlook.

Emotions

Accepting that your emotions are an integral part of your character can be one huge step towards overcoming stress. You can spend a great deal of time fighting yourself over your emotions: whether you should let them show, whether they can contribute effectively to your decision-making or whether they are just a nuisance. Think of it this way: when you get angry you can find the motivation to finish some niggling task and when you are happy you feel like you can take on anything. Now, those are pretty good reasons to take heed of your feelings, don't you agree?

Worry, guilt and conscience

Worry and guilt are not good motivators. The first fills your head with fruitless

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