by Chris Tilley

Created on: December 01, 2009   Last Updated: December 03, 2009

Stress, that beautiful physiological response to time pressures, resource allocation, and daily life, including all those unexpected things that just blow the roof of the house. Stress is a common factor in life and a common thread to all of us living it. There is good stress and bad stress, eustress and distress. To really get a few great tips on managing stress, let's focus on distress.

In order to manage stress, it is necessary to adequately locate the sources of the stress, to isolate the stressors. Some stressors are simply our reaction to environmental factors. Important in this stress is the way we make the events going on around us. Rather, it is how we interpret the events of our lives and determine our behaviors that is an integral element to stress. Here, in this level of stress, our interpretations are key to managing the stress. Making a cognitive shift can help reduce stress and anxiety levels.

A cognitive shift is changing the way we think about things. When that one manager who you despise begins his daily haunting of your work and benefiting from it without you directly in the benefit, rather than think of how this is everyday. Think of something different. Give the stressor a new perspective. Work on a solution to the problem instead of focusing on its effects on you. It is better than imagining him naked in front of the pope. Trust me on that testimony to effectiveness of this stress management technique. Make the shift in your reasoning.

Another factor in the cognitive perspective is the apparent longevity to the stressing situation. It is after all, only temporary. Determine the acceptable range of alternatives and find the best fit within the spectrum. There is no reason to continue living under certain yokes but justifiable when one must. Yet, there is absolutely no excuse for the stress levels resultant to reach critical and begin damaging the quality of your life or worse.

Stress reduces immune system efficiency and can lead to major health concerns. Stress and managing it are vital everyday concerns to a healthy life. If stress topples you on your mountain perch, it is statistically the culmination of daily stressors, the worst kind. Focus and apply solutions management rather than wallow in the effects of distress and quit distressing your life over simply petty things that are like icing on the cake. Serve cheesecake instead of the devil's food cake with the icing breaking your back.

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