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Stress is hard to escape in today's fast-paced world. It's when stress pushes us to our very limits, when we're ready to wave the white flat of surrender but no one is responding, that stress threatens our physical and mental well-being.

During those times when deadlines pile up, when the cat and the kids are all having medical emergencies, and you're running out of paycheck faster than you're running out of days of the month, try these coping techniques to get you through.

RECOGNIZE YOUR CHOICES
There's no more pernicious, stress-enhancing phrase than, "I have to..." Consider how we talk about our day: "I have to run the Scout cookie sale... I have to go in early tomorrow... I have to have this ready for tomorrow's presentation..."

It's all about what psychologists call "locus of control." By believing that you "have" to do something, you put the locus of control outside of yourself. You believe that events control you. When you believe that you choose the things you do, you put the locus of control where it belongs: inside yourself. This by itself reduces anxiety about stressful events.

We always have choices. We choose to finish that presentation on time, because we'd rather avoid the consequences. Let's go even deeper. Our demanding job is one we chose by applying and interviewing for it. Could we choose a different job? Could we let someone else run the cookie sale next year? Those may be reasonable choices.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Sleep deprivation only adds to stress and reduces our efficiency. If you're working late into the night to finish projects and losing sleep because of it, you render yourself less able to complete the next day's work - and you sit up late again the following night. It's a vicious circle. If your workload is overwhelming, it's time to discuss the problem with your boss to seek an agreeable solution.

If it's anxiety that's keeping you awake, talk to your doctor about medications to get you through your roughest times. Used with care, medicines can produce amazing results.

ESTABLISH DAILY RITUALS
Starting and ending the day with little rituals grounds us when the world seems overwhelming. The morning shower, reading the newspaper over breakfast, that first cup of coffee or tea are familiar routines that prepare our minds for the day's work. At the end of the day, a few pages in a good novel or a few rows of knitting just before bed can prepare our minds for sleep. Television before bed, however, can be too arousing and interfere with sleep.

EXERCISE
Stress

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