by Theresa Willbye

Created on: February 29, 2008   Last Updated: September 02, 2009

In a plethora of juggling work commitments with home expectancies while maintaining your own sense of individuality, stress has now become an accepted factor in everyday life.

As society inflicts demands on how we should conduct ourselves and our tensions heighten with the yearning desire to succeed in this "dog eat dog environment", we are left asking ourselves the question "how may I reduce the impact stress inflicts upon me".

The first step towards reducing stress is stepping back and taking a look at the "bigger picture". Understanding the personal filters through which we see the world is essential in monitoring your external and internal stress levels. It is a common fact different levels of stress affect us in diverse manners at varying stages of our lives.

Take for instance the following example. You and your family are in the process of relocating to a new state, away from extended family members and friends due to work requirements. Your phone rings at midday while you are busy packing the last of your homely possessions. It is the child minder informing you that she has fallen ill and will be unable to look after your children in the afternoon. As you hang up the phone your heart beat quickens, beads of sweat trickle down your forehead and the world around you becomes a blur. Under normal circumstances this phone call would not cause such an impact, naturally it would be an inconvenience, but after another short phone call you would rearrange alternative childcare through either, friends, neighbors, or family members. Despair ripples through your body, engulfing you into a zone where you feel an inability to go on. Is the reaction a product of your ill child minder? Or is it more likely an accumulation a few minor incidents combined with the colossal stress of relocating? The latter is naturally the more logical explanation however, this is difficult to spot "in the moment".

In order to gain perspective on stresses in your life mastering the technique of diaphragmatic breathing is crucial. By learning to control your breathing method, slowing it down and increasing your oxygen intake, you will evoke a calming feeling throughout your body allowing you to deal adequately with situations before peak at a stress level.

Keeping a constant level of endorphins (the feel good hormone) in your system through regular activities such as laughing or exercise is also a great way of staying on top of stress. Gym memberships and participating in team sports

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