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Stress can kill you.

As alarmist as that statement may sound, it's the truth. Numerous studies have indicated that higher levels of stress can cause bowel disorders, raised blood pressure, weakened immune systems, insomnia, and breathing trouble. Worse yet, stress can build up on itself as the symptoms cause you more stress, until you're stressing about missing a doctor's appointment for your migraines due to your tendency to overwork.

The good news is that you don't have to stress! Sometimes we think that we have to obsess over our problems in order to solve them, but that just isn't true. High levels of stress are avoidable, even while knowing that sometimes, bad things are bound to happen.

Most of the causes of stress happen to us - we don't intentionally give ourselves stress, and often we haven't the slightest clue how to bring the stress level down again. Have you ever felt, when trying to manage a problem, like you're banging your head against a brick wall, to no avail? What you're really banging your head against is your own stress.

Keep in mind two general rules when putting your mind to dismantling that brick wall: watch what you consume, and watch what you create. You have a definable level of control over both of these categories, both physically and mentally.

First and foremost, make sure you eat right and drink lots of water to keep your brain working like clockwork. Mind the food pyramid, learn how to properly read the ingredients information on packaging if you aren't already familiar, and save fast food for a biweekly treat. Keep in mind that while meat is good for us omnivores, most North Americans eat twice as much meat as is healthy.

The drugs we consume create stress, too. Socially acceptable drugs like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol are all top culprits. Drug dependence is a problem because, although drugs may do immediate good, they usually come with risks. Insomnia, cancer, and liver damage are high prices to pay for heightened alertness or relaxation. On top of that, the dependence created by addiction means adding stress to your life every time you're away from your substance of choice. Minimize these habits as quickly as possible!

If you can trust yourself to wake up after a short time, take power naps for extra energy during the day. Stimulants can cause serious grouchiness.

The attitudes you consume can stress you out, too, as can the thoughts you think. Seek out positive people when socializing, and don't listen so

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