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eliminate stress and anxiety from your life brought to you by the team at ebook directory read more about conquering stress here

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table of contents introduction why are we so stressed out blocking behaviors that keep your stress alive stress or anxiety quiz time panic attacks dealing with panic attacks calm yourself with visualization using music to beat stress self-hypnosis for stress stress management more stress management who ya gonna call stress busters just say no take a break relaxing at work conclusion 3 5 8 10 13 17 21 26 29 33 39 43 48 50 54 56 59 read more about conquering stress here

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introduction it seems like you hear it all the time from nearly every one you know ­ i m so stressed out pressures abound in this world today those pressures cause stress and anxiety and often we are ill-equipped to deal with those stressors that trigger anxiety and other feelings that can make us sick literally sick the statistics are staggering one in every eight americans age 18-54 suffers from an anxiety disorder this totals over 19 million people research conducted by the national institute of mental health has shown that anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem among american women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse by men women suffer from anxiety and stress almost twice as much as men anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in america surpassing even depression in numbers anxiety is the most common mental health issue facing adults over 65 years of age anxiety disorders cost the u.s $46.6 billion annually anxiety sufferers see an average of five doctors before being successfully diagnosed unfortunately stress and anxiety go hand in hand in fact one of the major symptoms of stress is anxiety and stress accounts for 80 percent of all illnesses either directly or indirectly in fact stress is more dangerous than we thought you ve probably heard that it can raise your blood pressure increasing the likelihood of a stroke in the distant future but recently a health insurance brochure claimed that 90 percent of visits to a primary care physician were stress-related disorders read more about conquering stress here

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health psychology magazine reports that chronic stress can interfere with the normal function of the body s immune system and studies have proven that stressed individuals have an increased vulnerability to catching an illness and are more susceptible to allergic autoimmune or cardiovascular diseases doctors agree that during chronic stress the functions of the body that are nonessential to survival such as the digestive and immune systems shut down this is why people get sick he says there are also many occurrences of psychosomatic illness an illness with an emotional or psychological side to it furthermore stress often prompts people to respond in unhealthy ways such as smoking drinking alcohol eating poorly or becoming physically inactive this damages the body in addition to the wear and tear of the stress itself stress is a part of daily life it s how we react to it that makes all the difference in maintaining our health and wellbeing pressures occur throughout life and those pressures cause stress you need to realize that you will never completely get rid of stress in your life but you can learn coping techniques to turn that stress into a healthier situation when i first got the assignment to write this book i immediately thought sure you can eliminate stress and anxiety by locking yourself into a room and never talking to anyone ever again but that wouldn t make a very informative book now would it i have suffered from anxiety disorders caused by stress for years i have learned somewhat how to cope with that although i m always learning new things and dealing mechanisms so what i ve done in this book is taken some read more about conquering stress here

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of my own experiences and combined them with advice from experts to give you tools that will help you in stressful situations i ve also outlined different ways you can face debilitating anxiety and panic attacks that many people suffer from while researching this book i ve come across some amazing information and can t wait to share it with you i ve learned so much myself so let s look at how to eliminate stress and anxiety from your life why are we so stressed out we re living in very trying and difficult times and things don t seem to be getting any easier sometimes life can seem terribly painful and unfair yet somehow we manage to struggle on day after day hoping and praying that things will soon get better but day by day the world is becoming a crazier and more uncertain place to live in not to mention stressful nothing seems safe anymore millions of people are in record levels of debt many are losing their jobs their homes their health and sometimes even their sanity worry depression and anxiety seem to have become a way of life for way too many people we seem to have entered the age of anxiety in fact in 2002 the cover of time magazine proclaimed this loud and clear on one of their covers as the featured story in that issue the constant stress and uncertainties of living in the 21st century have certainly taken their toll and as a result many of us seem to live a life of constant fear and worry when the terrorist attacks happened on september 11 this constant stress and worry seemed to just be magnified read more about conquering stress here

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in fact many people even now four years later report they are still scared that something of that magnitude could happen again ­ perhaps closer to them turn on the news or open up a newspaper and we are bombarded with disturbing images and stories we begin to wonder if we are safe anywhere in this the information age never before have we had so much access to so much data the economy is another stressor our country is in debt and so are many americans soaring gas prices outrageous housing costs even the cost of food has sent many americans to work in jobs that are unsatisfying and tedious they work these jobs because they need a paycheck today it s more important to bring home the bacon rather than work in a dream career having more women in the workplace adds to the stress so many women feel the need to be everything to everyone and that includes a paycheck earner house keeper mom wife daughter and sibling the only problem with that is some women just don t make any time for themselves thus contributing to their stress levels being at an all-time high even children can feel the pressure of stress and anxiety teenagers who want to go to college find themselves pushing themselves during their studies to try and obtain scholarships so they can attend schools that have ever increasing tuition costs they find themselves having to hold down part-time jobs on top of all that to earn money for extras that their parents can no longer afford add peer pressure into the mix and you have a veritable pressure cooker cell phones internet palm pilots blackberries i-pods ­ we are always on the go and always reachable we don t read more about conquering stress here

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make time to relax and enjoy life any more why not we certainly should we feel pressure to do these things because we think we have to not because we want to all too often it s difficult for people to just say no not saying that one little word piles up un-needed expectations and obligations that make us feel anxious all of us will experience situations that may cause us to become stressed or feel anxious the reasons are too many to note but can include buying a property having guests stay over in-laws being bullied exams looking after children managing finances relationship issues traveling etc stress is a `normal function of everyday life only when it appears to take over our lives does it then become a problem everyone will have different reasons why a situation causes them pressure as a rule it s usually when we don t feel in control of a situation then we feel its grip tightening around us causing us to feel worried or `stressed if stress is caused by us not feeling in control of a situation the answer is to try and reverse this and regain that control the good news is you can you have everything inside you that you need to overcome your stress and the accompanying anxiety the problem is often we don t realize that we are in control because we feel so out of control at time but the tools are there you just have to use them let s first look at the barriers we put up that are preventing us from becoming healthy and getting rid of our anxiety and stress read more about conquering stress here

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blocking behaviors keeping your stress alive there are three obsessive behaviors that you are likely to be engaging in that impeded your healing process and stop you from enjoying a stress-free life recognizing these barriers can be a great first step toward getting rid of the problems that go with being too stressed the first is obsessive negativity when you are obsessively negative it means that you have a tendency toward being negative about people places situations and things in your life perhaps you find yourself saying things like i can t do this or no one understands or nothing ever works for example you may be doing this unconsciously but essentially you have what s known as a sour grapes attitude and it holds you back from knowing what it s like to view life from a positive lens and enjoy the beauty in yourself and people around you there s a whole world out there for you with happiness and positive thinking then you have obsessive perfectionism when you engage in obsessive perfectionism you are centered on trying to do everything just so to the point of driving yourself into an anxious state of being you may find yourself making statements such as i have to do this right or i ll be a failure or if i am not precise people will be mad at me again this behavior may be totally under the threshold of your awareness but it interferes greatly with your ability to enjoy things without feeling uptight and stressed finally there is obsessive analysis when you are obsessed about analyzing things you find yourself wanting to re-hash a task or an issue over and over again for read more about conquering stress here

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instance you might find yourself making statements such as i need to look this over study it and know it inside and out or else i can t relax or if i relax and let things go without looking them over repeatedly things go wrong while analytical thinking is an excellent trait if it s done in excess you never get to stop and smell the roses because you re too busy trying to analyze everything and everyone around you gaining insight into this type of behavior is one of the most important keys to letting go of stress and getting complete power over your anxiety if you find yourself engaging in any of the above blocking behaviors there are two things you can do to help yourself first ask the people you know love and trust am i negative about things do i complain a lot and am i difficult to be around this may be hard for you to listen to as the truth sometimes hurts a great deal but the insight you will get from others assessment of you is invaluable and you ll know precisely how others see you accept their comments as helpful info and know that you will gain amazing insights from what you hear second keep a journal to write down and establish patterns of when you are using blocking behaviors even if you are not thrilled with the idea of writing you can make little entries into a note book or journal each day the great part is that you ll begin to see patterns in your behavior that reveal exactly what you re doing to prevent yourself from curing your anxiety we ll give you some great stress busting techniques later in the book but you need to recognize these blockages first so you can move into the healing stage and conquer your stress and anxiety many people think that stress and anxiety are the same thing this couldn t be further from the truth read more about conquering stress here

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stress or anxiety contrary to popular belief there is a difference between stress and anxiety stress comes from the pressures we feel in life as we are pushed by work or any other task that puts undue pressure on our minds and body adrenaline is released extended stay of the hormone causes depression a rise in the blood pressure and other negative changes and effects one of these negative effects is anxiety with anxiety fear overcomes all emotions accompanied by worry and apprehension making a person a recluse and a bagful of jitters other symptoms are chest pains dizziness and shortness of breath and panic attacks stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or stressor anxiety is stress that continues after that stressor is gone stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated angry nervous or even anxious what is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear and is almost always accompanied by feelings of impending doom the source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized which can add to the distress you feel stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life an example of stress is the response we feel when we are frightened or threatened during stressful events our adrenal glands release adrenaline a hormone which activates our body s defense mechanisms causing our hearts to pound read more about conquering stress here

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blood pressure to rise muscles to tense and the pupils of our eyes to dilate a principal indication of increased stress is an escalation in your pulse rate however a normal pulse rate doesn t necessarily mean you aren t stressed constant aches and pains palpitations anxiety chronic fatigue crying over or under eating frequent infections and a decrease in your sexual desire are signs you may notice which indicate you may be under stress of course every time we are under stress we do not react to such an extreme and we are not always under such great duress or fear every time we are confronted with a stressful situation some people are more susceptible than others to stress for some even ordinary daily decisions seem insurmountable deciding what to have for dinner or what to buy at the store is a seemingly monumental dilemma for them on the other hand there are those people who seem to thrive under stress by becoming highly productive being driven by the force of pressure research shows women with children have higher levels of stress related hormones in their blood than women without children does this mean women without children don t experience stress absolutely not it means that women without children may not experience stress as often or to the same degree which women with children do this means for women with children it s particularly important to schedule time for yourself you will be in a better frame of mind to help your children and meet the daily challenge of being a parent once your stress level is reduced anxiety on the other hand is a feeling of unease everybody experiences it when faced with a stressful read more about conquering stress here

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situation for example before an exam or an interview or during a worrying time such as illness it is normal to feel anxious when facing something difficult or dangerous and mild anxiety can be a positive and useful experience however for many people anxiety interferes with normal life excessive anxiety is often associated with other psychiatric conditions such as depression anxiety is considered abnormal when it is very prolonged or severe it happens in the absence of a stressful event or it is interfering with everyday activities such as going to work the physical symptoms of anxiety are caused by the brain sending messages to parts of the body to prepare for the fight or flight response the heart lungs and other parts of the body work faster the brain also releases stress hormones including adrenaline common indicators of excessive anxiety include · diarrhea · dry mouth · rapid heartbeat or palpitations · insomnia · irritability or anger · inability to concentrate · fear of being crazy · feeling unreal and not in control of your actions which is called depersonalization anxiety can be brought on in many ways obviously the presence of stress in your life can make you have anxious thoughts many people who suffer from anxiety read more about conquering stress here

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disorders occupy their minds with excessive worry this can be worry about anything from health matters to job problems to world issues certain drugs both recreational and medicinal can also lead to symptoms of anxiety due to either side effects or withdrawal from the drug such drugs include caffeine alcohol nicotine cold remedies and decongestants bronchodilators for asthma tricyclic antidepressants cocaine amphetamines diet pills adhd medications and thyroid medications a poor diet can also contribute to stress or anxiety -for example low levels of vitamin b12 performance anxiety is related to specific situations like taking a test or making a presentation in public post-traumatic stress disorder ptsd is a stress disorder that develops after a traumatic event like war physical or sexual assault or a natural disaster in very rare cases a tumor of the adrenal gland pheochromocytoma may be the cause of anxiety this happens because of an overproduction of hormones responsible for the feelings and symptoms of anxiety while anxiety may seem a bit scary what s even scarier is that excessive anxiety and stress can lead to depression suffering from depression can be a lifelong struggle as i well know but the good news is that all of this is manageable so let s take a few little quizzes to see if you are suffering from too much stress excessive anxiety or depression quiz time before you begin here let us tell you that we are not medical professionals this information has come from read more about conquering stress here

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reliable sources and isn t meant to be a complete diagnostic tool in any way these quizzes are simply guidelines to help you recognize any problems you might have and be able to effectively deal with those problems because depression can be the most serious of our topics let s start by seeing if you may be depressed keep in mind that everyone has their blue days the thing that separates clinical depression from simple melancholy is that the symptoms occur over a period of time they don t come and go they stay around for awhile and can affect your life adversely ask yourself the following questions answer yes if you ve been feeling this way consistently over a period of two weeks 1 do you find yourself constantly sad 2 are you un-motivated to do simple things like shower clean up the house or make dinner 3 do people tell you you re overly irritable 4 do you have trouble concentrating 5 are you feeling isolated from family and friends even when they are around you 6 have you lost interest in your favorite activities 7 do you feel hopeless worthless or guilty for no reason at all 8 are you always tired and have trouble sleeping 9 has your weight fluctuated significantly read more about conquering stress here

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if you can answer yes to five or more of these questions you could be suffering from clinical depression it is important for you to seek out the help of a medical professional whether that be a doctor or a therapist there are many medications out there that can help with depression i always tried to deny my own depression but once i began taking an anti-depressant i couldn t believe what a difference that one pill a day made it gave me freedom from the black hole i had fallen into and helped me enjoy life again so if you think you are depressed act now you deserve to be happy but this book is about stress and anxiety so let s see if you are overly stressed out ask yourself the following 1 do you worry constantly and cycle with negative selftalk 2 do you have difficulty concentrating 3 do you get mad and react easily 4 do you have recurring neck or headaches 5 do you grind your teeth 6 do you frequently feel overwhelmed anxious or depressed 7 do you feed your stress with unhealthy habits-eating or drinking excessively smoking arguing or avoiding yourself and life in other ways 8 do small pleasures fail to satisfy you 9 do you experience flashes of anger over a minor problem read more about conquering stress here

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