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Choose the right Anxiety Treatments That Allow You To Control Your Fears

  • Posted on July 2, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Being the prisoner of an anxiety condition is like being dealt a prison sentence. For most people, it is something that starts heavy breathing, a racing heart and a slew of other symptoms that can be totally overwhelming and often make it difficult to go about their daily lives. Anxiety treatments are the only answer and they must be pursued if you are going to have any quality of life.

What seems like a dire situation is not necessarily the case. There are things that you can do, but it has to start with you actually willing to admit that there is a problem. A common fault of anxiety sufferers is that they try and explain it away as something that everyone has. In a way, they are correct as everyone does have a fear, but the difference is that most people do not allow it to take over their lives.

When you go to seek treatment, more than likely you will be prescribed some kind of medicine. However, this is only one aspect of the treatment and an aggressive therapy of some kind should also be used in order to fight your condition. You will not be able to beat this alone and you need to seek out a doctor’s care to beat it.

While there are many different treatments, something that can very effective is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of therapy forces the patient to be put in situation where they can deal with their fears head on. It may seem intimidating, but if you are going to beat your fear you are going to have to face it.

The most aggressive of all these therapies is evident by its name, exposure therapy. This therapy puts you right in the middle of your fear and asks you to beat it down with the help of a counselor. A common fear is a fear of flying. For this therapy, you would be introduced to flying in steps that would eventually allow you to do it on your own.

Your treatment may start with you getting on a plane without ever leaving the runway or having the doors closed. The next step may be to close the doors and buckle the seatbelt. You then graduate to a quick trip down the runway and then some quick touch and go’s. All the while, you have someone there to support you and get your through the tough times.

However, at some point it is going to be up to you to do this on your own. By going through each step of the process time and again and realizing that nothing will happen, you will be prepared for the final step. You may not even realize it, but your confidence level grows with each baby step and then you are ready to handle your problem.

If you want to get your life back under control and be able to enjoy the world in a way that has never been possible for you, consider cognitive-behavioral therapy to confront your problems and drive your demons away. It may be a little tough going in the beginning, but the effort will be well worth it.

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Article Source: Choose the right Anxiety Treatments That Allow You To Control Your Fears

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Anxiety Attacks While Driving

  • Posted on July 2, 2009 at 12:35 pm

Do you have a history of having panic and anxiety attacks? If yes, certainly this has been hampering you from functioning well and doing things that you normally do everyday. However, you don’t want this to happen so you try your best to still function well in the society.

Nevertheless, there are situations that you could not control, one of which is having anxiety attacks while driving. This is very dangerous because obviously, you might meet an accident when this happens.

So how could you avoid anxiety attacks while driving, you ask? Here are some steps you could do to avoid this:

1.Keep your mind away from the act of driving itself. If you are too preoccupied and self-conscious about your driving, you would grow anxious about your every move. You would start to palpitate, hyperventilate, feel nauseated, and would experience extreme sweating. You would be fearful of losing control of the steering wheel and the car itself. To prevent this from happening, you must not get too focused on your driving task. Instead, enjoy the scenery or think of nice thoughts to keep your mind away from driving.

2.Bring something in your car that would keep your mind off the action of driving the car. Perhaps turning on the radio or playing an audio CD would do the trick.

3.Have some snacks to bring with you should you feel the urge to munch on something at a given moment. This would make you less focused on your driving action.

4.Keep a mobile phone with you always so that you would have a general sense of confidence and security while inside the car.

However, there might come a point when you experience anxiety attacks while driving and you weren’t able to avoid it. Don’t fret because there are some emergency steps you could take:

1.Don’t continue driving. Instead, pull over and open your window or get out of your car. In this way, you would feel less restricted.

2.Practice breathing exercises to calm you down.

3.Paper bags should come in handy so have some in your car in case you hyperventilate.

4.Bring your medicine and water with you always.

Chances are if your having panic anxiety attacks while driving you also suffer them in other situations. Here are some more tips for coping with panic attacks in your daily life.

Article Source: Anxiety Attacks While Driving

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Understanding How Stress affects you and your health.

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:20 pm

Understanding Stress

What is stress? Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Effects

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Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.

10 Tips For Beating Exam Stress

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

1 Good Food
In the run up to the SATS, make sure your child gets plenty of energy boosting foods. Eggs can help memory, concentration and emotional balance. Try and include some raw vegetables in every meal, so they get plenty of vitamins and minerals.

2 Exercise
It is essential that your child gets out and has plenty of exercise during this time. Exercise stimulates the cerebellum part of the brain, which is responsible for learning and is also a fantastic stress buster! Encourage your child to run and play in the garden, or cycle/skateboard/take a walk in the park.

3 Breathe Deeply
Breathing deeply is a very effective way to stay calm. Encourage your child to take deep breaths right down into their stomach. Deep breaths are a fantastic way of staying calm in during the SATS, especially if they feel their mind going blank. Try this simple breathing exercise: Take in a deep breath, put your lips together to make a small O and let out a soft slow and steady breath. See if you can blow out all the old air in your lungs. Now take in a deep breath, filling your lungs with new clean air. Repeat this exercise 2 or 3 times. There are plenty more breathing exercises in the Relax Kids CD Relax and De-stress and How are You feeling Today CDs.

4 Sunlight
Make sure your child is getting enough sunlight. We are constantly being warned about the dangers of the sun, but it is important to remember that although over-exposure to strong sunlight is harmful, sunlight provides us with Vitamin D. Ten minutes of daily exposure to the sun is enough to supply them with all the vitamin D they need. It will also make them feel relaxed and cheerful as sunlight stimulates the pineal gland.

5 Staying Positive
It is so easy for children to feel stressed and pressured and then only see the negative aspects of life. It is important to encourage them to be good to themselves and not ‘beat themselves up’. Making a list of five things that they have done that they are proud of and their top five qualities, will put them in a better frame of mind. As parents, it is important to keep praising good behaviour and achievements. You may like to use the Relax Kids Star Cards or Mood Cards, Star Poster or Star stickers.

6 Visualisation
Olympic athletes and professional musicians practice visualisation exercises where they imagine they are winning a race or playing perfectly. By mentally rehearsing what is about to happen prepares the body and mind for the stressful event. Ask your child to imagine they are sitting at their desk, feeling very calm and relaxed and answering all the questions easily.

7 Affirmations
Affirmations work in a similar way to visualisations, in that they help put your child in a positive state of mind. Get your child to try this exercise: Sit or stand up straight and smile, and say to themselves ten times, while breathing in and out slowly “I am relaxed, I am in control, I confident and I can do it.” Try listening to the Relax Kids I am Wonderful CD.

8 Don’t Panic!
When a child is anxious and stressed, he/she is less able to concentrate and perform well. Encourage your child not to get too stressed. Explain calmly that, even though these tests are important, they should not worry about them. There is no need for them to panic as that does not help as, all as the tests are not the ‘be all and end all’ – and as long as the children do their best, they will be OK.

9 Sleep
It is vital that your child gets enough sleep during this stressful time. Without sufficient sleep, children can feel tired, cranky, clumsy and moody. They will be less likely to think properly and so will find remembering things more difficult. Most children between 5-12 need between 9.5 to 11 hours sleep per night to function well. Teaching your child simple relaxation techniques will help them sleep peacefully and wake up fresh and happy. Some parents leave music playing or a Relax Kids CD such as Nature or Relax and De-stress, to ensure children get a sound nights sleep.

10 Relax
Teaching children how to relax is so important during this time. Here are two simple relaxation exercises to read to your child at night, or whenever they are feeling stressed:

‘Elastic Band.’ Close your eyes, be very still and imagine your body is a piece of elastic. Just relax to start with and enjoy being a floppy piece of elastic. Allow your legs to be floppy and relaxed, let your arms be floppy and relaxed, let your stomach be floppy and relaxed and finally, let your neck and head be floppy and relaxed. Now, very slowly imagine someone is very gently tugging your head and someone else is pulling your feet at the same time. And the elastic is becoming tighter. Your muscles are becoming more taut. Your whole body is getting longer and longer. Enjoy this wonderful stretching feeling as you are growing longer. Then … ping….let all the muscles in your body relax as the elastic band is released. Relax back to being a floppy bendy piece of elastic again. Enjoy this wonderful feeling of being totally relaxed and floppy.

‘Big Balloon.’ Close your eyes, be very still and imagine that you are holding a big balloon. It is very light. It feels very smooth. The balloon is in your favourite colour. Now, hold the bottom of your balloon, and feel the balloon gently rising into the sky. Each time you breathe in and out, you gently glide further and further into the warm summer sky. The deeper your breath is, the further you can travel. Enjoy this feeling of weightlessness. Enjoy the feeling of being completely free. Your body feels weightless and free and your mind feels totally free.

Extracts from The Wishing Star, Nature CD and Quiet Spaces CD

http://www.relaxkids.com/library/article.aspx?number=22

Article Source: 10 ‘Top Tips’ For Beating Exam Stress

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What Are the Best Treatments For Panic Attacks

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

Panic attacks can hit you anytime, anywhere. Suddenly, you are swamped by symptoms such as rapid heart pounding, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, etc. You are overwhelmed by fear and you feel like you are going to die right then and there. Left untreated, sufferers can develop unhealthy and irrational fear that may cause them to avoid normal daily activities or social events. But panic attack is one of the most treatable condition, and with the proper treatment, you can reduce or completely eliminate panic attacks and regain control of your life.

As mentioned previously, most panic attack sufferers will develop certain level of irrational fear and avoidance. For example, they may have a panic attack when they are in a crowded area and they start to develop a phobia toward social gatherings. Even if you do not develop these phobias, panic attack sufferers will display a common symptom – the persistent fear of having another panic attack.

This fear of having another panic attacks is the main culprit and source of all your problems. Thus, the best treatments for panic attacks should be targeted at eliminating this fear and it can be done with cognitive and behavioral therapies.

For example, sufferers may have this nagging worry that their panic attacks cause them to “go crazy” or worse, induce a heart attack. The “cognitive” aspect would come into play here as it can help sufferers to replace those thoughts will a more positive and realistic way of viewing panic attacks.

The “behavioral” aspect would focus more on exposure to the physical sensations of a panic attack and learning the appropriate coping method. With each exposure, sufferers become less afraid of these internal bodily sensations and feel a greater sense of control over their panic reaction.

Fortunately, this type of treatment is largely informational and you can even do them on your own.

Learn more about Anxiety/Panic Disorder Treatment now and eliminate your panic attacks permanently!

Article Source: What Are the Best Treatments For Panic Attacks

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Best Treatments For Panic Attack

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

Panic attacks can strike out of the blue, and without any clear reason for the attack. One moment you are watching TV, cooking or even driving and in the next instant, you are hit by a barrage of uncomfortable physical symptoms and you are convinced that something terrible is about to happen to you. Left untreated, panic attacks will eventually lead to panic disorder.

If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks but you don’t know about it, you can end up seeing numerous doctors, only to be told that you are perfectly fine and you are not given any help or information. This can lead to confusion and increases your fear of the “mysterious condition” that you are suffering from.

A full blown panic attack can lead to the following physical symptoms:

- Rapid heart pounding

- Muscles tension and pain

- Difficulty in breathing

- Headaches

- Cold sweats

- Dizziness

In addition, you will also feel the following “emotional symptoms”:

- Fear of dying

- Fear of going mad or crazy

- Feeling unreal, like you are out of your body

- Depersonalization, feeling unreal

Panic attack is a perfectly treatable condition and it possible to stop them without any medication. The best and most effective treatment for panic attacks is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a method that seeks to modify or eliminate troublesome thought patterns that triggers your panic attack. In simpler terms, CBT helps you to look at your fears realistically; it changes your negative thoughts and feelings into positive ones.

CBT is split into 2 aspects, behavioral and exposure. The behavioral portion involves learning how to relax during periods of high anxiety – this can includes relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. For the exposure portion, if you have been avoiding a particular place or situation, you will be exposed to the feared situation and given the opportunity to learn how to cope with them.

For example, if a patient approaches a feared situation, he will be persuaded to stay – despite his rising anxiety. Thus, the patient will realize that frightening his feelings may be, he is not in any danger. Eventually, he will gradually overcome his fears as he knows that he is never in any real danger and there is nothing to be afraid of.

Discover the best Treatment For Anxiety Attacks and regain control of your life now!

Article Source: Best Treatments For Panic Attack

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Enjoying Stress With Stress Management Games

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

When stress turns into something really overwhelming, the body takes the toll –different body parts start to “fall off” ensuing in overall collapse of its administration. Stress management games are intended to prevent such situation. Depending upon one’s need for countering stress, a lot of new methods for stress management have been formulated –stress management games perform a significant role. With this technique, permanent relief of stress is excluded, but one is able to accomplish partial results.

According to various researchers, it has been proven that stress management games play a vital part in relieving stress and “scores” over other conventional approaches in conquering stress. However, stress management games need not be the “hard games” such as cricket and football. It can be in more relaxing forms such as swimming, which is an excellent stress reliever; even showering longer while singing as loudly as you like, or dancing around the house, are great stress relievers.

For those who don’t want to get out of a room to handle their stress, they still have options. The all-time “stress giver” Internet, also has alternatives for stress relief –play online competitions, multi-player games, or computer games, and one can find much drop in one’s stress levels.

A lot of stress management games are formulated for the advantage of employees, students, and those managerial people. The competitive arena of these individuals has made their world a more stressful one, and so the need to take useful and effective approaches to reduce stress is important.

Among the many stress management games that has been created for employees to make a fictional understanding of stress include Apprentice Team Game, Free New Team Game, Millionaire team Game, Free Spiderweb Team Game, Amazing Race Team Game, Team Building, and Survivor Team Game.

These games and techniques have had a lot of positive aspects. The new processes, technical advances, and ways, have shaped new forms of stresses, and so it is but normal for new sorts of games to relax the mind and body to be designed. These games give three elemental benefits – exercise, fun, and accomplishing objectives. The interaction between employees through these platforms, have gone a long way to lessen the burdens of stress.

Stress management games should serve two purposes; to give the individual some mental diversion, and some physical activity. A person’s final goal is to recognize his or her stress’s root causes. After stress management games session, one should think calmly about this phase.

Get more information about Motivational and NLP Hypnosis at Articlegrow.com.

Learn more about Goal Setting and Grief Loss at Articlegrow.com.

Article Source: Enjoying Stress With Stress Management Games

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Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks: Don’t Suffer any longer

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

It is true, we all feel anxious from time to time. Everybody gets nervous before a big test, the championship game, a really good looking date, and obviously speaking in front of a lot of people. However, if the anxiousness you feel is too much to handle, you are probably going through anxiety attacks. I want to talk to you about the physical symptoms of anxiety attacks so you can tell if you are having one.

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks

* Fatigue
* Headaches
* Hot flashes
* Trouble sleeping
* Dizziness
* Feel like you are going crazy
* Nausea
* Shaking
* Sweating
* Fast heart rate

Now here are a few of the emotional symptoms of an anxiety attack

* Being overly nervous
* Self conscious or insecure with yourself
* Constantly feeling “on the edge”
* Feeling uneasy all day long

Those are the most common symptoms of anxiety attacks, but there are many more. What should you do if you are having an anxiety attack? Obviously you need to stay calm and relax, the more you focus on your attack the worse you will get. Breathe slowly and try to learn some techniques that will help you when you feel like you are about to get one.

If you have been experiencing some of those symptoms for over six months the odds are almost 100% that anxiety attacks are happening. You need to take control of them before they take control of you. The best way to take control of your panic attacks is to have a plan of action.

When it comes to anxiety attacks, you should not take them lightly. If panic attacks get worse they can become extremely dangerous. Remember, those are just some of the Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks, you could be having some other symptoms that are not listed. Take control of you panic attacks before they take control of you. Visit http://www.physical-symptoms-of-anxiety-attacks.blogspot.com for information of a program called Panic Away.

Article Source: Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks: Don’t Suffer any longer

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Stress Management Tips And Advice For Adults

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

This has to stop; you can not keep living life in this way. It is no good for you and it is no good for your family. This constant stressed out state of mind is having a seriously damaging affect on your life; it is time you found a solution.

Does the above paragraph sound familiar? Is life starting to get you down? Does it sometimes feel like you are in a rut? Does it sometimes feel like you have nothing to look forward to? Does it sometimes feel like you have nothing to live for?

If you have answered any of the above questions in the positive then I fully comprehend what you are going through – around three years ago I would have answered all of them in the positive!

So how did I manage to turn my life around? Well I was rather fortunate to meet an elderly gentleman at my local social club. On one particular evening he stated to me that he thought that I looked rather depressed and stressed out. He then continued to give me some words of wisdom.

He stated that I should write down everything that I think is good about my life and also everything that I think is bad about my life. When comparing the two lists, he suggested, I should soon realise that life is not so bad after all – he was right.

He continued that I needed to start thinking in a much more positive and upbeat manner. I have been trying to do this ever since and it certainly does help.

He finally stated that I should start to watch the news to learn just how lucky I am in comparison to people who live in Iraq or Afghanistan for example – it certainly does open your eyes and in a strange way has helped me to become more fulfilled.

Steve Hill is a webmaster from Birmingham, he has interests in a number of websites including:
stuttering information
lower call charges
DVD replication

Article Source: Stress Management Tips And Advice For Adults

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How to Recognize the Signs of a Panic Attack

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm

Panic attack is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience. The signs of an impending panic attack can include the following: tremendous waves of fear, rapid heartbeat and increase in breathing rate. A fully fledged panic attack (within 1-2 minutes after the initial signs) will amplify the above symptoms, you chest starts to hurt, you are finding it difficult to breathe, you start feel dizzy and you sense that something terrible is about to happen and you are powerless against it.

Despite the uncomfortable sensations, you need to understand that panic attack is not an illness, it is a behavioral condition. Therefore, you cannot die or even be harmed by these symptoms. In fact, they are nothing more than your body’s natural reaction during periods of high anxiety. They are disturbing, painful and terrifying – but harmless!

The downside of these symptoms is that your body will feel tired and fatigue after the end of your panic episode. You may continue to feel muscles tension and stiffness in your chest, neck and shoulders. Your chest may continue to feel tight and you continue to be short of breath.

However, do not let panic attacks get the better of you and let it rule over your life. Most sufferers can be so traumatized by the incident that they start avoiding places of situation which they “think” or “feel” might trigger their panic attacks. This is a wrong approach as it will not stop your panic attacks in the slightest bit, as a matter of fact, it only serves to reinforce your fears and make you more susceptible to another panic attack.

In essence, remember that anxiety and panic attacks are nothing more than your body’s natural panic reaction. You are supposed to feel and react this way when you are in danger – it needs to be there. Panic attack is just a confused bodily sensation, there is no visible danger but your brain perceived otherwise and sends out a wrong signal – a mistake. Do not reinforce and continue to repeat that mistake by exaggerating the symptoms into MAJOR significance.

Discover the Best Treatment For Panic Attack and regain control of your life now!

Article Source: How to Recognize the Signs of a Panic Attack

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