Stress Management Blog

With gas and food prices rising, a huge wave of foreclosures continuing, and many Americans deep in debt, many people have been stressed about money. Now with bank troubles showing up as a new potential crisis, financial stress is getting even more common and more intense. If you're worried about money, you're not alone!

While I can't give out cash (oh, wouldn't that be great?), I can give you the next best thing: resources for understanding and dealing with financial stress, and tips for making the most of your money situation. Here goes:

Financial Stress - How It Affects You, and What You Can Do
This article discusses how many people are stressed about money, how that stress affects people, and some general strategies for making the most of your financial situation. If you're stressed about money, start here!

Protecting Your Money
What's the best investment you can make in this economy? Ken Little, About.com's expert in Stocks has a surprising answer: pay off your personal debt first! Read more here.

5 Ways to Save on Gas
Jeremy Vohwinkle, About.com's Financial Planning Guide, has some timely tips on stretching your dollar at the pump. Definitely worth a read!

How Does FDIC Work?
If you're like many people--a little confused about the fall of IndyMac and what this means to bank customers everywhere, About.com's Banking expert, Justin Pritchard, has the scoop on the FDIC and how it works.

Losing Sleep?
If you're stressed and losing sleep over money troubles (or other stresses in your life), this article explains the various ways that stress can rob you of sleep, and provides valuable tips for getting your "z"s--even when stressed!

Stressed about money? Have tips to share on dealing with the stress of financial problems? Come talk about it in the Stress Management Forum!

The other day, I went to a mall with my husband and two kids. They had a band playing swing dance music, and there was a crowd gathered, with a dance floor and several people dancing. Seconds after we slowed our gait, thinking about stopping to watch, an older gentleman came through the crowd, made eye contact with me, and immediately grabbed my hand and took me to the dance floor as if we had some type of understanding, and I actually knew how to dance to swing music.

Normally, I would stress about not knowing this person, possibly not having time for this, and the fact that the last thing I should be doing in front of a crowd is pretending I know how to swing dance. However, this guy was so un-self-conscious and obviously having such a great time (and either oblivious to the fact that I was butchering this dance, or a great actor as well as dancer), that it was contagious.

As I tried not to break an arm or get my hands sweaty from accidentally touching this stranger's back, I started to just let go of my thoughts and enjoy the moment. The music, the dancing and the excitement from the whole experience became a great stress relief.

As I returned to my laughing husband and stunned children, and we continued on through the mall, I thought of how this experience related to stress management in that it contained a few of the stress relievers that I love to share the most: the aforementioned music and dancing (well, exercise), as well as mindfulness (just being in the moment) and maintaining a sense of humor.

Have you had an out-of-the-ordinary stress relief experience lately? Share it in the Stress Management Forum!

I'd like to talk specifically to parents for a minute.

You've now had a few weeks of not having to rush the kids off to school in the morning and into bed at night, pack lunches and worry about homework, and have presumably done several family-fun activities (but are not yet into the enjoy-it-while-it's-still-summer stretch in August). How's your summer going?

Now that the novelty of summer has worn off, many families are experiencing what I sometimes think of as the mid-summer stress: the arguing of bored kids, a perpetually messy house, and a general feeling of, "What now?"

Here are a few excellent resources from my fellow About.com Guides that can help you combat mid-summer stress, with explanations as to why they can help with stress relief. Enjoy!

12 Cures for Summer Boredom
From putting on a play to making a map of the neighborhood, these are some wonderful, creative suggestions from the Gifted Children Guide, Carol Bainbridge. Best of all, they're great for tight budgets!

Make a "What To Do" Box
About.com's Guide to Couponing, Donna Montaldo, has some really creative ideas for "What To Do" boxes--individual boxes that have everything that's required for various creative activities. I love how many of these can be done pretty independently by elementary school kids, and have the feeling of excitement that comes with opening a present. Get your box on!

Summer Reading Lists
Summer reading is a wonderful activity for kids in that it can occupy their bodies, keep their minds active, and can instill a love of reading. (The trick is to surprise them with books, or make the trip to the library an Exciting Event!) Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com's Guide to Children's Books, has a variety of recommended books for kids of all ages--from babies to high schoolers. All you need to supply is a quiet nook...

Age-Appropriate Chore Charts
One terrific way to keep kids occupied--and keep yourself sane at the same time--is to have them help with cleaning. As long as keep things appropriate for their level and build in rewards, it's possible to get kids of all ages to help keep the house beautiful, and you teach them teamwork and self-efficacy at the same time! So throw on some music, use these chore charts for ideas, and maybe you can all go out for ice cream when you're done!

Staycation for Stress Relief!
Need a break? Don't forget that taking a staycation is always an option! Here are some staycation resources for parents and non-parents alike. Have fun!

You may have read from me, or may already innately know, that it's very possible to exacerbate your own stress levels without even realizing it. In the interest of summer relaxation, why not take a closer look at some of the ways you may be unwittingly increasing your stress, and find ways to cut it out? Then, enjoy the rest of the week with a little more inner peace!

5 Ways You May Be Sabotaging Yourself
From negative self talk to using poor communication skills, many people sabotage their own stress levels in one way or another. Check this list of stress-inducers and see if you're unwittingly robbing yourself of peace. Then find simple ways to change your habits for the better!

Quiz: How Full Is Your Glass?
Are you an optimist? You may be surprised! The line between optimistic and pessimistic thinking is drawn differently than many people think. Test your own pattern of seeing the world, and the subtle changes that make a big impact in the way you handle the world!

Type A Traits
Are you Type A? Is someone you know? Because of the significant link between Type A personalities and stress, it's helpful to know the signs, and know how to soften the Type A personality. Here's help with that.

"Aargh! This stress is killing me!"

This is not an unheard of thing to hear someone say. In fact, it's almost somewhat of a cliche' thing to announce at the end of a stressful day or while trying to play Trivial Pursuit with a more worthy opponent. It turns out that it also may be a little more true than the exclaimer may realize.

Recently, researchers from King's College London examined data that show that self-reported stress is associated with increased all-cause mortality in the next 20 years--that stress is, in fact, statistically associated with a higher risk of death from various causes. They've discussed why they believe this may be the case, and present three possible scenarios:

• The stress-mortality link may be due to stress exacerbating already-present risk factors for heart disease and cancer. For example, higher stress is linked with hypertensive heart disease here.)

• The link between stress and immunity is also discussed. A weakened immune system leaves us more susceptible to virtually all diseases and conditions. This could obviously lead us to a greater risk of mortality.

• There could be a third factor that's linked to both stress and mortality--something in the genes. We already know that some people experience stress more intensely than others, that something that wouldn't faze one person might leave another completely overwhelmed or highly stressed. These sensitivities may be linked to increased mortality.

Regardless of why stress is linked with mortality, just knowing that there is a link should be sufficient motivation to renew efforts toward effective stress management. Wherever you are in your stress management journey, these resources should help you along.

Stress Relief Resources from Elizabeth Scott:

• Develop a Stress Relief Plan That Works
  Learn about the various ways that stress can affect you, and find resources for healthy coping.
• Stress Symptom Quiz
  Might stress be affecting your health? This quiz examines various symptoms, and gives you targeted tips for stress relief.
• Ongoing Stress Relief Resources From This Site
  Free e-courses, free newsletter, RSS feeds and more--don't miss out on all this site has to offer!

Also, I invite you to stop by the Stress Management Forum and share your experiences, questions and tips.

_{Source:
Hotopf M, Henderson M, Kuh D. Invited Commentary: Stress and Mortality. American Journal of Epidemiology. July 2, 2008.}

Last night, stress sabotaged my sleep. Not my own stress, but that of my son. This child, brave and confident by day, can at night be scared beyond all reason by things like junebugs, possible mummies ("Are you SURE they're not real, Mom?") and things that only his impressively complex imagination can create. As a result, he's had trouble getting to sleep two nights in a row now, I've awoken two nights in a row to the interesting smell of his feet, and I'm being reminded of the importance of sleep. And the importance of stress management for children (which in the past has helped quite a bit).

There are many things--other than wakeful children--that can rob you of sleep, and many of them are stress related. If you find yourself getting less sleep than you'd like, help is here. The following are sleep resources from me and from other Guides at About.com.

Resources for Better Sleep:

• Stress and Sleep Problems
  As you know, stress can rob you of sleep in several sneaky ways. Here are some common culprits, and how to combat them.

• How Much Sleep Do You Need?
  Here are some important facts on sleep, and resources for getting better sleep when stressed.

• Power Napping for Stress Relief
  This article also provides useful guidelines for catching up on sleep via your secret weapon: the power nap.

• Tips To Help a Gifted Kid Fall Asleep
  This article by Carol Bainbridge is actually pretty applicable to most children and adults; great things to keep in mind.

• About.com's Sleep Disorders Site
  This excellent site covers all of the common ways that sleep problems may manifest themselves in children and adults. It's a great resource for the sleepy among us.

Okay, I'm off to start an adventurous day that will most certainly include a power nap!

Have you heard about 'The Secret', the book on the law of attraction that made headlines last year? Can the Law of Attraction, and the principles outlined in 'The Secret' help you? And, what is the big secret, anyway? These and more questions can be answered here!

Understanding The Law of Attraction
What is the Law of Attraction, and how does it work? Here's a quick introduction to this very intriguing idea, with an analysis of possible reasons behind its observed success.

How To Use The Law Of Attraction
Want to use this in your own life? There are a few things to remember, or you may actually end up attracting into your life more of what you don't want! Read these guidelines on using the Law of Attraction.

Book Review of The Secret
So, what's The Secret all about anyway? Where does the controversy come from? And does it work with stress relief? Get the answers to these questions and more!

Right now, I'm fighting a cold. It's only a minor cold, and it's hardly slowing me down from my regular activities, but I'm certain that if I had gotten better sleep last week, and had better managed my stress, I would have been able to fight off the germs and have been able to stay healthy. (Yes, even those of us who focus heavily on stress management can sometimes get stressed, and virtually all moms find themselves too busy to get enough sleep now and then.) Feeling a little silly for having forgotten some important points on dealing with stress and sleep, I feel compelled to bring this important info to your attention.

You may be surprised to learn all the ways in which stress can impact your health. Here's a refresher course on how stress interacts with your immune system and sleep patterns, and what you can do to stay healthy:

• Stress and Your Health
  Here's more on how stress affects immunity, and the various things that could happen with a too-stressed body.
• How Stress Impacts Your Sleep
  You may be surprised at how many different ways stress can impact your sleep--both quality and quantity. Here's the lowdown on stress and sleep, with resources on getting more shuteye.
• Healthy Habits for Better Sleep
  Here are some habits to adopt into your lifestyle to both decrease stress levels and increase quality sleep.
• How Can Stress Impact Your Health?
  Do you have a firm grasp of the link between stress and health? Test your knowledge on stress and health with this quick quiz.
• How Is Stress Affecting You?
  Would you rather have a quiz that tests your stress levels, tells you where stress may be affecting your health, and supplies you with resources for healthy change? I've got one of those, too. Here it is.

--Elizabeth Scott

For many people (myself included), nothing beats a good supportive ear when the going gets tough. Just the act of telling a supportive friend about what's really stressing you can make problems seem more manageable, and can make you feel less alone in dealing with them. In fact, social support has been shown by numerous research studies to be a great remedy for stress, and is correlated with positive health outcomes, making it a great stress reliever.

The stress-relieving effects of social support, however, can be diminished by hostility. Recent research from Brigham Young University found that, in situations where people were discussing with a friend the negative events that caused them stress, those participants who scored high in hostility (including cynicism and mistrust) had elevated blood pressure compared to the non-hostile participants. This held true both for those giving social support and those receiving it.

This highlights not only the importance of having good listening skills--being a poor listener can actually make a loved one who's baring their soul feel worse rather than better--but of working hard to foster strong, trusting relationships with the people who are close to us, so we can give and receive social support in ways that are good for everyone. The following are some resources that can help.

Relationship Resources from Elizabeth Scott:

• Listening Skills 101
• Communication Skills
• 10 Conflict Resolution Mistakes to Avoid

_{Source:
Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TW, Uchino BN. Can Hostility Interfere with the Health Benefits of Giving and Receiving Social Support? The Impact of Cynical Hostility on Cardiovascular Reactivity During Social Support Interactions Among Friends. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. June 27, 2008.}

If you have a lot going on in your life, these resources are for you. Here are some of the most effective stress relievers for those who lead a hectic lifestyle.

• Build Fast Stress Relief Into Your Lifestyle
  If you don't have time for a new stress management regimen, these stress relievers provide maximum impact for minimal time expenditure. Things like taking your vitamins and playing music in the background, for example, fit nicely into even the busiest lifestyle, but provide surprisingly significant stress relief benefits.

• Listen To Music During Your Regular Activities
  Music has proven health and stress relief benefits, and can be easily used in daily life to relieve stress. Busy people can turn on music during their morning routine, commute to and from work, during dinner, or at other times to relieve stress as they go about their daily activities. It takes virtually no extra time, and provides real benefits. (Learn how to use music in daily life for stress relief).

• Build Quick Exercise Into Your Schedule
  If you're feeling lethargic, a little exercise will actually leave you more energized, not less. While busy people have a hard time fitting exercise into the schedule, there are some tricks that can help you get the exercise you need without spending hours at the gym, such as breaking up exercise into smaller chunks and spacing them out during your day, when you may naturally have time available. Read more to get additional ideas on how to fit exercise into a busy schedule.