This site offers a wealth of information and resources on stress reduction. In order to help you feel supported (and avoid feeling overwhelmed) in your stress reduction efforts, I’ve compiled several different options to help you tailor your experience to your needs. This allows you to receive a little or a lot of information in convenient chunks, keeping you motivated so that stress reduction becomes a regular, simple part of your life. Try a few or all of the following options, and you’ll find it easier to maintain a less stressed lifestyle.
Inbox Options
There are several convenient and free ways of staying connected to the site. These options will enable you to keep stress management in mind on a regular basis, which makes it easier to make stress reduction an automatic part of your life. The following options come straight to your inbox:
- Weekly Newsletter
The About.com Stress Management Weekly Newsletter comes twice a week and is packed with the latest research on stress, as well as quizzes, polls and practical tips on stress relief. It’s one of our most popular features, and allows you to stay up-to-date on all things stress-related.
- E Courses
The free Stress Management E Courses are an excellent way to get a more in-depth focus on a particular stress-related topic. You’ll receive information, ‘homework assignments’ (don’t worry; they’re easy), self-assessment tools and links to discussions related to the e course topics. This format allows you to go a little deeper and work on a topic in baby steps, making it part of your lifestyle.
- Daily Tips
Get a new Stress Relief Daily Tip delivered to your inbox each morning -- a great way to start the day. Each tip is designed to be brief enough to be read quickly, and linked to more in-depth information if you have a little more time during the day -- a simple and effective way to keep stress management part of your daily life.
Feedback Options
If you’re interested making your opinion part of the site, several fun options can allow you to make your voice heard:
- Vote In Polls
We have Fun Stress Polls on all topics related to stress -- everything from ‘How Clean Is Your House?’ to ‘Are You A Perfectionist?’ to ‘How Might Stress Be Affecting Your Health?’ Sharing your opinion in the polls is fun; finding out what others have to say can be even more fun.
- Comments
I blog regularly about all topics related to stress. (You can find my blogs on the Stress Management Homepage.) Each blog offers a ‘comments’ section that invites reader responses. I usually join the conversation when people comment, and comments also lend themselves to exchanges of ideas between readers. While my blogs aren’t usually controversial in nature, they do offer the opportunity for you to share your experiences and thoughts in a more supportive manner. If you have your own website, you’re invited to include the url in your signature.
- Forum
If you have your own topic you’d like to explore with others, the Stress Management Forum is the way to go. You can ask a question, share your experiences, or just meet new friends. I visit every few days, and often post questions for people to discuss. I also work to keep it spam-free and friendly, so it’s a great place to visit.
- Email Me With Questions / Ideas
Have a great idea for an article that you would love to see on my site? You can email me with your idea, and I’ll put it on my list of topics to cover. I try to write about issues that would be most helpful to people. When someone takes the time to write asking about a certain topic, that tells me that people are really passionate about it and want to know more.
On Your Computer
You can use computer options to stay connected to the site and get the most up-to-date information on stress reduction:
- RSS Feeds
Signing up for the Stress Management RSS Feed is a very simple way to get all of the latest information from this site sent directly to your monitor, with links back to all new articles. You can choose to receive the latest headlines (updated daily), see the most popular articles, or both.
- Bookmark
If you find an article you like, just select ‘add bookmark’ on your browser so it’s easy to visit again.
- Follow Me On Twitter
Get daily stress tips, some of which you can't get anywhere else, with Twitter. Here's how.
- Make Stress Management Your Homepage
I generally add a new blog or feature to the site each day. Make About.com’s Stress Management home page (http://stress.about.com) your startup screen, and you can see what’s new on the site as the changes occur. This is a great way to stay up-to-date, and keep stress management in the forefront of your awareness -- a great way to start your day.
Choose Your Browser:
Learn About Yourself
This site is dedicated to helping you overcome the negative effects of stress through fun and informative articles as well as other means. The following are some other options that can provide insight into your own personality and lifestyle to help you address the stress in a way that’s tailored to your specific situation:
- Tests
The stress tests on this site are geared toward helping you discover more about yourself, learn about specific topics related to stress, and find targeted information to help you make changes that will bring less stress to your life. And they’re fun to take, too.
- Polls
As I mentioned above, voting in the polls is a fun tool for self-reflection, and lets you know what other people are thinking and experiencing, both of which can be educational.
- Courses
The Stress Management E Courses offer structured lessons, worksheets, ‘homework,’ quizzes, polls and links to share your views with others, all of which enable you to better explore your experience and make healthy, lasting changes in your life.
With all the options available for ongoing stress reduction support, you should be able to find the perfect combination for your needs. I look forward to 'seeing' more of you. Enjoy!
