Stress Management Strategies - 5 Ways to Manage Stress and Increase Happiness and Fulfillment

By Jenna Beneck

Managing stress is an essential skill to possess in today's "Have It All" society. There is often a fine balance between fulfillment and overload and, if you get this wrong, you will soon start to feel those familiar symptoms of a tense, exhausted body and a fuzzy mind. You can use these 5 stress management strategies in your daily life to ensure that your stress doesn't get out of control and help you to live a happier, more fulfilled life:

Live a healthy lifestyle

Good nutrition and adequate sleep are an essential element in your stress management strategies toolbox. You may think that you can achieve more by drinking coffee to stay awake and then sleep better by drinking alcohol, but the reality is that these drugs will take their toll on your health over time. Evidence suggests that you would probably achieve more and sleep better by using meditation.

People who are stressed often do not eat properly. They may skip meals and live on junk food. This causes additional physiological stress as their bodies do not get the nutrition that they need which can lead to illness and lack of energy. Certain vitamins are depleted when we are stressed and it may be a good idea to take supplements in times of stress. Also, drink more water, instead of coffee, tea and alcohol to feel cleansed and refreshed.

Live in the present moment

This is important for your happiness and fulfillment as well as a helpful way to manage stress. Take time to stop and see the beauty of the world we live in. Wonder and marvel at what is all around us. Live in the present moment and enjoy it as best you can.

Don't hold onto the past. Forgive others instead of bearing grudges against them. Life's too short and we are all doing the best that we can with the experience that we have, most of us quite unskillfully.

Stop wishing you were somewhere in the future. Don't put off being happy until you have that new partner or new job or whatever else you are hankering after.

Happiness is a state of mind. Accept and be happy with what you've got now. Then change anything you don't like. Make a plan. Do one thing at a time. Be fully present in everything you do.

Take time out to relax

So much is expected of us now, and it's easy to find yourself busy from dawn to dusk. As part of your stress management strategies, set time aside each day to do something for you that will relax you and that you will enjoy. Quite often, relaxation is just a habit, and if we stop making time for it, we will quickly find ourselves unable to relax at all. Whether it's watching the television, going for a long walk, a sport or hobby, or simply a long soak in the bath, give yourself a break and make sure your relaxation time is a top priority.

De-clutter your life

"Mess is stress" and if you are a hoarder whose house is full of unnecessary clutter, then this will add to your stress levels. You won't be able to find the things that you need and you will feel swamped in "stuff". If it's not functional then you don't need it, so get rid. When you clear out the junk, you will be surprised at how much lighter your mind feels as you look around you at a clearer space. While you are at it, clear out those people who bring you down or don't add value to your life. Make some space for new, positive people who will add to your happiness and fulfillment.

Know your limitations

You can't achieve everything that you perhaps want to, if there aren't enough hours in the day. Stress management strategies are important but you need to be realistic and learn to prioritise. Learn to say no to other people when you need time for yourself. Make sure you get your relaxation time, whatever else is going on in your life. If you've got too much that needs doing, decide what you can realistically achieve in a day and let go of the rest. It will still be there tomorrow. If you cling on to the need to get everything done perfectly, you will give yourself additional stress.



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Tony Robbins: How To Have More Energy For Life

"... not talk to about how to do this, we are going to figure out why to, because eighty percent success in anything is psychology and 20 percent is mechanics"

By the way, for those of you who live in the UK Tony Robbins is coming to London in March 2014

Drink and Be Merry

By Barry McDonagh


Today I want to look at something so simple and yet equally powerful in alleviating the symptoms of general anxiety. This tip also helps reduce the frequency and strength of panic attacks.

Fresh Drinking Water

There is no quicker way to significantly reduce general anxiety than adopting good eating and drinking habits. One of the most easily implemented and effective additions to your diet is fresh water.

Water is a great quencher of thirst but more importantly here -a great quencher of anxiety.

Nearly every function of the body is monitored and pegged to the efficient flow of water through our system. Water transports hormones, chemical messengers, and nutrients to vital organs of the body.

When we don’t keep our bodies well hydrated, they may react with a variety of signals… some of which are symptoms, of anxiety. Here is some interesting information about water


1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so
weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism
as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for
almost all of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Regular fresh drinking water is a vital ingredient to your diet. This is something the medical profession has been telling us for years. When we are dehydrated our cells can feel this at a molecular level and communicate this to the subconscious as an underline subtle anxiety or threat to survival.

The key to rebalancing a deficit of fluids is to drink eight glasses of fresh water daily.
Have you noticed the effects of dehydration on your emotions before? If you have ever suffered from a serious hangover after a night out on the town, you will understand the feeling of dehydration all too well.

Hangovers result from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the “the hangover fear”. This is a heightened sense of anxiety and jumpiness that results from the dehydration of hangover.

The surest way for someone who suffers from high anxiety to experience yet more anxiety, is to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and wait for the hangover to set in the following day.

It is important to be aware that dehydration is a factor that contributes to anxiety and nervousness. The good news is that it is easily remedied by drinking regular fluids. Personally, I have found that not only does regular intake of water ward off any subtle feelings of anxiety, but it is also incredibly useful for building stamina and avoiding fatigue. Give this some real consideration. Simply increasing the amount of fresh water you drink is a very easy step to incorporate into your daily routine. Most of us fall short of consuming the recommended amount.

Always remember that there is a lot of hope for an immediate and successful recovery from all forms of panic attacks and anxiety disorders. You can have the life of your dreams – Anxiety does not have the right to steal that hope from you.

Sometimes taking very small steps can lead to massive improvements. One of my favorite writers wrote about how everyone should approach their problems with the same philosophy as the woodpecker.

Keep chipping away at it and eventually the whole damn tree will collapse!



Barry McDonagh PanicAway.com

To learn more about how to end panic attacks and general anxiety fast then Click Here

All material provided is for informational or educational purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.

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Taking a Chance on Healthy Living!

By: Dan Farrell

One of the most important aspects of living a healthy and prosperous life is understanding "risk." By this I mean knowing how to understand and analyze situations in life that affect health. Being able to accurately weigh benefits and risks when making health decisions is very important! Too often decisions are based on incomplete or inaccurate information and this is a huge mistake with significant consequences! Failure to accurately assess risk keeps people locked in all kinds of unhealthy situations including poor eating and exercise habits (lifestyle), relationships and jobs. Sometimes people are just afraid to step out and make a change. They see "risk" in making a change when the REAL risk comes from NOT making a change.

From my perspective, living with the stress, unhappiness and frustration of indecision and poor health is the greatest risk of all, and one that is definitely not worth taking! Accessing "risk" is nothing more than collecting information, weighing the alternatives and then making appropriate decisions based on the information. Some risks to our health are more "real" than others. For example, it is common knowledge that obesity is associated with a wide variety of health problems. On the other hand, there are some health risks that are so remote we rarely think about them. On a practical level, eating highly processed foods and avoiding a daily dose of fresh fruits and vegetables is rarely considered serious. But, as too many have already discovered, the long range consequences of this practice are real and devastating. Failure to accurately assess risk limits us in many ways. We imagine the "risk" of talking with our children about drugs, dating or sex and we put off having the "talk," even though the risks of NOT talking are infinitely greater. Fear of flying and public speaking are two more "risks" affecting millions of people. But practically speaking, these fears are unfounded. People ride in cars every day, even though cars are far more dangerous than commercial aircraft! It's a failure to accurately assess risk, and it limits our health, prosperity and pleasure in life.

The goods news is that failure to accurately access risk is reversible! The effects of those decisions to eat inappropriately or NOT to exercise are, as the common expression goes, "do-overs." We can effect positive change in our lives by following a few simple steps to accurately access risk:

1. Accurately define your present situation and access your health "risks". Are you eating a healthy diet? Are you getting enough exercise and good quality sleep? What are the consequences if you DON'T change? Weigh the benefits of healthier living vs the potential risks such as increased cost, inconvenience or discomfort.

2. What do you stand to gain if you change your present circumstances? Assess the "up-side" potential. Too often we look only at the "downside" risk and forget the benefits. What good things might happen if you take the risk and win?

3. Limit the "down-side" if you happen to make a wrong decision. Don't continue down a path if it does not produce results. This is especially important when following weight loss programs. If the pounds are not coming off or if the weight loss is only temporary, find a new program! You not only want to lose weight, but want to sustain the weight loss for as long as possible. Take steps to ensure this will happen. Clear, concise, realistic objectives will definitely help.

4. Reduce your risk by being smart! Understand the situation and seek the advice of experts in the field of health and nutrition. This includes finding and forming partnerships to receive support and get good advice.

5. Have a fall-back position. If the decision you make fails to produce the desired results, be prepared to take a long, hard look at the circumstances and be prepared to change what you are doing.

Everything in life involves some element of risk. Driving your car, meeting someone new, crossing the street...but we do them every day. Winners in life are willing to accept the risk and continue on their way! Get involved, be smart about how you play the game, come prepared for a few failures along the way, but don't quite. You will reap the benefits for your effort and live a happier and healthier life. I like to remember the words of the great Winston Churchill when he said, "Never, never, never give up!"  

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