Once you've identified the stressors in your life, you're on your way to developing a stress-management plan. You'll want to find healthy ways to manage stress and turn them into strategies that become a habitual part of your life. Keep in mind that there are many books, tapes, and classes (check your local hospital) that can help you manage stress, but following are some tips to get you started.

Evaluate Your Coping Strategies

How do you normally cope with stress? Do you reach for a cigarette or a submarine sandwich? There are a myriad of unhealthy coping strategies, including overeating, oversleeping, and drugs. Coping strategies should add to your state of happiness and well-being.

Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

There is no question that exercise, good nutrition, and sleep habits go a long way in helping you deal with stress. Exercise is a good way to relieve pent-up tension, and eating right keeps enough fuel in your tank to help you manage whatever comes your way. Being tired can aggravate stress and often makes things seem worse than they really are.

Be Good to Yourself

Never underestimate the benefits of nurturing yourself. There is nothing like a long bath after a hard day, a weekend spent fishing with the guys, or a night out with your spouse to put things in perspective. When you don't replenish your internal wells, your spirit dries up and you have little left to give to others. You should do something you enjoy every day, whether it's walking in nature, reading a book, or taking a yoga class. Connecting with others and indulging your sense of humor are also good ways to nurture yourself. See this as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Keep a Journal

Writing every day is a good way to transfer stress and hash out your feelings. It will also help you to identify stressors. Look for common patterns or themes and strategize ways to handle things differently. Journaling is a great opportunity for self-discovery.

Stress-Management Techniques

If you haven't caught on yet, exercise and diet are definitely good for a healthy lifestyle. You might be wondering what else you can do to put a lid on stress, once you get the jumping jacks started and the salad dressed. Quite a few of these techniques are mentioned in Chapter 14, but here is a quick look at them for you to contemplate which strategies may be a good fit for you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Studies have shown that CBT can have a long-term effect on one's ability to cope with stress. The participants in one study who received CBT training had significantly reduced stress responses compared with participants who had no training. CBT may be particularly helpful when the source of stress is chronic pain or a chronic illness. CBT strives to teach you to identify and change your response to sources of stress and to find better ways to cope with it. If this type of therapy interests you, find a therapist who specializes in CBT.

Essential

There is no way to directly measure stress, but its effects on the body can be measured. Heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rates can all indicate what level of stress an individual is experiencing. These symptoms are not always perceptible, however. Biofeedback is a good way to learn how your body reacts to stress.

Relaxation Methods

Stress is a part of modern life; avoiding it completely isn't possible. A certain amount of stress can be found in every workplace and in every home. Learning some simple relaxation methods can help you handle the common stressors of everyday life. When you're in a relaxed state, blood pressure, muscle tension, respiration rate, and pulse rate decrease in your body and emotional strain begins to cease. Here are a few relaxation methods to consider:

• Imagery. The idea behind this relaxation technique is to use your imagination to conjure up the most relaxing scene you can think of.

• Music and relaxation tapes. If you're too tired to concentrate, listening to calming music or popping in a prepared tape is a passive way to relax.

• Meditation. Research has shown that meditation is a good tool for managing stress. The idea behind this technique is to calm your body by focusing the mind for a sustained period of time.

• Yoga. This mind-body technique is getting a lot of press these days as studies have shown that it's effective for all sorts of conditions, including chronic stress. Yoga teams deep breathing with stretching, which may create balance in the body.

• Deep breathing. Even taking two minutes to do some deep-breathing exercises can relieve stress. Take slow, deep breaths and focus on relieving any tension you feel in your muscles.

It is well known that strong emotional and social support is integral to managing stress. Laboratory studies show that when subjects are subjected to stress, emotional support reduces the usual sharp rise in blood pressure and increased secretion of damaging stress-related hormones. Developing a strong support network isn't just a good idea — it's important to your health.