Identifying Stress (Page 2 of 2)

Step 3: Stress That Can Be Avoided

The remainder of your list consists of stresses that you're stuck with, at least for a while. These can be downturns in the economy, traffic, the weather, deadlines at work, aliments of friends, health, getting fit, losing body fat, etc. These stresses can best be handled philosophically, through changes in mental focus (i.e. meditation, imagery, or releasing), compensatory self-improvements (i.e. diet and exercise programs, relaxation sessions, or educational seminars), or spiritual insights.

Stress Signals

Be alert to these quick symptoms that signal that stress may be starting to overload you.

• Your pulse gets unusually rapid. You notice unnecessary muscle tension in your body.
• Your breathing gets shallow, rapid, or irregular.
• You perspire from nervousness or the temperature in your hands drops.
• You lose motivation.

When you notice any of these symptoms, it's time to take some immediate action to identify and manage whatever has caused the stress.

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