The Knowledge for Life Series
Stress Management for You
by
Henry S. Miller
President, The Henry Miller Group
Author, The Serious Pursuit of Happiness: Everything You Need to Know to Flourish and Thrive
Author, Inspiration for the Pursuit of Happiness: Wisdom to Guide your Journey to a Better Life
Stress Management for You
Copyright © 2013 – 2014 • Henry S. Miller • All Rights Reserved.
The Henry Miller Group LLC • P.O. Box 1537 • Los Gatos, CA 95031
www.millergroup.com
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Stress Management for You
Introduction
W
elcome to The Knowledge for Life Series – a series of white papers
addressing some of the most common challenges that face each of us in this
21st century world – and the valuable knowledge, tools, and proven
techniques to deal with them. The goal of these white papers is to provide you with
additional tools that you can add to your life’s “toolkit” to better help you flourish and thrive
in your life so you can live the happiest and most fulfilling life possible for you.
In this paper, Stress Management for You, we will cover the definition of stress, an
overview of stress management in general terms, who is most susceptible to stress and
what are the factors that increase the risk of stress, symptoms of excess stress to be on the
lookout for, nine proven stress management strategies to better help you cope with and
manage stress, eight immediate stress-busters that you can use right away if needed, and
last, the concept of “eustress” or “good stress.”
Definition of Stress
A
s most of us know from first-hand experience by now, stress is defined as any
physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest – a
feeling of emotional or physical tension.
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Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins,
illnesses, pain after surgery, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension
are numerous and varied – and usually occur in situations that people consider difficult or
challenging. And, different people consider different situations to be stressful.
Stress is not just psychological stress, but can be any force that impairs the stability and
balance of bodily functions. Often, physical stress leads to emotional stress. And emotional
stress often appears as physical stress (e.g. stomach cramps, headaches, etc.).
If stress disrupts body balance and function, then is all stress bad? The answer is: not
necessarily. We’ll talk about “good stress” (or “eustress”) later, but, for now, mild stress
and tension can sometimes be beneficial. For example, when we feel mildly stressed when
working hard on a project, we are often compelled to do a good job, focus better, and work
energetically. Similarly, exercising can produce a temporary stress on our body, but in a
good way. It is only when stress is overwhelming or poorly managed that its negative
effects appear.
Once you realize these facts, the goal becomes the effective management of life’s stresses,
not their avoidance or elimination.
Overview of Managing Stress
F
irst, the elimination of stress is an unrealistic goal. Stress is a part of a normal life
and you can’t really avoid it: the bills keep coming in, there will never be enough
hours in the day to do everything you need to do, and your job, career, and/or
family responsibilities will always be demanding.
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But, you have more control over your life than maybe you realize.
In fact, the simple realization that you are in control of your life
is the foundation of successful stress management for you.
The good news is that the successful management of stress is an attainable and realistic
goal that can be achieved by a number of strategies. In general terms:
 Managing stress is all about controlling and reducing the tension you feel in stressful
situations – often by taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule,
environment, and the way you deal with problems.
 People with strong social support networks report less stress and fewer negative
symptoms of stress than those who lack social support.
 Stress management techniques to help manage stress include hundreds of different
relaxation techniques, time-management skills, professional counseling or group
therapy, exercise, and techniques to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.
 In the long term, the ultimate goal is a balanced life where you have time for work,
relationships, relaxation, and play – plus the resilience to hold up under the
inevitable pressures of life today – and tomorrow – and the skills and abilities to
meet challenges head on.
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Susceptibility to Stress
Who is Most Susceptible to Stress?
S
tress comes in all forms and affects people of all ages in all walks of life. And,
unfortunately, there are no external standards that can be applied to predict
stress levels in individuals. For example, you don’t need a traditionally stressful
job to experience workplace stress. And a parent of one child may experience more stress
related to parenting than a parent of several children.
The degree of stress we feel in our lives is highly dependent on individual factors such as:
 Our attitude
People with negative attitudes often report more stress than someone with a positive
attitude. Our attitude can influence whether or not a situation or emotion is stressful.
It’s amazing, but true: just thinking a negative thought about yourself causes your
body to react as if it were in a tension-filled situation. On the other hand, if you think
good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good and positive.
 Our physical health
 The level of outside interests we have
People with no outside interests, hobbies, or other ways to relax may be less able to
handle stressful situations.
 The quality of our interpersonal relationships
 The number of commitments and responsibilities that we carry
 The degree of others’ dependence upon and expectations of us
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 The amount of support we receive from others
Almost everyone needs someone in their life they can rely on when times get tough.
Having little or no support can make stressful situations even more difficult to deal
with.
And,
 The number of changes or traumatic events that have recently occurred in our lives
Factors that Increase the Risk of Stress?
S
tress occurs differently for different people, but here are some general factors
that can increase the risk of stress:
 People who lack strong social support networks consisting of family, friends,
religious organizations, or other social groups
 People who are poorly nourished: a poor diet puts your body in a state of physical stress
and weakens the immune system so you can be more likely to get infections. A poor
diet can also mean unhealthy food choices, not eating enough, or not eating on a
normal schedule. Not getting the right nutrition may affect the way the brain
processes information and can decrease your ability to deal with emotional stress.
 People who are not sufficiently physically active: not enough activity can put the body in
a stressed state – while physical activity can promote a feeling of well-being.
 People who get inadequate sleep: your body recovers from stress while you sleep.
 People who are physically unwell and have reduced capabilities to handle the pressures
and stresses of everyday life
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 People going through the common stresses of the various predictable life transition
phases including childhood, teen years, college students, working parents, and
seniors
 People who are caregivers providing care for elderly or infirm loved ones
 People who have a loved one or family member who is under a great deal of stress often
increases their own stress levels as well
 People whose lifestyle is stressful: the lifestyle itself may not cause stress, but it can
prevent your body from recovering from it. A common example here are the hardcharging, Type A personalities among us.
Symptoms of Excess Stress
M
anifestations of excess stress or stress that is being poorly managed can be
extremely varied.
Frequent complaints include reports from individuals that stress causes:
√ Headaches
√ Sleep disturbances
√ Feelings of anxiety or tension, anger, or concentration problems
√ Depression
√ Lack of interest in food
√ Increased appetite
√ Severe situations of “burnout”
√ Loss of interest in normal activities
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Studies have shown that psychological stress may worsen the symptoms of almost every
known medical condition. Examples of diseases where stress may worsen the intensity of
symptoms include: cardiovascular diseases, asthma, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, acne,
fibromyalgia, and depression.
And, in addition to worsening the intensity of these diseases’ symptoms, stress can also
worsen the progress of these diseases.
In fact, chronic, long-term stress can actually “wear down” the body’s immune system,
leading to an increased susceptibility to colds and other infections. Plus, stress can decrease
the immune response to vaccinations and can prolong wound healing.
Nine Stress Management Strategies
I
n general, stress is related to both external and to your own internal factors. The
optimal stress management strategies, therefore, involve learning tips on changes to
the external factors which confront you and on changes to the internal factors which
affect you in order to strengthen your ability to cope with what life deals out to you.
Remember that no one size fits all people when it comes to stress management strategies.
To better cope with and manage stress, consider figuring out your own unique blend of the
following nine time-tested strategies:
Strategy #1: IDENTIFY SOURCES OF YOUR STRESS
S
tress management starts with identifying the sources of your stress in your life so
you can address them. This is often not as easy as it sounds, since sometimes the
true sources of your stress are not obvious – and you may overlook your own
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stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, maybe it’s your
procrastination about a work deadline that’s causing you stress, and not the deadline itself.
To identify your stress sources, consider starting a “stress journal” or take a “stress
inventory” and ask yourself the following questions:
 Do you explain away stress as temporary (“I just have a lot of things going
on right now.”) even though you can’t recall the last time you took a break?
 Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (“Things
are always crazy around here”) or as a part of your personality (“I have a lot
of nervous energy.”)
 Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as
entirely normal and unexceptional?
Accepting responsibility for any role you play in creating or maintaining your stress –
consciously or just by habit – is a major first step to managing your stress. Without this
awareness and acceptance, managing your stress will remain outside of your control.
Strategy #2: DEAL WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS IN FOUR WAYS
I
n general, consider using the “Four A s” to deal with stressful situations. Here is a
simple, handy matrix of the four strategies:
Change the situation:
Change your reaction:
A: Avoid unnecessary stress
C: Adapt to the stressor
B: Alter the stressful situation
D: Accept the stresses you can’t change
And here are the details of each of the “Four A s:”
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A: Avoid Unnecessary Stress
Not all stress can be avoided – and it’s not healthy to try to avoid a situation that needs to
be addressed, but there are some stressors in your life that you can eliminate:
 Learn how to say “No.” Know your limits and stick to them by refusing to
accept additional responsibilities if you are close to reaching your limit. Set
your boundaries. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for
stress.
 Avoid people who stress you out. If some people consistently cause you stress
and you can’t change the relationship, limit the time you spend with that
person or end the relationship entirely.
 Take control of your environment. If the evening news makes you anxious,
turn the TV off. If traffic makes you tense, take a longer but less-traveled
route. If shopping is an unpleasant chore, consider shopping online.
 Reduce your to-do list. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks –
and if you have too much on your plate, distinguish between the “must do,”
the “should do,” and the “nice to do.” Then, delay tasks that aren’t truly
necessary, defer them to the bottom of your list, or drop them completely.
 Avoid discussing hot-button topics. If you know you get upset about religion,
politics, the economy, etc., cross them off your conversation list. If you
repeatedly argue about the same topic with the same people, then stop
bringing it up or excuse yourself when it comes up for discussion.
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B: Alter the Stressful Situation
If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change
things so that the problem or issue doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this is about
changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.
Some strategies to alter situations include:
 Learn how to problem solve. This lets you think through stressful situations
systematically. Break problems into smaller pieces to make them less
overwhelming, and then focus on addressing the parts that you can affect and
leave the rest for some later date or time.
 Express your feelings. If something is bothering you, express your feelings
instead of bottling them up. Communicate your concerns in an open and
respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, two things will happen –
neither of which is good for you: resentment will build inside you and the
situation will likely remain the same.
 Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be
willing to do the same. If you can both bend a little, you’ll have a good chance
of finding a happy middle-ground.
 Be more assertive. Deal with problems head on. Do your best to anticipate and
prevent them if you can. For example, set boundaries if you need time for
yourself. You are worth it.
 Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. It’s
hard to stay calm and focused when you’re stretched too thin and seem to
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always be running behind. But, you can alter the amount of stress you’re
feeling if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself.
C: Adapt to the Stressor
Sometimes you can’t change the stressful situation. In these cases, you have to change
yourself by adapting to stressful situations and, by doing so, regain your sense of control by
changing your expectations and your attitude.
Strategies for you to consider to more easily adapt to stressful situations include:
 Reframe problems. Try to view the stressful situation from a more positive
perspective. As an all too familiar example, if you are stuck in a traffic jam,
instead of silently (or loudly) fuming, try to pause, regroup, and decide to use
the time as an opportunity for you to think quietly, listen to some of your
favorite music, reflect on everything in your life you are grateful for, and
enjoy some alone time with yourself that you might not otherwise have.
 Look at the big picture. Gain some perspective in a stressful situation by asking
yourself these simple questions: Will this matter in the long run? In a year?
In a month? Is it really worth my getting upset over? If the answer is “no,”
try to focus your time and energy elsewhere.
 Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress.
Demanding perfection in all situations and at all times is setting yourself up
for failure. Instead, strive for perfection – but at the same time, set
reasonable standards for yourself and others. Reach for the stars, and also
learn to be OK in some situations with “good enough” without compromising
the results needed and without violating your core principles.
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 Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to
reflect on all the things you appreciate about your life. Think about your own
positive qualities and gifts. This simple “intentional thinking” strategy can
help you keep things in perspective – and keep your stress levels in check.
D: Accept the Stresses You Can’t Change
Some sources of stress are unavoidable and unchangeable. The death of a loved one, a
serious illness, a global recession, a real estate crash, global terrorism – these things are
out of our control.
The best way to cope with the stress from these situations is to work to accept things as
they are. Acceptance is sometimes quite difficult and takes time to reach, but in the long
run, it’s better than constantly railing against situations that you can’t change.
Some thought processes and strategies you can use to help with acceptance are:
 Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. So many things in life are beyond our
control – particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing over
things you can’t be responsible for, work to control how you react to
problems.
 Look for the Upside. Try to look at stressful challenges that come at you as
opportunities for personal growth. “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”
is the saying. If you have made mistakes and poor choices that contributed to
a stressful situation, instead of beating yourself up and adding to your
stress, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes so you won’t make the
same mistakes again.
 Share your feelings. When faced with stress you can’t change, talk to a trusted
friend and confidant. See a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through
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can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can actually do to alter the
stressful situation. As the saying goes: “A trouble shared is a trouble halved.”
 Learn to forgive. Accept the truth that we live in an imperfect world and that all
people – including you – make mistakes. Let go of your anger and
resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.
Strategy #3: ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY / EXERCISE
E
xercise can be a key, central method to compensate for stressors you are facing in
your life. Not only does physical exercise promote overall fitness, but it helps you
manage emotional stress and tension as well. Exercise can also aid in relaxation
and improve sleep.
Begin some appropriate form of a physical activity program. Experts recommend at least
20-30 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3 times per week if you are healthy enough –
fitness studies say we need 150 minutes per week. Decide on your specific type, amount
and level of exercise and fit it into your schedule so it’s part of your normal routine. No need
to join a gym or club – even 20 minutes of brisk walking outside is enough for most of us.
Exercise can temporarily remove you emotionally from a stressful environment or situation
– and being fit and healthy also increases your ability to deal with stress as it arises.
Strategy #4: GET PROPER DIET AND NUTRITION
E
at nutritious foods that improve your health and well-being. Increase the amount
of fruit and vegetables that you have in your diet. Eat normal-sized portions on a
regular schedule.
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Use the food guide pyramid to help you make healthy food choices. Reduce caffeine and
sugar – their temporary “highs” often end up with a crash in mood and energy. Also, you
can feel more relaxed by reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar
snacks in your diet. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or
drugs may provide an easy escape from stress temporarily and is a popular route to stress
reduction, but it is ultimately flawed since these practices are really just avoidance and
escapism and they mask the real issue at hand.
Deal with the issues that are causing your stress with a clear mind.
Strategy #5: USE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
T
here are two major categories of relaxation techniques for you to consider:
techniques designed to relax your body and techniques focused on relaxing your
mind. Here are examples of both:
A. For your Body:
 Try simple breathing exercises to relax.
 Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down or take a break.
 Make sure to get enough sleep. Good sleep habits are one of the best ways to
manage stress. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause
you to think irrationally.
 Take time for personal interests and hobbies.
 Try using popular relaxation techniques such as yoga, listening to music,
autogenic training, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, Qigong, Tai
Chi and more. Many popular and proven relaxation techniques such as these
can be learned on your own quickly through audio CDs, a short video course,
online tutorials, or a class with a competent instructor. The variations of these
techniques are too many to be covered here.
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Some require learning from a master and some need a martial arts master,
but all have the extra, added benefit of increasing the chances that you will
meet others with similar goals or interests.
Please check with your doctor to get clearance before you begin any exercise program,
especially if you have any special or chronic physical conditions.
B. For your Mind:
 Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for your favorite leisure activities
that bring you joy.
 Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Guard this time and recharge.
 To relax and recharge, consider the following:
√ Guided imagery – control your breathing and focus on soothing images
√ Meditation – focus on savoring the present moment
√ Call a good friend
√ Workout
√ Get your feelings out by calling a good friend/confidant or by writing in a
“stress journal” about things that are bothering you for 10-15
minutes per day
√ Play with and care for a pet
√ Do a creative activity that you love – like writing or crafts or art
√ Do something you enjoy:
- Work in your garden
- Get a massage
- Read a good book
- Listen to music
- Watch a comedy
- Take a long bath with scented candles
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√ Do volunteer work to help others. Helping others can help you forget about
your own problems and stresses and can also increase your selfesteem and joy.
 Keep your sense of humor – including the ability to laugh at yourself. Laughter
fights stress in a number of ways.
By helping yourself relax, you may find you can get more done in other areas of your life.
Strategy #6: LEARN AND USE TIME MANAGEMENT/ORGANIZATION SKILLS
G
ood time management skills are critical for effective stress control. Learn to
prioritize tasks and avoid over-committing so you are not over-scheduled.
Always use a calendar or day planner and check it faithfully before committing to
anything. Keep a diary for a few days and identify time-wasting tasks where you may be
losing time.
Best practices are to set aside specific times per day to check and respond to email and
messages rather than being at the whim of incoming information. Learning how to banish
procrastination is another time management skill that you can learn.
Organize your physical surroundings (office, desk, kitchen, closet, car) so that you won’t be
faced with the stress of clutter and misplaced objects. Make it a habit to periodically clean
out and sort through the paperwork and various clutter messes that accumulate over time.
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Strategy #7: ASK FOR SOCIAL SUPPORT
P
eople with strong social support systems experience fewer physical and emotional
symptoms of stress than those who are less-connected. Make an effort to socialize,
even though you may be tempted to avoid people when you feel stressed. Spend
time with those you love. Meeting friends usually helps us feel less stressed.
People with a balanced, happy social support structure consisting of friends, family, loved
ones, business associates, church members, neighbors, and even pets experience fewer
stress-related symptoms and are better stress managers than people without social support.
Plus, sometimes your loved ones can observe your lifestyle and objectively offer suggestions
and help when you need it.
Strategy #8: AVOID UNHEALTHY COPING STRATEGIES
S
ome popular and seemingly easy and quick strategies for coping with stress may
temporarily reduce stress, but they may cause more damage in the long run that
far outweighs any good they may do in the moment.
Here is a list of some common unhealthy coping strategies:
 Smoking
 Drinking too much
 Overeating or under-eating
 Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer or game box
 Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
 Using pills or drugs to relax or to sleep
 Sleeping too much
 Procrastinating
 Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
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 Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)
 Self-defeating thoughts: Telltale markers of self-defeating thoughts are using
words such as “always,” “never,” “should,” and “must.”
Strategy #9: SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
I
f you feel like you can’t cope with or manage stress on your own – or if you are facing
an unbearable stress, there are resources to help you. Here are three general sources
that you can consider when seeking professional help:
From a physician, licensed social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist:
Check in with your doctor since stress can take its toll on your body. Your physician can
assess stress’s effects and recommend ways to combat any stress-related negative
influences. Be honest about the amount of stress you are experiencing. Doctors can often
prescribe short-term medications, suggest relaxations techniques like the ones above, and
offer advice on stress-reduction strategies that might be most appropriate for you. Your
doctor can also be an excellent referral source if you decide to seek a counselor, a support
group, or a therapist.
By Counseling:
Stress management counseling is offered by various mental health professionals. Stress
counseling and group discussion therapy have proven benefits in reducing stress symptoms
and improving overall health and attitude. And counseling doesn’t have to be a long-term
commitment. Just the very act of talking to an impartial and supportive observer can be a
great way to unleash tension and worry. Consider employee assistance programs at work.
The Aussies use their “mates” for this very well – maybe you can also.
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By Cognitive Reframing:
Keep a “reframing diary” and write down two or three ways that the very annoying event
that is causing you stress is actually also a blessing in disguise. One example is trying to
interpret stressful situations as challenges, not as threats. By looking for the proverbial
silver lining in the dark cloud, we can often reduce our emotional burden. The dark cloud
doesn’t go away, but we can change how we feel about it.
Sometimes, the solution to our stress doesn’t lie in changing our situation – which often we
can’t do anyway, but in changing how we view it. There is real value in our efforts to shift
how we see a situation – from trying to rise above the immediate situation and see a larger
picture.
When we can “reframe” in this way, we feel more accepting and peaceful and are often able
to cope better with the events and situations in our lives that we can’t change.
Eight Immediate Stress-Busters
H
ere are eight stress-reducing strategies that you can immediately add to
your life:
1. Breathe slowly and deeply
Before you react to the next stressful occurrence, take 3 deep
breaths and consciously release each of them slowly. If you have more time, try a
relaxation technique like meditation or guided imagery.
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2. Speak More Slowly than Usual
If you are feeling overwhelmed, slow down the pace of your speaking. You will
appear less anxious and more in control of the situation. Stressed people tend to
speak fast and breathlessly. If you slow down, you’ll find you can think more clearly
and react more reasonably to stressful situations.
3. Go Outdoors for a Brief Break
No matter what the weather, take advantage of the healing power of fresh air and
sunshine. Just 5 minutes on a balcony or terrace can be rejuvenating and 30 minutes
of sunshine has been proven to have benefits.
4. Check Your Posture
Hold your head and shoulders upright and avoid slumping or stooping. Bad posture
can lead to muscle tension, pain, and increased stress. If stuck at a desk during the
day, avoid repetitive strain injuries and sore muscles by making sure your desk or
workstation incorporates good ergonomic design principles.
5. Drink Plenty of Water and Eat Small, Nutritious Snacks
Fight dehydration and hunger – they can provoke aggressiveness and exacerbate
feelings of anxiety and stress, even before you are aware of them. Take precautions
by insuring you drink plenty of water and eat small and nutritious snacks.
6. Begin Your Time Management Strategy
Do one simple thing you’ve been putting off – and do it immediately. Simple
examples could include returning a phone call, making a doctor’s appointment, etc.
Just taking care of one nagging responsibility can be energizing and can improve
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your attitude – and you might find that, once you complete one task, you can more
easily move on to the next one.
7. Reward Yourself after a Stressful Day
Allow yourself a brief period of time to fully relax before bedtime each day – even if
it’s only taking a relaxing bath or spending 30 minutes with a good book. Set aside
work concerns, housekeeping issues, or family concerns for at least a few minutes.
Remember, you need time to recharge and energize yourself. Don’t spend this time
planning tomorrow’s schedule or doing chores you didn’t get around to during the
day. You’ll be much better prepared to face another stressful day if you give yourself
a brief reward of at least some moments of free time.
8. Practice Letting Go
When your next potentially stressful situation comes up – and it inevitably will – or
the next time you find yourself becoming annoyed or angry at something trivial or
unimportant, make a conscious choice not to become angry or upset. Don’t allow
yourself to waste focusing your thoughts or your energy on situations where it is not
deserved. Anger management is a proven stress reducer.
The Good Stress: Eustress
E
ustress is a term coined in 1975 by Dr. Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, who
divided stress into two major categories: eustress and distress. Prefix “eu” is
derived from the Greek word meaning either “well” or “good.” So, when attached
to the word “stress,” it literally means “good stress.”
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Today, distress is the most commonly discussed type of stress and is associated almost
uniformly with negative implications. And, if this distress is persistent and not resolved
through coping or adaptation, it may lead to mental anxiety, withdrawal, and depression.
In contrast, eustress is a positive form of stress which is healthy and which gives one a
feeling of fulfillment and other positive feelings and enhances physical or mental function.
Eustress is usually related to desirable events in a person’s life. Some popular and common
examples would include: meeting a challenge, finishing first in a race, getting a promotion,
love, marriage, sexual intercourse, childbirth, riding a roller coaster, the holidays (for some,
but not all), exercising, especially weight training, and so on.
It is important to note that both forms of stress are equally taxing on the body and are
cumulative in nature depending on the body’s method of adapting to the change that
caused it. Interestingly, the body itself cannot discern physically between eustress and
distress, so it becomes even more important that we learn the skills and strategies to
manage stress.
Summary
I
n this Knowledge for Life Series white paper on stress management for you, we have
covered the definition of stress, an overview of stress management in general terms,
who is most susceptible to stress and what are the factors that increase the risk of
stress, symptoms of excess stress to be on the lookout for, nine proven stress management
strategies to better help you cope with and manage stress, eight immediate stress-busters
that you can use right away if needed, and, last, the concept of “eustress” or “good stress.”
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Stress in today’s world is almost constant – there is no way to really avoid or eliminate it.
The best we can do is to learn how to manage it – and to remember that not all stress is
bad for us.
I sincerely hope the information here has been valuable for you – and that you will
incorporate the nine proven and powerful stress management strategies into your life and
that you will use the eight immediate stress-busters whenever you need them.
If you would like to move beyond successful stress management and learn everything you
need to know to flourish and thrive so you can live the happiest and most fulfilling life
possible for you, please visit me at: www.millergroup.com.
Henry
About the Author…
Henry S. Miller is the author of The Serious Pursuit of Happiness: Everything You
Need to Know to Flourish and Thrive and Inspiration for the Pursuit of
Happiness: Wisdom to Guide your Journey to a Better Life. He is also the creator
of the online membership program Get SERIOUS About Your Happiness: 20
Transformational Tools for Turbulent Times. As President of The Henry
Miller Group (www.millergroup.com), he is a speaker, trainer, and consultant helping
organizations improve engagement, performance, and productivity specifically by
increasing employee well-being. In prior careers, Henry was a Senior Consultant for the
Tom Peters Company, training and coaching senior management teams worldwide in
leadership, and his initial career in corporate America was with IBM.
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References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Stoppler, Melissa Conrad MD, and Shiel, Jr., William C., Stress Management, www.medicinenet.com
Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress, www.Helpguide.org
Mayo Clinic Staff, Stress management, www.mayoclinic.com/health
Stress management, U.S. National Library of Medicine, NIH National Institutes of Health
Stress Management – Ways to Relieve Stress, Stress Management Health Center, www.webmd.com /balance
Coping with Heavy Stress, Johnson, Dr. Lynn, [email protected]
Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra, Draskovic, Irena, McCleery, Jenny, and Downs, Murna, Cognitive reframing for carers of
people with dementia, Cochrane Library
8. Eustress, from en.Wikipedia.org
9. Coping with Stress, www.intelihealth.com, Medical Content Reviewed by Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Success Disclaimers:
We don’t believe in shortcuts to happiness – only in adding value and showing others the proven paths to a happier
life. Our intellectual property in all its forms is intended to help you gain the knowledge you need to take action
and change your life in positive ways so you can flourish and thrive and increase your overall feelings of happiness
and well-being.
As stipulated by law, we cannot and do not make any guarantees about your ability to implement our
recommendations and get positive results or be successful at increasing your level of happiness, fulfillment, and
well-being. Our various publications and programs are intended to help you learn what you need to know to
flourish and thrive so you can live a happier and more fulfilling life, but we do not know you or your capabilities to
implement positive changes to your life. As is true for us all, your successful results in your life are up to you to
determine. We just want to provide you with all the support and assistance we can by giving you high quality
content, strategies, and direction to move you forward on your journey to create the life you want.
Nothing on this page or on any of our websites or emails or documents or videos is a promise or guarantee of
successful results either now or in the future. We do not offer any psychological, legal, medical, tax, or any other
professional advice. Any projections referenced here or in any of our sites are simply estimates or projections and,
even though they may be based on actual study results, they are illustrative only and should not be considered
exact, actual, or a promise of potential success. The information in this white paper is not intended to replace the
advice of a doctor or other medical professional. Henry S. Miller is not a licensed medical or psychological
professional and The Henry Miller Group disclaims any and all liability for the decisions you make based on this
information.
Until next time, we wish you every happiness and encourage you to
be your best self,
love and be loved,
and
live a life that matters.
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Copyright © 2013 – 2014 Henry S. Miller