handling stress

Health Tip: Handling Stress

Wed Oct 27,11:47 PM ET Health - HealthDay

(HealthDayNews) -- Modern life is full of time pressure and frustration. Stress develops when the demands in your life exceed your ability to cope with them.

Here, then, are some helpful coping techniques from the Mayo Clinic:

Your body requires a healthy diet and adequate rest. Exercise also helps, by distracting you from stressful events and releasing your nervous energy.

Learn to relax. It's the polar opposite of the stress response. Deep-breathing exercises may put you in a relaxed state.

Follow these steps to decompress:

Inhale through your nose to a count of 10. As you inhale, your upper abdomen should rise, not your chest.

Exhale slowly and completely, to a count of 10.

Repeat five to 10 times. Try to do this several times every day, even when you're not feeling stressed.

If you have persistent trouble relaxing, consider taking up meditation or studying yoga or tai chi. Therapeutic massage may also loosen taut muscles and calm frazzled nerves.