Fear,Anxiety,and Stress Reducing Techniques

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear” per Samuel Clemens otherwise known as Mark Twain. Well said, and I agree with him fully. We all are fearful at some time or another as it helps Man to survive. The key is to understand our fear in order to move ahead and master what needs to be. I read some discouraging news that the life expectancy is decreasing in number of counties in the South. This is not good. Chances are part of the reason the life expectancy is decreasing is a result of stress or stressors in our life. When stressed, cortisol is released into the blood and helps the individual respond to the stressor by mobilizing the body’s energy reserves. This is chemical that helps us deal with the flight or fight response. However, when the individual is repeatedly stressed, the immune system is unable to recover from the repeated decreasing anti-bodies and such that makes it weakened  and ineffectual. Not only that but cortisol has been shown to damage and kill cells in the hippo campus (the brain area responsible for episodic memory) and likely the cause for premature brain aging. Now for the good news. The following examples can be helpful in cultivating a stress resistant attitude without medication: 1.     Saying no to the important 2.     Avoiding crowds and congestion 3.     Stop being a perfectionist 4.     Focus the energy you do have on whatever is essential 5.     Learn your own energy cycle and do your most vital tasks when your energy level peaks 6.     Schedule complete down days at strategic intervals 7.     Avoid negative, irritating people whenever possible as they deplete energy 8.     Divide projects into small components and a little each day 9.     Exercise such as walking, biking, swimming, dancing, yoga, tai chi, Pilate's, and weight training 10.  Spend more time in natural settings 11.  Manipulate your mood with happy uplifting music 12.  Experiment with aromatherapy 13.  Relax with a massage 14.  Create a peaceful sanctuary for yourself 15.  Ignore society’s expectations 16.  Become independent of the good opinion of other people 17.  Stop comparing yourself to others 18.  Set aside regular time for meditation, prayer, or spiritual reading 19.  Get rid of anger, resentment, and grudges 20.  Forgive yourself and everyone else 21.  Be grateful, on a daily basis, for all your blessings And finally, focus on the three components of happiness: 1.     Pleasure-a certain level of safety, security, food, shelter, and comfort seem necessary for the experience of happiness 2.     Engagement-personal involvement with other people, work, or causes 3.     Meaning-being aware of having a purpose in life Hopefully, some of these examples can be useful to you and help you reduce the anxiety in your life. This material is based on a continuing education class. Use it to your advantage .Notice engagement, meaning, and exercise are some of the components that assist in reducing stress in your life.