Everybody know the feeling of stress, the knot in their stomach, the sweaty palms, the headache and irritability are just a few of the short term symptoms. But those can all go away if the stress is temporary or if you have your stress under control. What if they aren’t temporary and you continually have trouble dealing with stress then you might find yourself with chronic stress.

Chronic stress is where you are bombarded with stressors in your life. The stress is so constant and so deep that you can’t do anything about it. Not only are you affected emotionally by chronic stress but also physically. This type of stress can lead to stress burnout.

Long term effects of stress on your body.

• Causes you to have sleep problems.
• High blood pressure
• Possible heart problems
• Lowers your immune system which in turn makes you more susceptible to other illnesses.
• Back problems

Another possible side effect of chronic stress is drug and alcohol addiction. With there is too much stress in life many folks turn to alcohol and drugs to help self-medicate themselves. Of course this leads to more problems than they already had.

What to do about chronic stress?

There are various stress management techniques that you can learn on your own or with the help of your doctor or counselor.

Some of the therapies and treatments are

• aromatherapy
• deep breathing techniques
• progressive muscle relaxation
• Stress relief games online
• Autogenic training

Without engaging someway to control stress your health and emotional wellbeing will suffer greatly.

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• Talk out your situations with friends. Sometimes it helps just to communicate your problems with some one who will listen.
• Stop negative thoughts from your mind. It takes a lot of practice to stop being negative especially if you have been someone who doesn’t see the positive in anything. Start now and eliminate negative thoughts.
• use deep breathing techniques
• use guided imagery techniques
• Exercise is great for the body in general and definitely great for the mind!
• music therapy
• Get a massage 
• rent your favorite movie and watch it again
• Watch what you eat and cut back on the sugar.
• simple meditation can be included with tip numbers 3, 4 and 6
• manage your time more wisely and always include time for yourself
• Join a support group where you will find people with similar situations.

Do you think that you could do that? You sure could.

Before you get into that bad situation where you feel that your head is going to explode. You need to practice for a few minutes everyday Guided imagery meditation.

1. Find a quiet spot where you will be alone for a few minutes without interruption.
2. Sit in a comfortable position.
3. Starting at your feet, think about each part of the body and how relaxed it is till you reach the top of your head. This takes practice so don’t get discouraged.
4. After going through step 3 at least one time, close your eyes and think about the most peaceful place on the earth. It doesn’t have to be a place that you have been. It just has to a perception of yours that it is peaceful and tranquil.
5. As you mind moves around this tranquil place, be aware of your breathing. Is it steady? It should be.
6. Give yourself a few minutes to engulf your emotions into this place in your mind. You should feel light and relaxed, maybe not right away, but with practice it will come.

Now when that stressful moment arrives and you feel like everything is going wrong, you should step away from the situation for just a moment. Find a quiet location where you can close your eyes and visit your ‘place’. With practice stress wouldn’t have a chance.

The function of breathing is to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide from the body. This process happens automatically. The oxygen is delivered into the Respiratory system where it eventually goes through the bronchial tubes which lead into the lungs. Small sacs called alveoli pass the oxygen to the capillaries which in turn send the blood to the heart. The diaphragm does the work of pumping out the carbon dioxide and bringing in the oxygen.

Since oxygen is vital to the system, without this process the body would die. When the body is feeling stressful breathing becomes shallow and forced. This results in lightheadedness, panic, increased heart rate and headaches among other things.

 By doing breathing exercises stress can be managed and breathing related side effects can be relieved.

Deep breathing techniques can be done in a matter of a few minutes or longer.

• In order to have complete concentration, find a place that is quiet where you won’t be disturbed.
• Sit in a relaxed position.
• Clear your mind of all things that are troubling you (I know that is difficult but with practice this can be achieved)
• Slowly Exhale first through your mouth
• Slowly Inhale through your nose holding the breathe for a few seconds
• Repeat these steps for a few minutes

Some people when they are beginning these breathing exercises put a hand on their stomach to ensure that are exhaling through the stomach. Try it and see if it works for you.

While you are breathing and exhaling keep your mind clear.

In order for deep breathing to work it must be done a few times on a daily basis. Increasing the amount of time spent on each session while increase the effectiveness of the exercise.