Live Stress Free Life...

The old saying that
'prevention is
better than cure'
certainly holds true
for stress
management.
Regarded as a
clinical problem,
stress is
experienced by almost every
individual in varying forms and
degrees every day. This is primarily
due to the hassles, demands and
frustrations of daily life. Besides
this, you would also be surprised to
find out that much of your stress is
also due to a disorganized, and
cluttered lifestyle. In small doses,
stress can definitely help motivate
and stimulate you to get things
done. But, if the level of pressure
gets too high, it might affect your
mental and physical functioning.
Here are a few ways in which you
can reduce and eliminate stress...
What is stress?
Stress is regarded as a normal
physical response that is
experienced when there is an
imbalance between demands
imposed on us and our ability to
cope with them. Contrary to what
most people believe, stress is not
necessarily harmful. For many
people, stress acts as a motivation
to help them perform better.
However, when the level of stress
surpasses our ability to cope with it,
we often feel hassled and drained.
Also, it is vital to understand that
the same amount of stress may be
different for different people.
Tasks that are easy for you to
handle might be quite stressful for
a second individual. Hence,
identifying our stress level is as
important as recognizing the
triggering factors.
Stress response: The stress
response is your body's way of
protecting you during conditions of
emergency or extremely stressful
situations. This theory dictates how
an individual reacts to situations
that are challenging - both
physically and mentally. Whenever
your body senses any kind of
danger, it immediately triggers a
rapid, automatic process called the
"fight or flight" response or the
stress response. This mechanism
involves releasing hormones and
glucose into your blood-stream to
provide alertness and extra energy.
Major causes of stress or
stressors:
One of the biggest causes of
present day stress is financial
problems. Lack of money can lead
to many unwanted situations like
piling up of debts, credit card
payments and other such conditions.
In fact, financial stress tops the
list of stressors as it takes a heavy
toll on your mind and body.
Another major cause of stress is
issues in the workplace like
conflicts with colleagues, working
for excessive hours or extra work
pressure.
Sometimes, stress may also arise
due to relationship hassles or
conflicts with spouses, children and
relatives.
Stress may also occur due to health
concerns. Conditions like heart
disease, hypertension or eye
problems may become a major
cause of life stress for many
individuals.
Tips to control stress: In order
to lead a healthy and stress-free
life, it is vital to follow certain
guidelines or steps. They will help
you get a better control over life
and alter the way you view stress or
its trigger factors.
Regular exercise: Not
surprisingly, exercise is one of the
best ways to deal with stress. A
regular 20-30 minutes of physical
activity every day is vital to
decrease stress hormones like
cortisol and increase your body's
feel good chemicals called
endorphins. Besides this, certain
forms of exercise like martial arts
or boxing can act as an outlet for
releasing all your vent-up emotions
and frustrations.
Relaxation techniques: This not
only involves taking time to relax
everyday but also employing
certain basic relaxation techniques.
This involves deep breathing
techniques, meditation and
practicing different yoga postures
to relax your body muscles.
Balanced diet: What you put
inside your body also determines
your ability to cope with stress or
anxiety. A balanced diet comprising
fresh fruits and vegetables is a
must to reverse the negative
impacts of stress and lead a
healthy life.
Avoid stressful situations: As
far as possible, ensure that you
avoid unnecessary arguments,
conflicts or any other stressful
situation. Try to keep yourself calm
in every way and avoid indulging in
unnecessary situations.
Sleep: Finally, a regular 7-8 hours
of uninterrupted sleep is also
important to relax your mind and
body. If you face any difficulty in
sleep, you can also make use of
relaxation techniques like listening
to music or reading a book.

Get rid of backheads

- Avoid using creamy and greasy
cosmetics. These can increase your
chances of getting blackheads.
- Make use of a gentle cleanser for
acne prone skin. Do not use soap as
it can clog the pores in your skin.
Also it can cause skin cells to flake
off.
- Exfoliation is an important step
to eliminate dead skin cells. This
helps get rid of the built-up dead
cells from inside the pores that
cause them to become clogged.
- If you have oily skin, try using a
clay mask to reduce the oil. Use one
that does not contain mint,
peppermint or other irritating
ingredients.
- Make a solution of lime juice,
almond oil and glycerin and apply
on the face. This will not only help
with blackheads but also get rid of
spots on the face.
- Moisturising your face with a
damp, warm cloth every evening can
help. Put the damp cloth over your
face for a period of 15 minutes
each night, to help loosen dead skin,
dirt, and other pore clogging
particles. After use, put the cloth in
hot boiling water to kill germs and
bacteria.
- Warm a small amount of honey
and apply on the affected area.
Wash off after 10 minutes. It acts
as a natural peel and loosens the
blackheads.