PraiseWorks DeStress The Mess Journal

WHAT IS STRESS? There are multiple definitions for stress. An interesting fact is that the term stress as it relates to behavior was not really used until the 1950’s. I find that interesting because it is right in the middle of the baby boomer revolution. I am still a work in progress. Every day I have to work on not letting those anxious thoughts build a house in the land of my emotions. Every day I have to work on not allowing stress to be the motivator to get things done. Every day I have to give myself a reality check that the life that God has for me is full of joy and love. I was not created to be unhappy, stressed out, and basically an emotional wreck. My prayer is that this E-book will be a blessing to you. It is full of all the tips and advice that I have used to keep anxiety and stress from ruling supreme in my life. These tips have worked for me and I pray they will work for you, too. Many thanks to the contributors of this E-Book who took the time to share their tips, tools and techniques for battling the impact of stress on the body: Amie Hoff, CPT, Kathy Gruver PHd,MT; Cammie Balleck, PHd, MT.; Elizabeth Manuel; Lorraine Miller, H.C., AADP.; and Rhonda Jones, Certified Yoga Instructor and Meditation Expert. Very simply put, it is a person’s physical and emotional reaction to the demands of their everyday life. These days just about everybody experiences stress. We live in a very busy, fast-paced, ever-changing environment. Within that environment a great value is placed on success and fulfilling “great” expectations. It is no wonder that our society hasn't totally burned out from just the mere pressure that comes from our society’s endless need to be a “cut above” the rest. There is nothing wrong with success and fulfilling your expectations. There is something wrong when you achieve success and fulfill your expectations at the expense of your health and well-being. Stress can cause serious health issues and has been tied directly to contributing to Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, High Blood Pressure, Cancer and Heart Disease (which is the number one killer for women) just to name a few. There are many causes for stress. While you may not be able to stop all the stress in your life, you can certainly minimize the impact of stress on your body.