The first step to developing a stress management program is recognizing your body's personal warning signals of stress. Since everyone is different, and we all have different stressors, those warning signals will vary from person to person. Some may include feeling anxious, mind racing, chest palpitations, problems concentrating, easily irritated, avoiding people and responsibilities, focusing on negative thoughts, anger issues, headaches, digestive problems, muscle tension and pain, sleep issues, fatigue, high blood pressure, weight loss or gain, skin issues- breakouts, rashes, hives, hair loss, decreased sex drive, nervous behaviors - nail



biting, pacing, teeth grinding etc.

If you experience any of these symptoms on a regular basis, chances are you have significant stress levels in your life. All of these symptoms have the potential to harm your health and emotional well-being. If you don't implement a stress management program to reduce or relieve the stress in your life, eventually your health will certainly suffer. Can these signs of stress make you sick? Definitely.

Some common features of stress management programs are meditation, yoga, exercise, special breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, aromatherapy, light therapy, massages, crying, bubble baths and salt baths to name a few. Of course if you think that your stress is rooted in deeper issues like depression or psychological trauma, you should definitely get professional help. It will do you no good to begin a stress management program that treats the symptoms and not the cause of your stress issues.

One very helpful way to eliminate or reduce stress in foreseeable stressful situations, such as presentations, performances, or a particularly busy schedule, is to add a plan of action to your stress management program. This is a pre-prepared plan that helps you to effectively overcome any problems or distractions that may occur to accomplish your goals.

To prepare your plan of action, begin by making a list all of the steps you need to take from preparing for any task through to its conclusion. Start far enough in advance to sort out any possible equipment, transportation, or clothing problems etc.

Next, work through each of these steps. Think through everything that could reasonably go wrong at each step, and identify any distractions and negative thinking that could undermine your confidence or inhibit you from accomplishing your goals.

Work through all of the things that could go wrong. Look at the likelihood of the problem occurring. Many of the things you have listed may be extremely unlikely. Strike these out and ignore them from your planning.

Look at each of the remaining contingencies. These usually fall into three categories:

1.Things you can eliminate by appropriate preparation, including making back-up arrangements and acquiring appropriate additional or spare equipment;

2.Things you can manage by avoiding unnecessary risk; and

3.Things you can manage with appropriate planning, preparation, or a stress management technique.

Write your plan down on paper in an easy to read format. Keep it with you as you prepare for and implement your stress management plan of action. Refer to it whenever you need it in the time leading up to the event, and during it. Although not all complications in any plan are foreseeable, having a plan will eliminate most complications and give you a feeling of being organized and in control.

Properly using stress management techniques lifts your mood and enhances your overall quality of life, while benefiting your emotional and physical health. Find what works for you, and watch yourself transform into the happy, confident and under control person you've always wanted to be.