Many people feel unable to cope with the strain of modern life. Are you one? People are buckling under the pressure of modern living, with many at boiling point and some feeling stressed even before they have had time to eat breakfast.



Many people struggle to sleep, while the some have headaches or migraines, some have digestive problems and some even admit to suffering panic attacks.

For most people, the biggest strain is financial uncertainty, followed by work pressures and relationships. Demands on time, managing the work/life balance, the environment, war and terrorism, are also factors.

For many whose stress kicks in before breakfast, it doubles by the time they reach work or have dropped off their children at school. Some people resort to alcohol to help them cope with stress. Similarly most people use coffee to help them cope.

Many people believe life is harder now than it was 50 years ago.

Stress can show up in many ways. It can show up in a number of ways, portraying common signs and symptoms. Digestive problems, headaches, insomnia are only a few and each one can be devastating to the person.

There are three general causes of stress: physical, nutritional or chemical, and emotional. There are four general types of people who react differently to these causes of stress.

The driven (16 per cent) thrive under time pressure and energize others rather than dealing with it themselves. How long will it take for them to crash? The avoiders (16 per cent) will do anything they can to avoid things that make them anxious. Sooner or later we’ll have to come clean with the stress. The unaware (33 per cent) do not believe in the problem. These people live in la-la land, or are so far under stress they can’t see it. The accepters (35 per cent of the population) treat stress as a natural part of life and face up to it calmly. This group has a healthy grasp on stress.

Stress is normal. Without it life would cease to exist. It always comes back to how we handle the stress in our lives.

Here are a few ideas.

1. Listen to yourself. What is your body telling you? What is your mind telling you? Stop and wait for an answer. Are you not sleeping? Is your breathing difficult? What about all those aches and pains?

Take an extra step and ask yourself for an answer to what your body and mind are telling you. Do something about it. When you listen and act, your body and mind will continue communicating to you. When you do not listen or act, your body and mind will scream louder.

2. Become active. Activity on many levels allows for a healthier mind and body because gets you out of the state that you are currently in. If you sit around a lot, get up. If you’re up, start walking. If you’re walking, start some mild aerobic action.

It’s the same thing with nutrition. If you’re eating donuts all day, eat a fresh piece of fruit. If you’re eating canned, boxed, microwaved food, have a fresh salad.

And finally, the same thing goes for emotions. If you’re watching the 10:00 nightly bad news, stop and read a good book. If you’re always talking bad to yourself, stop and say something nice to yourself.

Discover for yourself new interests and ideas. Meet new people and engage in meaningful conversation.

There are many things to do to help yourself deal with different kinds of stress. It takes time, ingenuity and perseverance. But, what are your options?