Stress relief is very important for our well being, our overall health, for our daily performance, and for our comfort. Everything works better in our lives when we are stress free. There are, however, two kinds of stress (actually, there are many) good stress and bad stress. The good kind is desired when we have a job to do. For example, let us suppose that we must cross the street. We start out walking and suddenly there is a car coming straight at us. We feel a rush of adrenaline and we run for safety. The stress of the moment has helped us to be safe from harm. The other kind of stress, the bad kind does not help us at all. For example, we feel anxious about current world affairs. The economy is lousy and we fear we may lose our jobs. This anxiety turns into stress because there is little that can be done about the situation, we feel trapped, and we try to ignore our fears. This kind of stress will kill us. It is the kind of stress that leads to serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Our immune system is easily compromised by this kind of stress. Fortunately, there are hundreds of good stress relievers that we can use to combat bad stress (sometimes known as dis-stress). Below are three examples of good stress relievers. They can be used for any kind of stress.

1. Exercise regularly. This is a great stress reliever because it combines several things. First, to stay healthy, we must exercise our muscles. Second, exercising causes our body to produce endorphins. These are natural chemical relaxers that cause us to feel good. Third, it is impossible to be stressed when the body is engaged in exercise. It would like staying awake when you are asleep. It is not possible. The muscles are like stress containers. If you are stressed you will probably notice that your muscles are tense. An example would be gripping the steering wheel tightly when in rush hour traffic. The situation creates the stress and then your muscles react by gripping the wheel too much. Physically moving the body allows muscles to release any stress they are holding. We all need to do some sort of real exercise each day. Walking for an hour is a great way to start.

2. Change your lifestyle. Many times we choose our lifestyle to accommodate our work obligations or other activities while ignoring our health. If you find that, for instance, driving in rush hour traffic for an hour in the morning and at night to get to your job, you may want to reconsider your employment. What good does it do to make a great paycheck if you ruin your health with stress and disease? A possible solution would be to change jobs so that you were closer to home. A shorter drive to work may work wonders. A stressful job may not suit you. Changing your occupation to a less stressful job may relieve stress and anxiety and make a big difference in how you feel. The people in your life can make a difference too. Similar interests and activities help bond people in social situations. Sometimes changing your circle of friends helps to alleviate stress.

3. Get a massage. This activity brings together two helpful ways to get rid of stress. The first is the manipulation of the muscles. When a muscle is stressed it is tense. Massaging the muscle causes it to relax and thereby letting the stress dissipate. Second, being touched (appropriately) by another person – especially trained in the art of massage – brings a connection between people. One of the most basic desires of humans is to be in contact with another human. It brings us warmth and security. The professional massage technician has been trained to touch our muscles so that we feel secure while our muscles are being relaxed.