yourself” on any negative comments and changing them to positive ones. For example, rather than thinking, “Oh crap, this guy always aggravates me and I am going to have a terrible time talking with him,” why not change your self talk to something like, “Oh, there’s the guy that always makes a butt of himself. I think I’ll just nod my head and smile as he tries his best to aggravate me.” Maybe not the most elegant example, but I think you get the point.

The question of how does stress affect health and managing its effects is a matter of paying attention to your environment and your r

The psychological and physical maladies associated with stress and anxiety syndrome are so many and varied that it is sometimes hard to see how symptoms may be related. For example, on their face being overweight and being a spouse batterer seem to be as far apart in causation as any two things can be, but surprisingly, stress and anxiety can play a major role in both.

You should understand that the manifestation of symptoms may have more to do with an individual’s perception of a stressor than the actual nature of a stressor itself. Consider the extreme case of two men having served together in combat and who have returned home from war. Both men find their experiences to have had monumental, life changing impact, but while one man uses his experiences as the catalyst for anti-war activism the other man turns to drugs and alcohol -- two men with the exact same “stress” who have entirely different “symptoms.”

In answering questions regarding how does stress affect health it is important to remember that stress syndrome manifests itself in both physical and psychological symptoms. Not only can it generate feelings of anxiety, anger, frustration, and depression, but physical ailments like chest pain, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, high blood pressure, hair loss, and elevated cholesterol levels are also possible.

In isolating and managing the causes and effects of stress syndrome it is important to articulate two main areas of focus:

• External (environmental) factors.
• Internal (reactionary) responses.

In other words, you have the opportunity to manage both the causes and effects of stress on your health. By recognizing potentially stressful situations before you encounter them you can take steps to avoid them entirely. Even if you are unable to completely avoid a stressful situation you can takes steps to mitigate its effects, but only if you aware of the potential for stress before going into the situation. Becoming attuned to your environment and those particular “stress triggers” that set you off is one key to successful stress management.

Another effective stress management technique is to pay close attention to your “self talk” when encountering a stressful situation. Use the technique of listening in on your own conversation with yourself and “catching yourself” on any negative comments and changing them to positive ones. For example, rather than thinking, “Oh crap, this guy always aggravates me and I am going to have a terrible time talking with him,” why not change your self talk to something like, “Oh, there’s the guy that always makes a butt of himself. I think I’ll just nod my head and smile as he tries his best to aggravate me.” Maybe not the most elegant example, but I think you get the point.

The question of how does stress affect health and managing its effects is a matter of paying attention to your environment and your re

aving served together in combat and who have returned home from war. Both men find their experiences to have had monumental, life changing impact, but while one man uses his experiences as the catalyst for anti-war activism the other man turns to drugs and alcohol -- two men with the exact same “stress” who have entirely different “symptoms.”

In answering questions regarding how does stress affect health it is important to remember that stress syndrome manifests itself in both physical and psychological symptoms. Not only can it generate feelings of anxiety, anger, frustration, and depression, but physical ailments like chest pain, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, high blood pressure, hair loss, and elevated cholesterol levels are also possible.

In isolating and managing the causes and effects of stress syndrome it is important to articulate two main areas of focus:

• External (environmental) factors.
• Internal (reactionary) responses.

In other words, you have the opportunity to manage both the causes and effects of stress on your health. By recognizing potentially stressful situations before you encounter them you can take steps to avoid them entirely. Even if you are unable to completely avoid a stressful situation you can takes steps to mitigate its effects, but only if you aware of the potential for stress before going into the situation. Becoming attuned to your environment and those particular “stress triggers” that set you off is one key to successful stress management.

Another effective stress management technique is to pay close attention to your “self talk” when encountering a stressful situation. Use the technique of listening in on your own conversation with yourself and “catching yourself” on any negative comments and changing them to positive ones. For example, rather than thinking, “Oh crap, this guy always aggravates me and I am going to have a terrible time talking with him,” why not change your self talk to something like, “Oh, there’s the guy that always makes a butt of himself. I think I’ll just nod my head and smile as he tries his best to aggravate me.” Maybe not the most elegant example, but I think you get the point.

The question of how does stress affect health and managing its effects is a matter of paying attention to your environment and your r

nd depression, but physical ailments like chest pain, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, high blood pressure, hair loss, and elevated cholesterol levels are also possible.

In isolating and managing the causes and effects of stress syndrome it is important to articulate two main areas of focus:

• External (environmental) factors.
• Internal (reactionary) responses.

In other words, you have the opportunity to manage both the causes and effects of stress on your health. By recognizing potentially stressful situations before you encounter them you can take steps to avoid them entirely. Even if you are unable to completely avoid a stressful situation you can takes steps to mitigate its effects, but only if you aware of the potential for stress before going into the situation. Becoming attuned to your environment and those particular “stress triggers” that set you off is one key to successful stress management.

Another effective stress management technique is to pay close attention to your “self talk” when encountering a stressful situation. Use the technique of listening in on your own conversation with yourself and “catching yourself” on any negative comments and changing them to positive ones. For example, rather than thinking, “Oh crap, this guy always aggravates me and I am going to have a terrible time talking with him,” why not change your self talk to something like, “Oh, there’s the guy that always makes a butt of himself. I think I’ll just nod my head and smile as he tries his best to aggravate me.” Maybe not the most elegant example, but I think you get the point.

The question of how does stress affect health and managing its effects is a matter of paying attention to your environment and your r

you can take steps to avoid them entirely. Even if you are unable to completely avoid a stressful situation you can takes steps to mitigate its effects, but only if you aware of the potential for stress before going into the situation. Becoming attuned to your environment and those particular “stress triggers” that set you off is one key to successful stress management.

Another effective stress management technique is to pay close attention to your “self talk” when encountering a stressful situation. Use the technique of listening in on your own conversation with yourself and “catching yourself” on any negative comments and changing them to positive ones. For example, rather than thinking, “Oh crap, this guy always aggravates me and I am going to have a terrible time talking with him,” why not change your self talk to something like, “Oh, there’s the guy that always makes a butt of himself. I think I’ll just nod my head and smile as he tries his best to aggravate me.” Maybe not the most elegant example, but I think you get the point.

The question of how does stress affect health and managing its effects is a matter of paying attention to your environment and your r

yourself” on any negative comments and changing them to positive ones. For example, rather than thinking, “Oh crap, this guy always aggravates me and I am going to have a terrible time talking with him,” why not change your self talk to something like, “Oh, there’s the guy that always makes a butt of himself. I think I’ll just nod my head and smile as he tries his best to aggravate me.” Maybe not the most elegant example, but I think you get the point.

The question of how does stress affect health and managing its effects is a matter of paying attention to your environment and your reactions to it. By staying focused on both avoiding stressors, and monitoring your reactions to them, you will be going a long way towards decreasing the negative affect of stress and anxiety.