Fifty years ago only bridges were stressed.  If a bridge was showing signs of stress, it meant that it was exceeding its weight-bearing capacity and the engineers were hastily called in. 

Today people are stressed.  Just like a bridge, we can all too easily exceed our own weight-bearing capacity.  We feel as if the big bad stress fiend is devouring us, and it is. 

Stress is wear and tear on the body from the inside out.

A list of stress-produced illnesses is lengthy and the list of symptoms is lengthier.

The warning signs are familiar to all of us: headache, hair loss, appetite loss or gain, tight muscles, increased heart rate, panic attacks, skin rashes, grinding teeth, indigestion, insomnia, increased smoking or drinking, depression, withdrawal, and more.  We  feel as if we are in a downward spiral that can't be reversed. 

But the truth is, we can spiral upward again.  Stress can be controlled, and even turned into an advantage. 

We forget that some stress is needed in everything we do. 

Gravity is the stress that keeps the galaxies in their place.  In our daily life, applied stress means we can open a jar of peanut butter or lift weights.  Emotional stress can mean we are motivated to act.  The dilemma occurs only when stress exceeds the level that is useful and productive. 

The burning question then becomes, what to do about too much stress?


Ways to control stress

There are several familiar recommendations to control the stress level of daily living.

Physical exercise is at the top of the list.  That is because the adrenaline that stress produces in our bodies has to be burned off before it starts causing damage "from the inside out".

Then there is :

• getting enough sleep
  
• eating healthful foods
  
• simplifying your lifestyle
  
• controlling your thoughts in order to let go of worry
  
• doing more of what you love
  
• getting organized
  
• managing your money
  
• meditation