Stress reduction is not a luxury...it's a necessity. Our health care system is straining to keep up with the demands of treating the symptoms of stress related illness.

The most important thing you can do when battling stress, is to take it seriously. It seems as if stress has become such a “given” in our crazy modern lives, we tend to just accept it as a permanent fixture as we try and ignore it or laugh it off.

The levels of stress we operate under today are no joke. Some studies claim more than 80 percent of physician’s office visits are associated with unresolved stress issues. These issues can lead to anxiety and often insomnia.Even more surprising, 80 percent of worker’s compensation claims are directly related to stress. It seems that the best thing you can do for yourself is to not only acknowledge that you are under stress, but to commit yourself reducing it. Dealing with stress needs to be a top priority in your life, equal to, if not more important than getting your mortgage paid on time.

Once you have committed to making your good health non-negotiable, stress management wares and services have become a lucrative industry in this country. Books, tapes and classes are readily available for the serious warrior against stress. Money need not be an issue. Many relaxation techniques are easy to master and free with a trip to your local library. You only need to experiment to find what works best for you.

Tips for getting started:

Positive Thinking

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking when things are calm, and in times of stress. Practice thinking in “3” whenever you can.

When things are stressful, try to come up with three positive personal strengths, and pick one to use in the situation.

As often as you can, take a moment to come up with three things for which you are grateful.

When something goes wrong, try to come up with three things you can learn from the situation.

Humor

Humor may not solve your problems but it sure makes them easier to deal with.

Try not to take yourself too seriously. Seek out humor in your leisure activities as often as possible and make sure to look for at least one humorous thing each day.

Financial Stress

For many people, financial stress is at the root of much of the stress in our lives. Like a ripple in a pond, the pebble that is cast is often money. Although life is never this easy, try to focus on these four simple rules when dealing with your finances:

1. Make a budget and follow it.

2. Don’t spend what you don’t have.

3. Pay all your bills on time.

4. Put away at least 10 percent of your monthly income into some sort of savings.

Physical Relaxation

Check out your local library and experiment with different techniques. Remember to take relaxation seriously and carve out a piece of each day to do it. No matter what. Some techniques to look into:

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Meditation

Journaling

Guided Visualization

Music Therapy

Massage Therapy

Art Therapy

Any hobby or interest you would like to try.

Nutrition and Exercise

You probably already know that eating right, getting plenty of sleep and at least some moderate exercise is your best defense from stress related illness. The problem is that we know it but we don’t do it. Make a commitment to start slow and select an activity you really enjoy. When changing your diet, take it slow as well. You greatly increase your likelihood of sticking with a change in food habits if you introduce one thing at a time.

Committing to Change

Whatever you decide to do to fight stress in your life, the biggest indicator of your success will be how seriously you take adopting an attitude of high priority towards addressing it in your life.

Determine your stress level here.