Where to Go for Help With Stress

Stress is a state of tension. When you're anxious, sad, worried or nervous, you're most like feeling "stressed out." Any number of situations can cause stress. A fight with your spouse, a problem at work or a bad test score could leave you to ruminate about all kinds of catastrophic possibilities like losing your marriage, getting fired from your job or failing a course. Studies show that stress leads people to abuse drugs and alcohol, and it can also cause health and emotional problems. Fortunately, stress can be treated.

Therapy

• Because stress is a state of mind, the goal in counseling is to change thought process. In cognitive therapy, an individual is asked to look at how they react to an experience. If they're responding with panic or worry, it's no surprise that they're under stress. First, a therapist will point out a negative thought, like, "This project is too difficult. I'll never finish it by my deadline." Then, the therapist will challenge that thought by reminding you that you've had other difficult projects in the past and you've always finished them on time. Finally, you'll be asked to turn your negative thought into a positive one, like "I will finish this project on time because I've made all my deadlines before." By changing the way you view a situation, rather than changing the situation, it will become easier to cope---which in turn, alleviates stress.

The Gym

• Physical exercise can actually reduce stress, according to the Mayo Clinic. Exercise increases your body's ability to produce endorphins, which are known as feel-good neurotransmitters. Exercise also increases self-confidence and has been shown in studies to reduce the feelings of depression. Another component to the healing power of exercise comes from the fact that you're no longer obsessing about your thoughts, but rather, thinking about the game of tennis that you're engaged in or the aerobic class you're concentrating on.

The University of Massachusetts

• The Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts has seen more than 17,000 students complete their program. The Stress Reduction Clinic originally introduced meditation as a mainstream medical treatment in the late 1970s. After three decades, what they have found is that their "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program can positively and often profoundly affect participants' ability to reduce medical symptoms and psychological distress." At their five-day, intensive, residential training program, you'll get the tools to achieve a greater sense of balance. For those who don't live near Worcester, Massachusetts, the Center has 482 affiliate programs all across the U.S.