Environment - Anxiety & Panic

by: Joanne King

Can the environment that surrounds you agitate and prolong your wellness?

The answer is definitely YES!

If you’re living in stressful, negative and or cluttered conditions you can expect this to take a toll on you and how you feel on the inside and out.

Take for example in part of my Anxiety & Panic days; I was living with my in-laws. Now they are very lovely people and I appreciate that they allowed my husband and I stay with them. But that didn’t prevent the fact it was very stressful (no doubt for them too). Our beliefs were very different from one another and with two women under one roof (both wanting to rule and make decisions in the cleaning and cooking areas) there was definitely some friction there.

Then I was working in a negative environment, the thought of having to walk in there everyday knowing it was going to be one uphill battle with one of my colleagues, it just made me feel sick.

Eventually I did eliminate both of these environments. Losing my job wasn’t particularly by choice but when I realized the difference in my mental health it was DEFINITELY worth losing!

So what can you do to improve your environment?

Start by looking at what makes you feel unhappy? What is making you feel worse?

Once you figure that out, you’re halfway there. Maybe quitting your job isn’t realistic in your circumstances. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start looking for jobs else where. Or maybe your completely happy with your job, but your living arrangements is causing a great strain. If the mortgage repayments are causing you great stress and toying with your anxiety and panic then look at downsizing.

Maybe it’s just a cluttered environment? Move furniture around then. Stick to a cleaning schedule to keep everything as clutter free as possible. One thing my mum has always told me…

“If your home is organized then generally you feel organized and happier in life”

© Joanne King - http://www.anxiety-panic-free.com


About the author:
About the Author - Joanne King is a former sufferer of Anxiety & Panic Attacks. She is the author of "How to Overcome Anxiety & Panic Attacks". She has helped other sufferers Worldwide to eliminate their Anxiety & Panic attacks. http://www.anxiety-panic-free.com

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Conquer Stress and Anxiety Naturally With This Safe and Effective Method

by: Emily Clark

stress, anxiety, natural remedy, rhodiola rosea, herbal remedies, depression, panic attacks, sadness

Rhodiola Rosea is the latest natural remedy to join the arsenal
of natural anxiety and stress reducers.

Rhodiola Rosea, also known as Golden Root, is a native plant of
arctic Siberia. For centuries it has been used by eastern
European and Asian cultures for physical endurance, work
productivity, longevity, resistance to high altitude sickness,
and to treat fatigue, depression, anemia, impotence,
gastrointestinal ailments, infections, and nervous system
disorders.

The first recorded medicinal applications of rodia riza (renamed
Rhodiola Rosea) was made by the Greek physician, Dioscorides, in
77 C.E. in 'De Materia Medica'. Rhodiola Rosea has been included
in official Russian medicine since 1969.

Despite its long history, the Western world has only recently
become aware of the health benefits of Rhodiola Rosea. It has
come to the attention of many natural health practitioners
because of studies which tested its affects on combating anxiety
and stress.

Rhodiola Rosea is considered an adaptogen. This means it has an
overall stabilizing effect on the body without disrupting other
functions. Its ability to normalize hormones may be effective for
treating depression and anxiety.

Studies of Rhodiola Rosea show that it stimulates
neurotransmitters and enhances their effects on the brain. This
includes the ability for the brain to process serotonin which
helps the body to adapt to stress.

Since adaptogens improve the body's overall ability to handle
stress, it has been studied to identify it's effects on
biological, chemical and physical stress.

A study was performed to test the effects of Rhodiola Rosea when
stress is caused by intense mental work (such as final exams).
Such tests concluded that using Rhodiola Rosea improved the
amount and quality of work, increasing mental clarity and
reducing the effects of fatigue.

The effects of Rhodiola Rosea have also been tested on stress and
anxiety from both physical and emotional sources. A report by the
American Botanical Council states that "Most users find that it
improves their mood, energy level, and mental clarity." They also
report on a study that indicated Rhodiola Rosea could increase
stress tolerance while at the same time protecting the brain and
heart from the physical affects of stress.

This report included details of studies which highlight the
overall health benefits of Rhodiola Rosea.

The generally recommended dose is 200-600mg/day. The active
properties should be a minimum 0.8 percent salidroside and 3
percent rosavin.

It is important for consumers to know that Rhodiola may be sold
using other species that do not share the properties of Rhodiola
Rosea, or at ineffective strengths for treatment. Anyone with
depression or anxiety should also check with a health
professional when treating these symptoms.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.

About the author:
Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News
where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

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Managing Stress From Another World

by: Roy Thomsitt

Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast majority of Americans and Britons succumb to in their material driven lives. Whether mildly or overwhelmingly, stress will cast its powers across most of us at some stage in our lives, often increasingly as we get sucked into a pattern of working and living that gradually strips us of our individuality.

Stress reduction has therefore become a "necessary" antidote industry. We may console ourselves by saying that our lives are fast paced; that this is what modern living is all about and we must pursue it frenetically; that people in those poor countries which have not adopted the Anglo-American way are just backward and will catch on eventually. But that is not just a consolation; it is both an illusion and a denial, and helps stress reduction in no way at all.

It is an illusion first of all that the average consumer has a fast paced life. A commuter may sit in a train twice a day, to and from their place of work; that train may move at a fast pace, but the commuter does not. They just sit there, their minds going over the same themes as always; last night's tv, tonight's tv, wishing they could have had another hour's sleep or wishing they were already home and tucked up for the night's slumber, or the day's boredom at work behind them or before them. Drowned in tedium and repetition, the vacuum left in their daily lives is gradually filled with stress, as if it had a supporting role in their existence.

A tiring and repetitious daily routine can be a breeding ground for discontent and unhappiness, the real reasons for modern stress. If that routine is full of creativity, and control over one's own actions, then it may not be a source of stress at all, or discontent. If, however, the individual is suppressed, then it can be a very different story. Most people are employees, whose lives are dictated by those above them and with no or little scope to think and do for themselves. They are particularly vulnerable to modern stress.

Caught up in the modern way of life, it is very easy to lose connection with yourself as an individual, for your individuality can be suppressed from all sides. I am sure I am not alone in having experienced that. I had lived the zombie like existence for over 20 years, and despite the fact that I had some very stimulating jobs, I had, almost unknowingly, lost track of life as it should be. Then in 1995, I packed it all in and started my own business, and started the long haul to win back my individuality. But it was 1998 before I started to fully appreciate again what having control over your own life really meant. The 20 plus years were a blur; where had I been all that time?

One of the problems with modern stress is that it becomes a focus, along side the focus on purely material things such as the "need" to have a new car, a new house, the best clothes, the best tv and so on. Modern stress is a consumer product in itself, part of the material razzmatazz, that keeps the consumer in his or her place: a consumer, not a doer or a thinker; someone who plays by the rules and spends and borrows and spends and borrows to relieve themselves of the tedium and chase the shadow of achievement. Not real achievement; just its shadow.

That is not to say, though, that there is no relief from stress in the Anglo-American world. Those who are able to escape back to the real world now and again, and who can exercise sufficient self control regularly enough, will find that stress relatively easy to keep under control.

So how do we get to this other world, where we can manage our stress? There are portals all around you. Anything that will take your mind away from the self focus is a portal into this other world. Spending time with your children, and seeing life through their eyes for a while every day; the joy of discovery and play; but not as a drain upon your resources, and not as a part of your tedium. Spending time appreciating the wonders around you, the joys of nature, the little miracles that are within a short distance of where you stand or sit. Spending time travelling, helping others, seeing the true misery of people who are under the real stress caused by extreme poverty and disease, not the packaged consumer stress that we tend to think of.

This "other world" is a world of perspective. It is a world you used to know, but have somehow lost through lack of time. Yet, there was never any lack of time; that was an illusion too. This "other world" is also a world where you make the choices, consciously, not have them dictated to you by employers or weariness. A few simple choices each day can distract you enough to bring some relief to consumer induced stress. Fill the vacuum with your choices, and stress will not find such an easy way in.

About the author:
This stress reduction article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com/ManagingStress.htm

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How to Reduce Stress in Your Home and Work Environments

by: ARA

(ARA) - Though stress is a part of life, there are unique, enjoyable ways to reduce stress at home and at work. Stress occurs when the body reacts to change, triggered by events happening directly to you or around you. Although your bodily response can be a positive one -- keeping you alert -- too much stress can be harmful to your health.

Most of our stress is a result of everyday responsibilities and obligations. As we go about our lives, pressures -- both physical and mental -- are constantly putting a strain on our bodies. Although this stress is not always obvious to us, the daily tension can cause minor illnesses such as insomnia, backaches, skin disorders or headaches, and can also contribute to potentially life threatening diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease and a variety of other serious illnesses.

“Everybody, these days, is prone to stress -- we need to find ways to reduce stress in our daily lives,” says Luke Sutton, president of Serenity Health, a provider of high quality relaxation and stress relief products for the home and office. “There are a number of simple things that people can do to greatly reduce stress in their daily lives.”

Although stress can’t always be avoided, we can certainly learn to manage it and lessen the harmful effects on our bodies. The National Mental Health Association and Serenity Health offer the following ideas for reducing stress in your life:

* Regular exercise is a great way to reduce stress. Just 20 to 30 minutes of activity a day will help your body to relieve itself of pent-up stress.

* Take short, periodic breaks from your day to just sit quietly and calm your mind. Even a bit of meditation or gentle focus can help to quiet your mind and calm your body. This can enormously help in relieving stress.

* Create an environment at home and at work that is as stress-free as possible. For instance, have you ever noticed how calm and relaxed you feel when you are sitting in nature, next to a babbling brook, a river, or some beautiful waterfalls? Well, it is very easy to bring those natural, calming water sounds into your home or office, with a beautiful, affordable water fountain. This enables you to create a wonderful sense of calm and serenity in any living environment.

Water fountains come in range of sizes and styles, some of which are small enough to fit on even a modest desk top at work. The floor-standing and wall-mounted models create a magnificent presence with their illuminated cascading waterfalls. Esthetically, they are stunning, and they create beautiful waterfall sounds that are mesmerizing and delightful.

“All of these water fountains are beautiful to look at, and are very relaxing at the same time,” says Sutton. “More and more, we are finding that people are choosing these wall fountains as pieces of natural moving wall art, over more traditional art pieces such as paintings and prints.”

* Eliminate stress from the moment you wake up in the morning. “Something as insignificant as your alarm clock may be contributing to your daily stress,” says Sutton. “Most people use an alarm clock with a harsh beeping sound that suddenly jars them from sleep. That shocking process can actually send stress throughout your entire body, which sets the tone of your whole day.”

Instead of a traditional alarm clock, there are a variety of very effective natural awakening alarm clocks that wake you up you in a gradual, stress-free way every morning. There are sunrise alarm clocks that awaken you with a simulated glowing sunrise. This is particularly effective for people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but thousands of people who do not suffer from SAD also use this type of clock and love it.

There are also clocks that awaken you with a choice of several different nature sounds (such as ocean surf, forest rainfall, birds etc.) or your relaxing musical choice from any CD. Such clocks are also excellent for lulling you to sleep at night. And then, there are clocks that awaken you with a beautiful zen-like chime cycle that increases over a 15 minute period. Also, many of these natural awakening alarm clocks include a built-in radio, if you wish to awaken to any radio station.

* Share your feelings. Whether you have had a bad day at the office or a sick child to take care of, talking with a friend can help you remember you aren’t alone. Don’t forget to stay in touch with friends and family: they can provide valuable support and guidance.

So, remember to treat yourself to much needed moments of peace and relaxation every day, for your health and well-being. You deserve it, don’t you?

For more information about Serenity relaxation and stress relief products, visit www.SerenityHealth.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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How To Deal With Environmental Stress

by: Trevor Dumbleton

An increasing problem in today's world is environmental stress. This is a type of stress caused by increasing pollution in air we breathe, the water we drink, and even in the sounds we hear. Though environmental stress seems to be simply a physical problem, it can actually alter the ways that our minds work. However, too much environmental stress can also cause physical problems that will ruin our health and lower life expectancy.

One of the most common, and most noticeable, types of environmental stress is air pollution. As factories churn out smoke and carcinogens, we are forced to breathe air that is filled with poisons. Whether we notice them or not, we cannot avoid them. Our lungs are constantly subjected to small particles that stick in the lung tissue and gasses that can find their way into our bloodstream. Obviously, this is not a good situation, because we cannot exactly afford to stop breathing.

As well, we are subjected to a whole variety of chemicals when we drink water. With all the chemicals that are used in farming, or sprayed on our lawns, or poured into our water supplies, the water we drink is filled with all sorts of poisons that are doing our bodies no good. Once again, we cannot afford to stop drinking water, but we do need to be aware that the water we are drinking contains a lot of things that we would not want in our bodies.

However, there is not much we can do to avoid this situation. Obviously, filtered water is superior to simple tap water, but even water filters cannot remove everything from our water. In fact, we do not want filters to remove all of the substances, as water contains many electrolytes that are essential to ensuring the proper functioning of our bodies. Even bottled water is not safe, as the water has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is usually either a stream or from the ground. Unfortunately, streams are filled with particulate matter and chemicals can soak into the ground. However, some water is simply taken from municipal water supplies and those are not safe either. Thus, this is a problem that needs to be faced in day-to-day life.

Unfortunately, these poisons do not only put stresses on our bodies, they put stresses on our minds as well. These physical forms of environmental stress put poisons into our brains as well, and can cause them to functions less effectively. Just as alcohol or drugs can affect the ways that our minds work, these subtle poisons are also seeping into our brains and causing mental changes. In fact, receiving too many of these poisons can slow down mental processes without our noticing the change. It will simply happen so slowly that we cannot notice the difference.

In addition, one of the most common causes of environmental stress is noise pollution. Anybody who lives in a large city is bombarded with a deluge of noise that can damage the ears, numb the senses, and cause a boatload of stress for our minds. With cars, busses, trains, factories, and people all screaming to be heard above the din filling the streets of the modern city. These pressures on our brains and our eardrums are enough to shut the mind down and send it into a cocoon of insensibility.

As well, simply being in a public place can cause us to have to deal with noise pollution. This is, of course, caused by the infamous "cell yell". Anywhere we go in public, we must deal with people yelling into their mobile phones. This is not only annoying, but it is a form of environmental pollution. Listening to someone yell at a phone causes our minds stress and, through that, causes our bodies stress. They are annoying, and annoyance is a form of stress. Thus, we find ourselves stressed by something that is simply a fact of modern life.

Environmental stress occurs to us every day and we should be aware that it is happening. Obviously, we cannot be aware of it all the time because to do so would probably cause us more stress just by simple worry. However, it is a fact of life while living in the modern world and we should have the presence of mind to know that environmental stress takes a toll on a body… and a mind.


About the author:
LowerYourStress.com is a categorized resource directory for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

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