Most people do not realize the extent to which continued stress damages health. In some cases, the damage can be so severe that it can lead to a total failure of some of the organs in the body. It is no doubt therefore that early detection of stress and a conscious effort to reduce it can go a long way in keeping you healthy and focused.

Stress manifests itself emotionally as well as physically. The physical symptoms of stress are far easier to identify. These include behaviors like biting nails, shaking legs, restlessness, stammering and playing with hair or clothing. Irrespective of the fact that they may seem insignificant, these are probably the first warning signs of stress and tension. Stronger cases may result in a dry mouth and a feeling of getting choked.

Sleep patterns are most likely to be disturbed when you are stressed out. However, the specific effect that stress may have on sleeping habits may differ between individuals. While some people just cannot sleep during periods of stress, there are others that wake up from a ten hour sound sleep and still seem tired and fatigued. Among those who cannot get enough sleep other physical symptoms like dark circles appear. If you look carefully, you will realize that you also look older when you are stressed out about something.

Along with sleep patterns, another aspect of the diurnal cycle that is likely to change drastically is eating habits. Here again, there are some people who just cannot stand the sight of food when they are tense. And then there are others who find will reach out for the first bar of chocolate or dessert as soon as they start feeling slightly tense or worked up. Others still loose weight and gain weight alternately, creating what is called the yo-yo effect.

Among the more difficult to identify manifestations of stress are emotional ones like feeling frustrated and lost. When stressed, there is a definite lack in the ability to focus and sometimes this symptom causes more stress. Small tasks seem gigantic and challenges that are easily surmountable are likely to seem invincible. Some people tend to withdraw themselves from the stress-causing situation and go to extreme pains to avoid at all costs. People who get stressed in the company of strangers do everything that they can to avoid a social gathering.

People who are extremely stressed tend to become more reckless in whatever they do. In some ways the extreme stress induces a I-don't-care attitude. There is no doubt therefore that the probability of being involved in an accident is far higher if you are stressed.

Handling stress adequately and in a mature manner involves much more than reaching out for a cigarette or downing a glass of alcohol. Actions like this will only lead to an addiction and cause you to reach out for the glass every time you feel slightly tense about anything.

Some of the symptoms of short-term stress include:

* Rapid breathing
* Cold hands and feet
* Increased heart beat
* Reduced body temperature, often resulting in chills
* Stomach problems like diarrhea, indigestion, acidity
* Excessive sweating
* Headaches
* Mood swings (Irritability)

These symptoms are usually noticed at the onset of physical or emotional stress and is the signal of the body preparing itself for what it perceives as a stressful situation.

Physical symptoms of long-term stress include:

* Body aches and pain
* Change in sleep patterns (Insomnia)
* Change in appetite
* Change in body weight
* Hair loss
* Chronic digestive problems like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Acidity, Ulcer
* Thyroid problems
* High blood pressure
* Heart attacks
* Weakened immune system
* Tooth and gum problems
* Depression
* Rapid ageing
* Weakened reproductive system

In short, prolonged stress virtually affects each and every part of the body. It literally exhausts the body resources which otherwise could have been utilized for vital functions. It's like constantly running a car on top gear without servicing it or changing oils. The end result is burn out.

There are many techniques that can be used to manage stress. As each personality is unique, a technique that is favorable to one may not yield similar results on another person. Depending on your preferences and liking, you can choose any of them or a combination of them. The end result of all of them is the same - to relax you, both your mind and the body.

Let's look at some of the popular techniques:

Yoga

Yoga is one of the most effective techniques to manage stress. Originating from India, in a broader sense, yoga involves slow stretching exercises, performing certain postures or asanas, breathing exercises or pranayama and meditation. However, majority of the people associate yoga with only postures and stretching exercises. To keep things simple, I'll cover the other aspects of yoga in subsequent sections.

There are many set of postures, each targeting a particular system of the body - the endocrine system, nervous system, digestive system, reproductive system and the muscle group. While certain postures may appear difficult to newcomers, while they certainly are, some of the postures are relatively easy and can be performed by anybody. With practice and time, one's flexibility improves considerably and many postures that may have appeared difficult in the beginning could be performed with ease.

Breathing Exercises or Pranayama

This aspect of yoga deals with consciously altering our breath pattern. The way we breathe has a direct connection to our mind and our mood. When we are joyous, we have a certain breathing pattern. When we are fearful, we have a certain breathing pattern. And when we are stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and rapid. By taking slow, deep breathes at the instance of a stressful situation, we can instantly relieve stress before it start creating undesirable effects in our body.

There are many types of breathing exercises, with Kapalbhati, Anuloma Viloma (Alternating Nostril Breathing) and Brahmari (Humming Bee) playing a significant role in alleviating stress. In fact, one of the very popular Indian yoga guru, Swami Ramdev, whose package of seven breathing exercises that has helped millions worldwide, hails Kapalbhati as a panacea for most human ailments.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi involves performing a series of postures in a slow, graceful manner without pausing. One of the significant benefits of exercises involving mind and body like Tai Chi is that they provide absolutely no room for distraction and bring you back into the present moment, helping you to relax instantly. Another benefit of yoga and tai chi is that they are gentle on joints and body and hence can be easily performed by the aged and weak persons.

Progressive Relaxation

This is one of the most powerful techniques to alleviate stress and induce relaxation. The principle here is that is if you tense a muscle and then release the tension, relaxation follows automatically. In this method, you gradually tense each muscle group of the body, hold the tension for a while and then let go, being aware of the relaxation that follows.

A similar technique belonging to yoga called Yoga Nidra is also very popular. It does not involve tensing the muscles but involves gradual shifting of awareness through each and every part of the body in a reclined position.

Meditation

No method of relaxation can be complete without a mention of meditation. There is lot of confusion among many teachings as to what exactly construes meditation. From chanting mantras, concentrating on a flame or object, to sitting in an upright position without moving, one can find all sorts of definitions for meditation. While all the above can lead you to meditation, they are not meditation as a whole. The real meaning of meditation however is to learn to live in the present moment. To let go of any resistance that you may have towards the present moment and accepting it completely. That being said, any thing you do can turn into meditation if you do it lovingly and with full awareness.

Oil Massage

This is one of the highly recommended therapies for stress since it has various other benefits as well. A massage removes accumulated toxins in the body and cleanses the system. It nourishes the tissues and improves circulation providing the body with a warm glow. An oil massage is also relaxing and relieves tired muscles and therefore helps in obtaining a good night sleep. The oil that is used in the massage also helps as a lubricating agent for the joints.

With all these benefits and the relaxation that an oil massage provides, it is undoubtedly one of the most coveted options for stress relief. In fact, an oil massage is recommended as part of the daily routine in Ayurveda.

The body consumes a higher level of nutrients in the process of combating stress. The depletion of vitamins and minerals is far higher than during times of relaxation and comfort. This causes the nutrients in the body to reduce to levels that are not recommended for a healthy body.

Even though a balanced diet is important at all times, it becomes extremely pertinent during times of stress. The large base of nutrients that the body requires can only be obtained from the intake of a variety of foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, vegetable oils and grains. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids are the key essential nutrients that can be obtained from following a balanced diet.

Even though the body requires all essential nutrients and minerals, there are some that are especially important at times of stress. Vitamin B helps the body to combat situations of stress and therefore is required in enhanced quantities during stressful situations. Calcium can help combat the negative effect caused by the increased lactic acid and therefore reduce the tension in the muscles.

As mentioned earlier, stress leads to faster depletion of certain minerals that need to be consumed in larger quantities during stressful situations. Magnesium, potassium and calcium are three such minerals that require adequate topping up. While magnesium plays an important part in allowing the muscles to relax, calcium allows the body to feel stronger and fitter to combat stressful times. You can increase potassium content in food by consuming fruits like peaches, limes, bananas, tomatoes and apricot. Calcium is best obtained from foods like banana, yogurt, and tofu.

There are also certain specific foods that help in sustaining the pressure that one faces during stressful times. It is obvious that one is required to put in extra effort, physically as well as mentally, to be able to fight the challenge that looms in front of you. Consuming whole grain can help in obtaining sustained energy throughout the day. Processed foods and sodas should be avoided, as should caffeine. Caffeine causes sleeplessness and can also result in eating into your Vitamin B reserves, something that you need in adequate quantities to fight stress. Foods that are likely to provide temporary relief against stress should be avoided at all times. This is especially so because they tend to become addictive and over time the dependence on such foods becomes unmanageable. Alcohol and even sugary foods should not become the first resort to handle stressful situations. While alcohol results in sleepless nights and a confused state of mind where decision making becomes impossible or faulty, consuming sugary foods does provide short term elation. However, the hormonal changes brought about by consuming chocolates or other sweets only provides a temporary high that is followed by a low almost immediately. Mood swings, then become a common feature of the personality.

With diet modifications, you are most likely to manage stress in a better way. It is fairly obvious for those who care to observe that people who are healthy are able to fight stressful situations and emerge victorious far more easily than those who are physically weak.

It must be noted however that people who change their dietary patterns and adopt a balanced diet only after realizing that they are going through a stressful stage may not see the benefits of these dietary modifications for a few days. However, there is no doubt about the fact that the effects of such a practice will become fairly apparent after a couple of weeks.

There is no denying the fact that when we laugh, we feel good about ourselves and the whole world. If you are feeling down in the dumps and someone makes you laugh, you tend to forget about your worries (at least for the time that you are laughing) and enjoy the moment.

The affect that laughter has on our entire body led researchers to investigate the matter further and recent findings have shown that laughing can impact the immune system positively and therefore have a better impact on the overall health of an individual. Laughter has also been known to reduce food cravings. Before anesthesia was discovered, nitrous oxide (or more commonly called the laughing gas) was used to induce laughter in people so that painful tooth extractions could be carried out without much trouble. This was done because laughter also increases the ability to bear pain.

Along with all the other benefits that are associated with laughter, it is also a good therapy for combating stress. When we laugh the levels of stress hormones like epinephrine, dopamine, cortisol and adrenalin reduces. Additionally, laughter can prove to be beneficial for stress since it aids in the production of endorphins, neurotransmitters and antibodies, chemicals that induce a feeling of well-being.

Laughing loudly and heartily is also good exercise for the lungs, diaphragm heart and abdominal muscles. This is true even if the laughter is forced and artificial. Yoga, a Hindu discipline that aims at training the consciousness to achieve a state of spirituality and tranquility in the mind and body, recommends laughter as a therapy on a daily basis.

It has been discussed often that stress is caused due to the manner in which you perceive the situation. Sometimes laughter can make you see things in the right perspective making you realize that what you considered as a grave problem, is not a problem at all. Laughter can cleanse the mind of negative thoughts and remove frustration and anger within seconds. If you have been in a stressful situation and have been able to laugh at it, you will realize how a tense moment can be avoided. With a clearer mind you can always face the challenge with a brighter and better perspective. Sometimes, doing this can result in discovering brilliant solutions to a problem that earlier seemed to evade you while you were tense.

The positive affects of laughter do not stop here. If you are a cheerful person, you are likely to be surrounded by other people who want to laugh and be happy most of the times. This helps to multiply the effect of laughter since humor then becomes a part of life. If you are grumpy and sulky most of the times, you are likely to be surrounded by like-minded people who want to crib and criticize everything that they see.

However, in spite of the fact that the benefits of laughter are so widely known and so extensive and all pervading, adults are unable to use this wonderful natural defense that nature has provided us against stress. It is widely known that as we grow older, the number of times that we laugh in a day reduces significantly. It is time that we take conscious cognizance of the benefits of laughter and make sure that we introduce it back into our otherwise stressful lives. This may require some specific effort on your part to start with but over time laughter will become a part of your life and will attract more laughter, humor and well-being.

Some tips that can help you bring more laughter in your life are listed below:

* Don't watch movies or television serials that are melodramatic and focus on the daily hassles of familial life.
* Share a joke with a friend (and that does not mean over an email).
* Don't discuss other people's lives and the issues that each one faces.
* Change your perspective to see the lighter side of things. You will realize that extremely frustrating situations are actually very funny.
* Make a conscious choice to watch slapstick comedy that can induce tons of laughter.
* Make a conscious effort to laugh if laughter does not come easily and naturally to start with. What you will realize is that laughter is so infectious that once you start, you will see more of it coming your way.