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Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - How To Help A Child Overcome Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety is a form of high tension or stress that is caused by an imminent event or
previous experiences that require the victim to be in a situation where they have to be separated
from an object or person that they are particularly attached to. This is most frequently seen in
adolescents and children, who bond to toys and family members easier than adults. The
comfort of a familiar object or person creates an increased agitation at the notion that they will
have to give it up, which can result in the symptoms of the anxiety lasting anywhere up to four
weeks. Usually, however, the symptoms tend to pass in only a handful of weeks. It should be
noted, however, that there are indeed cases where the symptoms simply remain or may even
grow.
The usual symptoms that teens and children will feel are emotions of intense anxiety, an
increased difficulty in sleeping, tantrums, nightmares that involved the separated person or
object, and a kind of homesickness. Not all symptoms are merely mental, as there can be a
variety of psychosomatic reactions that include dizziness, headaches, stomach aches, and
vomiting.
It's usually during the disruption of a child's typical routine that the anxiety symptoms set in the
most frequently. For example, if a child is starting in a new school, whether for the first time or
following a transfer, they can find themselves feeling many of these anxiety symptoms.
Naturally, the feelings can also arise if the child is forced into a move to a new home, especially
if it's to a new locale like a city or country. severe changes in the child's life style can also
antagonize feelings of separation anxiety, such as a divorce as the person yearns for the
presence of whichever parent they are not currently living with.
Observation is the first recommended step in treatment. Parents are told to watch and
determine how long children need to adjust to the absence of their object and their new
surroundings. If there's no indication that the anxiety is going to subside, professional help is
highly recommended, especially if the condition appears to worsen.
Usually, a series of tests and questions will be posed to determine if the symptoms warrant
medical assistance. Evaluation is often prescribed when a child actively seeks to avoid
integrating in social activities with others in his environment regardless of the time spent there.
With the aid of the parents and other adults, children can have the affects of the anxiety
minimized over time. It is important to understand that among the driving feelings of Separation
Anxiety is a fear of being separated from something that the child has intimately bonded with
such as family and friends, therefore it is important to help the child overcome these worries and
fears.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - Post Traumatic Stress In Children

When you think of post traumatic stress, the first thing that usually comes to mind are soldiers
returning from war, bombarded by shell shock, reliving their memories of a dreadful experience
that leaves them with what some call "the stare". But what many people don't realize is that this
is only a small portion of those affected by post traumatic stress - in fact, children are often
times the hapless victims of the horror of post traumatic stress.
The symptoms and causes are very similar in many aspects to those felt by adults, however the
far less world wizened children are often times bombarded far more harshly than their grown
counterparts. The trauma is brought on much like the turning on of a simple switch when the
condition begins. The results can be violent, and are always nothing short of harrowing - and
these psychological traits are usually brought on by a myriad of tragically frequent factors.
The most common events to cause post traumatic stress in children are, likewise, not all that
different from adults. Children who suffer sexual abuse can almost immediately contract the
condition. In cases of violence, especially involving the death of a loved one, or serious
accidents or other natural incidents of trauma, children can have their lives permanently
changed. A child who witnesses a fatal vehicular accident can become immediately plagued by
post traumatic stress - a factor shared by many young survivors of cataclysmic occurrences of
nature such as hurricanes or earthquakes.
Usually, a younger victim of post traumatic stress will endure all the same symptoms as an
adult, however they must also endure an extra layer of hardships, usually brought on by their
underdeveloped or inexperienced minds trying desperately to cope with the situation they've
been put in. Flashbacks are a very common trait of the condition. They will frequently and
seemingly inexplicably find themselves vividly reliving the events that led up to the trauma to
begin with.
But in addition to the obvious flashbacks, a fear of the catalysts that actually trigger the
flashbacks also sets in. Again this is a shared symptom, as much like adults, children will find
themselves trying to avoid anything that reminds them too much of the event, such as a

television show depicting a car crash that could remind them of the accident that killed a family
member.
Unlike adults, who often try to avoid triggering their flashbacks by bottling up or withdrawing
entirely, children are eminently more dependant, and will usually cling to their caretaker or loved
one. Much like finding a safe haven in their family member or guardian, they feel safer away
from the images and emotions that rage in their post traumatic stress environment, finding a
kind of solace in their parent or guardian's arms.
If you want to help treat post traumatic stress, it is highly recommended that both adults and
children partake in therapy. Armed with a dual treatment of medication and therapy, the Mayo
Clinic boasts a remarkable track record of recovery for post traumatic stress patients.
However, the condition is also very serious, and should not be expected to go away on its own.
It can have long term, scarring, even potentially dangerous affects on a child or adult, and the
victim needs to be able to work out their flashbacks and be able to move on and enjoy their
lives. Combating post traumatic stress could be the desperate boost a child needs to get on with their lives, and overcome their grisly past.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - Effective Online Stress Relief Programs

With the availability of free information on the internet there is an often overlooked benefit in its
ability to act as a great form of stress relief. With a world overflowing with stress, there are
precious few people alive who can say that they don't experience it in their daily lives.
Fortunately, a variety of websites are available to aid you in relieving your stress.
Websites such as Stress Less offer ideas for relief that are innovative and out of the box. It
offers a wide array of recommendations that will help you enjoy living your life, and not simply
tolerating it through the malaise of stress.
To enhance their services, most of these websites, such as Stress Less, bolster their ranks with
professionals that are available to be contacted. For example, if you are interested in having a
one on one dialog with those whose jobs are reducing people's stress, then you have the option
of a fully confidential, private meeting at your convenience.
If a form of therapy isn't what you're interested in however, there are also websites that offer a
reduction in anxiety through various programs. The programs are stocked with modules that
allow you to learn what kind of behavioral techniques can help cut down on, or in some cases
even remove stress entirely. It should go without saying that such an affect on your life could
have an overall, positive change on your lifestyle in general.
But there are a variety of other techniques that these websites utilize to help you. Relaxation
programs are another common theme provided, which teach you how to regulate your
breathing, meditate, and even relax your muscles to help cut back on tension. For a small fee
you are able to download the instructions for these programs, which are supplemental to a
series of quizzes, inspirational emails, and tracking diaries that are on hand to provide you with
that much needed encouragement to continue and succeed.
Perhaps the most helpful thing that these websites offer is the encouragement to approach life
in such a positive way that dispels the most common cause of stress, which is a simple negative
outlook at life. Wrongful thinking can augment and amplify an already stressful environment.

To that end, stress relief websites endeavor to arm you with the motivation you need to develop
a positive outlook.
This can be supplemented by what is referred to as music therapy, which is a form of online
relief that the free form of the internet makes available. Many people like to turn on their favorite
tunes, or relaxing themes to help cut back on tension. But it's important to pick a song that you
know appeals to you: a fan of Bach or Mozart isn't going to find much comfort in an album by
Iron Maiden and vice versa.
Fortunately, you have the option of picking whatever technique or service benefits you the most
from a wide range of tools that the internet hosts. Although it may be difficult to know which
program is best for you, you have the option of trying as many as you like, and sticking with the
one that works.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - Tips On Managing Your Stress And Self-Esteem

Regardless of what some may think, everyone is plagued in some way by stress. Whether it be
over arrangements for a major event or simply one's inability to get that crucial check out when
it's needed, everyone suffers from stress. The trick, however, is finding and utilizing the stress
relief technique that works for you as an individual. Fortunately, with the plethora of relaxation
techniques that are guaranteed to relieve that agonizing stress, one is certainly bound to work
for your needs.
If you're the kind of person who has a particular fondness towards animals, then one of the
easiest ways to break that bubble of anxiety is to simply reap in the benefits of taking on a pet.
If you don't have one already, then getting the animal of your choice for a pet is certainly in
order. Although any pet comes with a great deal of work and care, these same responsibilities
also work in unison to grant the off-setting feelings of companionship that makes a pet one of
the greatest ways to relieve stress. Many studies have proven that in addition to elevating your
mood, pets help to lower depression, and actually even help with blood pressure. If you have a
particularly active animal, it also helps grant a justification to get off the couch and get a little
exercise. But ultimately the adoration and companionship that comes with your pet helps ward
off many of the prime causes of stress, including a feeling of abandonment, loneliness, and a
lack of interaction.
In many cases however, a simple lifestyle change may be all that is necessary to break the
bonds of stress. In many cases, some people set standards so high that they border on
perfectionism, and when they consistently fall short of their goals they feel this reflects poorly on
themselves, rather than realizing that their standards are simply unrealistically high. Therefore
this mindset has the dangerous potential of ruining anything you try to set your mind too, as any
kind activity you may normally enjoy is hindered by your perfectionist attitude. Therefore it is
very important to halt your practice of approaching everything you do overly critically. For
example, instead of focusing on the cynical or pessimistic, you could spend your time assessing
and appraising your positive points. This has the dual benefit of increasing your self-esteem
while lowering your stress.
Finally, you can always just kick back, relax, and just abandon the stressful world of work
altogether. Go on a nice, enjoyable vacation, abandoning your cell phone, your laptop, and any
other vestiges of your responsibilities. You should use this chance to just unwind, have fun, and
get a good measure of where you want to go with your life in a form of reconnection. If you're in
a relationship, this special time when you won't be occupied by work gives you a chance to work
on rekindling your relationship - which is a major cause of some people's stress. Even if you
can't afford a full scale vacation, sometimes a simple day off, turning off all the electronics in the
house, sealing off your room, and asking that you be left alone to sleep and relax could be all
that's necessary to break your bout of stress.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - How Stress Affects Your Mental Health

Mental health issues that are caused by stress can range from homicidal or other violent acts
towards oneself or drive others to addictions. The range of mental health disorders that are
stress related is so broad that it can be difficult to understand how two situations fall in the same
category. The days of shock therapy are gone for the most part, but it still is used for certain
mental illnesses. Gone, too, is the routine procedure of frontal lobotomies to calm patients into
total submissiveness.
A large key to dealing with stress related mental health issues is to know how to relieve stress.
We now understand that men who are returning from wars endure thoughts and images that
affect them in ways that we have only begun to be aware of. Post traumatic stress disorder
which is caused by stress can affect victims of abuse and violence of all types. Only recently
have we begun to understand how traumatic events can affect the people who survive them.
Despite the many types of mental health disorders that currently exist because of stress, some
of them tend to be much more common than others. Mental health disorders are not
discriminatory and affect everyone. They do not choose specific people or races to affect.
Mental health disorders are equal opportunity problems. These disorders have been proven to
be hereditary in some cases but that is the closest generalization that you can expect.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief -Exercise Can Relieve Stress

Stress is not something that any of us enjoy going through, however, we are all forced to deal
with the effects of stress sooner or later. When most of us think of stress we just assume that it
is a fact of life that there is no cure for. That is not true. A healthy and balanced diet can reduce
the effects that our bodies experience when under stress. However, regular exercise can also
help with that as well.
When most of us think of adding exercise to our daily routines it is usually because of weight
issues that we have. What is not so commonly known is how exercise can actually reduce
stress and our body’s reaction to it. It may sound silly but it is really true. The reason for it is
because of the amount of energy we use in exercising. Every time we exercise we actually drain
stress right out of our body all together. Think about it, if you went jogging and began in a
stressed out mood or high strung, chances are that at the end of your jog, you are suddenly
relaxed and feeling fine.
You don’t have to go overboard on exercise in order to feel the effects of it either. In fact a walk
in the morning will do a lot to help reduce your stress levels, and an added benefit to it is that
you will also upgrade your fitness levels while loosing weight. If you take out even just a half of
an hour during the day to exercise, you will notice that you sleep better at night, which will
lessen your groggy and sleepy feelings during the day. This will also help you in living a stress
free lifestyle.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - Have A Healthy Body And Mind To Relieve Stress

When most of us think about our bodies and dealing with stress it is mostly just in terms of
losing weight. Our weight is what we use to define our bodies these days. Food is the key to
boosting your self esteem as well as reducing stress. Food should be taken in its natural form.
When I say natural forms I mean for example, when you eat vegetable and fruit it helps to eat
them in the form that they naturally come in. if you eat fruit from a can, it is contained in syrup
and sugars that will not be good for you so eating them raw is the best choice.
When you are eating vegetables it is best to eat them raw and steamed because it keeps all of
the vitamins and minerals in them. You should also avoid processed foods and fried meats.
Don’t get me wrong fats are a necessary aspect of nutrition however saturated fats are not. The
right balance of foods in a day can really be a key factor in reducing your stress levels as most
fruits and vegetables contain mood enhancers that most of us don’t even think of.
It is best to eat at least three meals a day that are balanced with each food group as prescribed
by the food guide pyramid and in between snacks as well. What people don’t know is that it is
ideal that you eat five small meals a day instead in order to get the most out of your metabolic
system. The more foods that you intake in a day that are healthy the better to boost your metabolism.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - Using Music Therapy For Stress Relief

When it comes to your overall mental health, stress is the biggest problem that most of face. It is
also the biggest reason for many health problems that we face daily. Most of don’t even understand that stress can be the major cause of major health problems like heart problems. There are many different types of therapy that can be used to help with stress relief and music therapy is a relaxing and soothing one that can help with stress but also major and minor illnesses as well.
Music Therapy may be commonly defined as the structured use of music and music activities geared toward helping individuals with disabilities meet both musical and non-musical goals. Music therapy goals may be based on behavioral, physical, cognitive, social, and emotional or language and communication. Music is a proven relaxation technique as well as a stimulant. Those who use music therapy often experience positive changes.
Music therapy is good for people of all ages may benefit from music therapy, from young children to elderly seniors. People with almost any disability have ability when it comes to music. Music Therapy clients participate through playing instruments, improvising and making up new songs, singing, or even just listening. The people that are involved in Music Therapy sessions may range from having a mild learning disability to having severe mental retardation.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success 

Tuesday's lesson on stress relief - About Stress Relief

About Stress Relief
The topic of stress relief has been the object of controversy in recent decades due to the
various ways to administer it. There are different ways for different cultures. Where the Hindus
have yoga the Japanese have Zen. Both of these methods are excellent in relieving stress.
There are many types of yoga and this practice includes stretching of the muscles and various
positions to relax each body part. Meditation and concentration for each movement will
eventually with continued effort give you a youthful glow and allow you to keep stress levels at a
minimum. Zen, on the other, hand is a style focusing on more of the meditation. Zen is a more
philosophical approach to stress relief and really works if practiced on a regular schedule.
Other ways to relieve stress include deep breathing exercises, light physical exercise, reading,
getting out into nature, the calming effects of light music; each individual has their own method.
Some may prefer bingo or bowling while another may choose baking or smoking a cigarette.
Whatever the choice, there are certain consequences. For instance, if you choose to smoke to
relieve your stress it may not be the best solution and could result in a health risk. Other ways to
relieve stress are acupuncture and hypnosis. These must only be done by a professional. To
locate a professional simply use the internet or it’s as easy as your phone book under
physicians or alternative medicine.
When you decide that relieving your stress level is what has to be done, consult your doctor. He
or she will be able to determine whether your chosen method will be the best for you, and any
adverse effects will then be discussed. Your physician may prescribe medication for you if you
are at a risk for other problems. The problem about stress relief is to not do anything at all.
Some people are not aware they are at risk for problems such as heart attack and stroke.

Next chapter , next Tuesday.

This post is an except from "How To Win Your War Against Stress" (c) Wings of Success