Identifying the sources of stress in your life is the first step in stress management. This isn't as simple as it may appear. While significant stresses like changing jobs, moving, or going through a divorce are simple to detect, recognizing the origins of chronic stress can be more difficult. It's all too easy to miss the role that your own ideas, feelings, and behaviors have in your daily stress levels.

Sure, you may be continually concerned about work deadlines, but it's possible that the stress is being caused by your procrastination rather than the real job obligations.

Examine your behaviors, attitude, and justifications to determine your actual sources of stress:

• Do you rationalize stress as "simply a million things going on right now" despite the fact that you can't recall the last time you took a break?
• Do you think of stress as a component of your job or home life ("Things are usually busy around here") or as a personality trait ("I just have a lot of anxious energy")?
• Do you attribute your stress to other individuals or external events, or do you consider it to be completely typical and unexceptional?

Your stress level will stay out of your control unless you accept responsibility for your part in causing or perpetuating it.

When you're anxious, getting up and exercising is usually the last thing on your mind. Physical activity, on the other hand, is a fantastic stress reliever, and you don't have to be an athlete or spend hours in the gym to reap the advantages. Exercise generates endorphins, which make you feel good, and it may also be a fantastic way to get away from your everyday troubles.

While you'll gain the most benefit from exercising for 30 minutes or more on a daily basis, it's OK to progressively increase your fitness level. Over the course of a day, even minor acts may mount up. The first step is to get up and move about. Here are some simple methods to fit exercise into your everyday routine.

• Turn up some music and get moving.
• Go for a walk with your dog.
• Go food shopping on foot or by bicycle.
• Instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs at home or at work.
• Park your car in the farthest corner of the parking lot and walk the remaining distance.
• Work out with a partner and cheer each other on while you work out.
• With your children, play ping-pong or an activity-based video game.

Spending meaningful time with another human being who makes you feel secure and understood is really relaxing. Face-to-face connection, in fact, sets off a chain reaction of hormones that counteracts the body's protective "fight-or-flight" response. It's a natural stress reliever from nature (as an added bonus, it also helps stave off depression and anxiety). So make it a point to communicate with family and friends on a regular basis—and in person.

It's important to remember that the individuals you talk to don't have to be able to help you with your stress. Simply said, they must be good listeners. Also, don't let fears of seeming weak or burdensome keep you from speaking out. Your trust will be appreciated by those who care about you. It will only serve to deepen your relationship.

Of course, having a close buddy to depend on when you're stressed isn't always practical, but you may strengthen your resistance to life's stresses by cultivating and maintaining a network of close friends.

You may lessen stress in your life by setting aside "me" time in addition to taking responsibility and maintaining a good attitude. Don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life to the point that you forget to look for yourself. Self-care is a must, not a luxury. You'll be better able to handle life's stresses if you schedule time for pleasure and relaxation on a regular basis.

Set aside leisure time. Make time for rest and relaxation in your everyday routine. Allow no other obligations to interfere. This is your chance to disconnect from all duties and re-energize.

Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for your favorite pastimes, whether it's stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

Keep your sense of humor. This includes the power to make yourself chuckle. Laughter aids your body's stress-reduction efforts in a variety of ways.

Take up a relaxation practice. Yoga, meditation, and deep breathing are examples of relaxation practices that trigger the body's relaxation reaction, which is the opposite of the fight or flight or mobilization stress response. Your stress levels will drop as you learn and practice these techniques, and your mind and body will become quiet and centered.

Poor time management may lead to a great deal of anxiety. It's difficult to stay calm and focused when you're overworked and behind schedule. Furthermore, you'll be inclined to avoid or reduce all of the good activities that you should be doing to manage stress, such as socializing and getting enough sleep. The good news is that there are steps you can take to improve your work-life balance.

Don’t over-commit yourself. Avoid arranging events consecutively or attempting to cram too much into a single day. We frequently underestimate the length of time it will take to complete a task.

Prioritize tasks. Make a list of the things you need to complete and prioritize them. Prioritize the high-priority tasks first. Get it over with as soon as possible if you have anything really unpleasant or stressful to undertake. As a result, the remainder of your day will be more enjoyable.

Break projects into small steps. Make a step-by-step strategy if a major undertaking becomes daunting. Rather of tackling everything at once, focus on one reasonable task at a time.

Delegate responsibility. You don't have to do everything yourself at home, school, or at work. Why not delegate the duty to others if they are capable of doing so? Allow yourself to let go of the impulse to be in charge of or monitor every detail. In the process, you'll be releasing needless tension.

Other healthy lifestyle choices, in addition to regular exercise, can help you build your stress resistance.

Eat a healthy diet. Be attentive of what you consume since well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress. Start your day off well with breakfast, then keep your energy up and your mind clear throughout the day with balanced, healthy meals.

Reduce caffeine and sugar. Caffeine and sugar's transient "highs" are frequently followed by a slump in mood and energy. You'll feel more calm and sleep better if you reduce coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugary snacks in your diet.

Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or narcotics may give a quick fix for stress, but the effects are just short. Deal with difficulties directly on and with a clear mind, rather than avoiding or masking them.

Get enough sleep. A good night's sleep feeds both your intellect and your body. Tiredness will increase your stress levels since it may drive you to make unreasonable decisions.

You need a means to control your stress levels right now, whether you're frazzled by your daily commute, locked in a tough meeting at work, or upset by another dispute with your spouse. This is when instant stress alleviation comes in handy.

Taking a deep breath and employing your senses—what you see, hear, taste, and touch—or engaging in a relaxing exercise are the quickest ways to alleviate stress. You may immediately relax and focus yourself by looking at a favorite photo, inhaling a certain aroma, listening to a favorite piece of music, eating a piece of gum, or embracing a pet, for example.

Of course, not everyone reacts the same way to each sensory encounter. Experimenting and discovering the specific sensory experiences that work best for you is the secret to rapid stress alleviation.

From: HumanResourcesMBA.org

We may accuse each other of exaggerating when we say our jobs are killing us, but it might not be that much of an exaggeration. Dozens of studies over the years have linked job stress to increased incidences of disease and death. With this infographic, discover who is most at risk, what causes workplace stress, what the likely consequences are and how both employers and employees can reduce the problem.

Who Is At Greatest Risk for Work-Related Stress Death?

• Over a 20 year study of 820 adults ages 25-65 at the study’s start, 53 died, and they were disproportionately likely to have reported a “hostile work environment”
• Middle-aged workers who have poor relationships with their colleagues are 2.4X more likely to die sooner
• Surprisingly, relationships with bosses had no ties to increased death, even though it is a top cause of leaving a job
• Women who reported having control/power in the workplace were 70% more likely to die than those who did not feel in control

How Stressed Are We?

• 40% of workers say their job is excessively stressful
• 29% say they feel extremely stressed at work
• 26% say they quite frequently feel burned out at work
• 1 in 4 workers feel their jobs are the most stressful aspect of their lives
• 3 in 4 workers believe job stress has increased over the last generation

Most Common Causes of Work Stress

• Heavy workload
• Management techniques
• Restructuring in the workplace
• Lack of support/relationships with coworkers
• 86% of surveyed firms reported bad behaviors like insults and poor manners
• Lack of clarity in job responsibilities
• Job security/future concerns
• Environmental issues (lack of space, excessive noise, unclean air, etc.)
• Abuse, both physical and verbal
• 20 workers per week are murdered in the US
• #1 cause of workplace death for women
• #2 cause of workplace death overall
• 18,000+ are physically abused
• Personal/home problems

How Coworkers Cause Stress

• Manipulation/pressure to obey orders
• Inappropriate or just different personalities/work styles
• Conversely, extreme similarity in personality/work style

Stress has been linked to:

• Heart disease
• 40% higher incidence for women
• 25% increased likelihood of heart attack for men
• Stroke
• Nearly 50% increased likelihood for men
• Depression
• Sleep issues
• Digestive issues
• Obesity (prolonged work stress has been found equal to being 40 lbs. overweight)
• Memory problems
• Aggravation of skin conditions
• The quickened progression of HIV/AIDS

Death from Overworking

• “Karoshi”—the Japanese word for “death from overwork”
• In Japan, about 10,000 managers, executives and engineers die annually from being overworked
• 11 workers for China’s Foxconn committed suicide by jumping from high buildings, citing overworking and neglect of spiritual needs
• Pan Jie, a 25-year-old female auditor in Shanghai, died from viral encephalitis in April 2011, after working for 10 days with a high fever

How Workers Can Reduce Stress

• Eat well
• Exercise often
• Get enough sleep
• Employ relaxation techniques
• Communicate with friends
• Remember to laugh and make jokes
• Seek counseling when necessary