Stress management is made up of very many aspects. To manage stress, you must have a clear understanding of what stress is and how it can affect our daily lives. Therefore, the first place to begin is with the definition of stress. Many models or views of stress have been brought fourth over the years and some have been accepted and welcomed by society. The most popular definition of stress is by an early stress researcher called Richard Lazarus who suggested that stress was as a result of exhaustion of personal resources due to the great external or internal demands. Many people can relate to this because stress is often a feeling of being overwhelmed by the challenges in us and around us. Other suggestions state that stress can be good for us because it pushes us to our limits producing extra ordinary results.

The next thing that is helpful to study in stress management, is what exactly stress does to our bodies. Therefore, knowing the various symptoms that come as a result of stress will enable you recognize the problem. Stress will affect our feelings or emotions, thoughts or intellect and our behavior in many ways. When we come down with stress, we will have several feelings which include anxiety, fear, irritability and being moody. We then become captive of various negative thoughts which are inability to concentrate, low self esteem, forgetfulness, too much worry about the future and many others. We then notice some behavior changes which might consist of stuttering and speech difficulties, crying for no reason, laughing in high exaggerated tone, grinding teeth, increased smoking and other addictive habits, losing appetite or eating too much.

The above changes in behavior clearly show that stress symptoms are very many and that people react very differently to stress in their lives. There are very many causes of stress and they are often referred to as stressors which could be environmental and, they can also be internal. Major life changes are potential stressors and they include death, divorce, marriage, pregnancy, transfer to new school, loss of a job, starting a new job and others. Other causes of stress are financial problems, competition, noise, time pressure, disappointments and others.

There are practical things that you can do to reduce stress in your life and they include keeping a positive attitude in everything you do, avoiding unnecessary competition, be an assertive person and this will enable you command more and reduce stress and its harmful effects in your life. Recognize and accept your limits. This will go a long way to ensure that you realize how unique and special you are. You will also learn that you do not need anyone's validation because you are special with your good qualities and flaws. This realization will make you a happier and a more positive person and you can appreciate life even more. Above all these, eating a healthy diet and avoiding drugs and alcohol will make your life wholesome. Do not forget to undertake some physical exercises.