Wellness Notes

Friday, April 27, 2012

All Stress Begins with our Thoughts

All stress begins with a thought. It isn’t what’s happening “out there” that initiates the stress response. It’s how we interpret what’s happening “out there” that causes us to become stressed or not. We call this a perception of a threat. If we think this situation will lead to some kind of pain (emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical), we turn on the stress response automatically to prepare for the potential pain. The potential pain is what we call a “threat.” Prevention of stress, then, is best done by

Parable of the Stacked Stones

I love to bike, hike, and run in the hills and mountains of northern and southern Utah. I love the workout of going up. I love the thrill and speed of coming down. Best of all, I love the views I get when I reach the tops of the trails.

I particularly enjoy one trail that happens to be located only a few short minutes from where I live. Within minutes from home, I can find myself on a path where it immediately feels like no city exists anywhere nearby. I disappear into undeveloped terrain.

Welcome to the Stress Management Place!

Our intention is to help you make your life less stressful.

Our goal is to provide you with resources such as: books, online media, articles, information, and other resources that can help you achieve a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Breathing Techniques Reduce Test Anxiety and Increase Performance

Have you ever been disappointed with a test score because you knew you could have done better but were just so nervous you didn’t do your best?

How about on a job interview, or when giving an important presentation?

When we are anxious or nervous our breathing changes from deep diaphragmatic breaths to shallow chest breathing. This kind of breathing restricts oxygen flow to the cells of the body and may cause drowsiness, irritability and even headaches.