Jumpstart Your Fitness: By identifying what stresses you out

by Rigel Celeste (Subscribe to Rigel Celeste's posts)
Jun 23rd 2008 7:33AM

Stress is a part of life, but it seems like lately with the economy in the state it's in (and gas prices skyrocketing to record high after record high), it's getting to be more than just a part of life -- for some of us, stress has downright taken over our lives.

Stress is bad, there's no doubt about that. Sure, in the case of meeting a bear in the woods, stress might help you run faster (or are you supposed stand still?) but in a civilized society, stress doesn't do much more than make us sick. Chronic mental illnesses like depression and anxiety are often directly linked to stress, as are physical conditions like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, insomnia, and obesity, to name just a few from an ever growing list.

Coping with stress can be as simple as having a cup of chamomile tea to as complicated as hiring yourself a financial adviser to help you survive these tough economic times. So which do you need -- the home remedy or the professional help? The first step to figuring that out is figuring out what exactly is causing the majority of your stress. Here is a list of the top eight stresses of Americans today, courtesy of Forbes:

#8 Job Stability

#7 Intimate Relationships

#6 Housing Costs

#5 Health Problems

#4 Family Responsibilities

#3 Work

#2 The Economy

And the single most stressful thing for people today?

#1 Money

The reason finances wins over everything else is because it is directly tied into everything else. Your job, your relationships, your family responsibilities, your health ... your success in all of these areas depends, at least to some extent, on how much money you have. And unfortunately, your health is one of the items on the list that is most likely to suffer when you feel stressed out. Putting off a workout to stay at your job for overtime or skipping your morning walk because you're stressed and 'not in the mood' are excuses many of us are all too familiar with, and if you think your fitness is suffering because you're stressed out, now is the time to do something about it. Try a stress-relieving workout like yoga or dancing lessons, a home remedy like that chamomile tea or aromatherapy (lavender and vanilla can be very relaxing), or take a minute to read through our Stress Less! feature written by Deanna for some great solutions to everyday stressors.

And if all else fails, seek professional help. Whether it's asking your doctor for advice or your financial adviser for help, it's worth it. Your health is worth it!

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