Does anxiety cause you to shut down some days? For some it does, but a normal amount of anxiety is certainly normal. Drawing the line between that level and abnormal anxiousness is the hard part for some, though.

If you find yourself feeling anxious about some things more regularly than not, the American Academy of Family Physicians has a few suggestions for you on lowering your anxiety level and dealing with the normal levels you already have:

• It's OK to worry about some things -- but try not to let anxiety consume your day. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to consider all of the things that are concerning you, and come up with ways to deal with them. Once your time is up, try to move on.
• Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing and stretching.
• Get regular exercise and plenty of sleep. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Take care of issues that caused you to worry in the past.
• Talk to your doctor about your anxiety and concerns.

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We've all heard of the 'freshman 15' -- the legendary 15 pounds that students tend to put on during their first year away at college. Apparently though, that weight doesn't necessarily come from too much partying and late-night study sessions fueled with lots of pizza.

According to the study reported on here, female students who go away to university and live in dorms are three times more likely to develop a binge-eating habit than those who remain at home with their parents. Girls who already had negative body images were also three times more likely to begin binge eating than those who did not.

The many changes that students have to deal with when they first go away to college can be incredibly stressful, and for young people who aren't used to dealing with such heavy levels of stress, binge eating can become a coping mechanism. It's dangerous because it can not only lead to significant weight gain, but developing a binging habit can also eventually lead to bulimia.

If you have a child who has recently gone away for their first year of college and you're worried about how they're coping, take a look at the full article for more information.

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In the world of health research there's always bad news, and although it's mixed in with plenty of good news it's all too easy to get caught focusing on the negative and letting yourself get worked up and upset. It's no fun to hear that one of your die-hard habits is bad for you, and then right when you're getting a grip on quitting then it's good for you again, and now wait....yep it's still okay...sorta (think coffee). Geez! Give us a break already!

If you're feeling frustrated and are having trouble dealing with all the ups and downs of everyday health news then try one (or a few!) of these 7 ways of dealing with alarming new research. Or share some of your own methods -- what do you do to stay sane but current on the latest and greatest in health knowledge?

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When life throws you a curve ball and something terrible happens, you have two choices: wallow in self-pity or do your best to pick up and move on in the best way you can, learning from the experience. It's only natural to feel angry, depressed, or stressed out and anxious. The important thing is that you bounce back, and good news: resilience can be learned.

So don't worry if you haven't always been strong in the past, read these suggestions and see if they help you better deal the next time you're facing a rough patch.

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