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.

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We're all stressed way too much -- I don't think anybody disputes that. Our schedules are too busy, our jobs too demanding, our family times too rushed. And although it seems like we're always talking about how we need to take it easy and relax,how often do we really make good on that? One bubble bath once every six months just isn't going to cut it!

The best stress relief happens when it's built right into your life, and the trick is to form a set of habits that you do on a regular basis without really thinking about it. You don't have to think "this action is meant to decrease my stress" in order to reap the relaxing and re-energizing benefits from it. Here are 5 ways to build stress-relief into your life:

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We live in a culture of self-created and self-perpetuated stress. We create it for ourselves and we create it for each other, and since there's no way to give society a complete overhaul and change the way things work it takes some strategy to deal with it. Stress comes from all different areas of our lives, but one of the most common and recognizable is job-related stress. Very few people have completely stress-free careers -- in fact right now I can't even come up with one single example (and it's stressing me out!) -- so how you deal with the stress, and what kind of stress you allow, is key.

Identifying job stress

So the first step in minimizing stress at work is identifying exactly where it's coming from and how it's manifesting itself.

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Are you somebody who looks forward to the holiday season, or dreads it? I think we all battle with the stresses of balancing family, friends, working, shopping, eating right, exercising, and (deep breath) traveling while also trying to keep some sense of sanity in our lives. And it is not easy. But paying attention to key things like what you're eating, how much physical exercise you're getting, and how well you're watching for warning signs that you're getting too run down is key. Try these ways to deal with your holiday stress and let us know in the comments if you have any other tricks that work for you!

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Working women: do you feel like you're expected to do it all? I'm a big believer in setting yourself up for success in life, meaning making a point to work everyday towards having the life you really want. And for some women that life does in fact mean doing it all and having it all. But along with that dream comes a slew of stress, which means that learning how to manage and relieve that stress is paramount to success in both the big long-term pictures and the small short-term every day ones.

Here are some suggestions that may help if you find yourself struggling, and as always: feel free to share with us whatever works for you!

• Manage your finances and allow yourself a few treats Many women tend to feel guilty about spending any money on themselves, but by setting aside a little every week or month to use on treating yourself to something fun and relaxing you can not only help relieve some of the stress from piling up but you'll have more energy and a better attitude to put towards work, your family, and all your daily tasks.
  

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• Figure out what is causing your stress
• Talk about it with somebody close to you
• Eat a healthy well-balanced diet
• Get enough sleep
• Exercise regularly
• Consume caffeine and alcohol in moderation while avoiding drugs and smoking altogether
• Try relaxing with meditation or yoga
• Spend time with people who make you happy
• Make time for fun activities

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Which kind of workers have the highest level of job-related depression? According to a new survey, those occupations would include child care workers, home health care aides and other people who provide personal services.

Where are the general corporate workers, stockbrokers and attorneys at? They're not to be found at the top of having one or more depression episode last year.

Money indeed creates some sense of satisfaction for many, as home health care workers and child care advocates generally have low wages -- along with the human factor weighing heavily on the daily agenda of people in this career field. Notice I didn't say 'workers,' but 'people.' I'm not sure the term "worker" is the best description here.

On the flip side, the least-depressing careers from the same study included those in the architecture, engineering, sciences and maintenance/repair fields.

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Perfectionism is something that affects us all -- if you're not a perfectionist then you know someone who is. I myself am a semi-perfectionist (I'm sure some will argue there's no such thing!) because I'm a perfectionist in certain areas of my life but not all areas. But I still understand the process, and how trying to make everything "just right" all the time can really leave you feeling exhausted and drained.

So what to do? How to fight it? Become an imperfectionist, of course! But the trick is not to go overboard, as it's all about balance (isn't everything?). Here are some tips and ideas on how to make it happen:

• Most pressure (a.k.a. "stress") is self-imposed. Are you prioritizing things in the best way? You do realize that not everything can be #1, right? Take a good hard look at all the things that are bearing down on you everyday and consciously filter out the things that really aren't that important. And take a good hard look at how much effort you're putting into what tasks: is that really where your energy belongs? Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't, but odds are you're over-achieving in at least one area, at the expense of another (like your health).

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I was intrigued when I read this post at ParentDish by Kristin Darguzas, which reports on a study with results that seem to show that stressed out moms-to-be are more likely, 5% more likely in fact, to give birth to baby girls. Darguzas was looking at this article that discusses the results of the study conducted by a university in Denmark.

Apparently women who reported higher levels of stress at the beginning of their pregnancies ended up giving birth to girls, while women who generally felt relaxed were more likely to have boys. I know it sounds odd since the x or y chromosome in male sperm determines the sex of a child. The report mentions that it may be difficult for male embryos to implant when stress hormone levels are high or that stressed women may be more likely to miscarry male babies.

Perhaps the most important point made in the piece is that babies born to stressed-out moms are more likely to have a range of problems later in life, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. So if you're hoping to have a baby but just can't relax it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about ways to relieve some stress.

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How often do you chew gum? Do you chew just to freshen your breath or as a way to relieve stress? I bet it does relax you at least a little, whether you realize it or not, because that's part of the appeal of gum versus breath mints. But chewing gum can cause problems if you overdo it (like anything) especially if you're feeling tense to begin with. According to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, chewing gum when you're stressed can cause you to chew more vigorously, which can lead to any number of problems like a strained jaw, fatigue, soreness, and even a serious condition of the jaw joint called TMJ.

Huh, who knew?

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Nobody is surprised anymore to hear that stress is unhealthy for the human body in many many ways, including contributing to weight gain and heart disease. But stress is one of those things that no matter how bad we know it is for us it's still difficult to get rid of because it's embedded into our everyday lives. But over at The Diet Blog they came up with a great list of 17 ways to reduce stress, because you can never get too much help or hear too many ideas in that department. My favorites from their list? Listening to music and playing with my cats and dog.

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I love to exercise (most of the time) but it's not always easy to squeeze it into my busy schedule. Of course there's always time for work, and I've been jealous in the past of people who have jobs they love that keep them moving -- like fitness instructors at the gym and professional athletes. How great would it be to have physical exercise be a part of your everyday life without any real scheduling efforts on your part? I mean, I know regular exercise is a lifestyle choice for all of us (or should be) but it would be so much easier if it just came, whether you liked it or not, as part of how you make your living.

That's just my "I wish" spoiled side coming out, and in truth after reading this article I'm not so sure all the physical jobs out there are so great after all. Because although exercise and physical fitness have long been attributed with helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular and heart disease, it seems that if that exercise comes related to work the benefits might not be there. And not only do physically demanding jobs not necessarily reduce heart disease risk, but in many cases they actually make it worse!

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We always focus on making lists of things we need to do and inevitably end up feeling stressed out and overwhelmed by it all, when in reality a "not to do" list" may be much better for both our productivity and our health.

No, nobody is saying you should suddenly start shirking responsibilities. But by taking some time to realize what you waste time on every day you can make a list of things 'not to do' and you'll end up making room for all kinds of other things. By having more control over your time you'll naturally reduce stress and be productive. And that's good for all of us!

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Finding ways to simplify our daily lives is a pretty valuable thing, and Women's Health has come up with a fun article listing 65 different ways to do just that. Wanna know how to run with perfect form? Or find the perfect doctor? Or catch up on sleep in the middle of the afternoon? It's all there. And it's not just health-related stuff, either, but all kinds of things that can make your life easier and less stressful -- like outsmarting crossword puzzles and how to clean your house in an hour or less.

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Stress is such a terrible thing not only because it sneaks up on us and is sometimes hard to pinpoint (and get rid of), but also because it affects every area of our health in one way or another -- none of it good.

Hair loss is a common side-effect of stress, but it isn't always obvious right away. Thinning hair usually happens as a result of long term chronic stresses caused by work, relationships, finances, etc., and is most commonly noticed in the shower or overnight when hair is found on the pillow. And with long-term stressors in your life not only will your hair potentially get thinner, but it will likely appear dull and lifeless also.

Happily, though, it's generally not a permanent situation and as soon as changes are made and stress is relieved your hair will get healthier, shinier, and thicker once again. Your body will always let you know when there's a problem, so make sure you're listening!

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