At its simplest, stress management is the term that is used to cover a wide range of different techniques that will help you to lower the feelings of stress you experience in daily life. Although some aspects of stress management are there to help with high levels of peak tension, known as acute stress, some are more focused on long-term feelings of strain, known as chronic stress. Either way, the idea is to lower the levels of things like cortisol, a hormone that is known to be related to feelings of anxiety and stress. When we learn techniques that will help to lower stress and deploy them properly, this is when stress can go from being something out of our control to a manageable phenomenon. In this regard, stress management is not dissimilar to anger management.
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as fear, agitation, edginess or worry. The sense of anxiety can range from mild to severe, and the duration that it's felt varies between people also.
We all develop feelings of anxiety at some point in our lives. For example, if we have a job interview, exam, facing confrontation, or even when we're going to the dentist! During times like these, feeling anxious is expected and nothing to worry about.
However, sometimes, people find it difficult to control their fears and worry. Their feelings of anxiety are felt more often, perhaps regularly, and can impact their day-to-day lives, causing problems.
Indeed, anxiety is a significant symptom of many mental health conditions, such as panic disorder, phobias (such as agoraphobia), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Meditation refers to a variety of mental exercises which have their origin in ancient times and became increasingly popular in the western world over the last decades. While meditating, we practice different kinds of focus to achieve a more mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
Meditative practices were developed as part of the path towards enlightenment, self-realisation and the end of suffering. There are various types of meditation, such as focused attention, or mindfulness meditation, which is the most widely studied form of meditation in modern science. Metta or loving-kindness meditation is another example of focused attention. Other forms of meditation are the chanting of mantras or transcendental meditation.
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