(Black PR Wire) Feeling stressed … depressed?  Take a quick stress test:

Do you find it hard to wind down and reach common ground?

Do you find it difficult to relax and handle mundane tasks?

Do you find yourself always getting agitated and frustrated?

Do you feel as if you have nothing to look forward to and nobody supports you?

If you answered “yes”, you could possibly be stressed. But, if you were to ask ten people to define stress, or explain what causes stress for them, you would likely get several different answers.  Why? We all react to stress differently.  What is stressful for one person may have little effect on others.  One thing that we can all agree on, however, is that less stress is best.

Unpaid bills, lack of money, the loss of a loved one, reunions, weddings, divorce, moving, chronic illness, insomnia, exams and rush hour traffic … these are all things that can lead to stress, the wear and tear that our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment.

Stress can have either physical or emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings.  In adjusting to our various circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it.

It is now an accepted fact in the medical community, according to research and www.wikipedia.org, that stress is one of the major causes of all illnesses.  Stress can cause migraines, stroke, eczema, a weak immune system, and many other diseases. Stress is also known to cause medical complications during pregnancy for both the mother and the child.

With this in mind, there is obviously a growing need for stress management.  As you go through the constant whirlwind of life, remember that less stress is always best!