Stress is common in life. But if you live with high levels of stress, it may be time for a personal change of course. Unanswered stress may harm anyone's life. So let's take a look at dealing with stress. It can severely impact all aspects of your life including your health. Complaints of stress and fatigue are the prime reasons that most people go to the doctor. Over a long period of time, excessive stress can incapacitate you.

Not taking care of daily stress can lead to ruined personal relationships and job failure. Plus individuals living with excessively high levels of stress are prone to make bad decisions sometimes even irrational decisions, prompting them to engage in dangerous activities, such as stealing, speeding, drinking while driving, etc.

Many times people don't know they are under stress or choose to ignore it as a consequence of working hard to get ahead. It is important to get informed about stress and take action to reduce or relieve it in some way. Unrelieved stress can lead to all sorts of health complications from catching the common cold to life threatening cardiovascular disease.

Here's a list of some of the potential symptoms or signs that are commonly associated with the affects of stress.

• Sudden Anger
• Feeling Overwhelmed
• Constant Worry
• Depression
• Exhaustion
• Constant Colds
• Lack of Concentration
• Mood Swings
• Chest Palpitation
• Anxiety
• Easily Irritated
• Avoid People
• Avoid Responsibilities
• Negative Thoughts
• Headaches
• Digestive Problems
• Muscle Tension and Pain
• Sleep Issues
• Fatigue
• High Blood Pressure
• Weight Loss or Gain
• Skin Problems
• Hair Loss
• Decreased Sex Drive

Manage your stress and be a healthier, happier and more pleasant person to be around. Below are some ways to deal with stress.

• Stress is contagious - Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected with stress germs too! Protect yourself from stress germs by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you've got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage their stress.
• Copy good stress managers - When people around are losing their head, which keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced? Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
• Use heavy breathing - You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
• Eat, drink, sleep and be merry - Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it's often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don't burn the candle at both ends!

Meditation is a good way of relaxing during, and at the end of, a stressful day. The idea behind meditation is to consciously relax your body and focus your thoughts on one thing for a sustained period. This occupies your mind, diverting it from the problems that are causing you stress. It gives your body time to relax and recuperate, and to clear away stress hormones that may have built up.

How to Meditate?

• Sit quietly and comfortably.
• Close your eyes.
• Start by relaxing the muscles of your feet and work up your body relaxing muscles.
• Focus your attention on your breathing.
• Breathe in deeply and then let your breath out. Count your breaths, and say the number of the breath as you let it out (this gives you something to do with your mind, helping you to avoid distraction).
• Do this for ten or twenty minutes.