Are you feeling the pressures of current economic woes…Wall Street’s erratic behavior, dropping home prices and looming job losses? Well, you are not alone. In today’s world, stress has become a fact of life.

The American Psychological Association recently released their survey “2008 Stress In America”. Eight out of 10 Americans surveyed in September cited money (81%) and the economy (80%) as their top source of stress compared with 75% and 66%, respectively, in April.

Reflecting the deteriorating economic landscape, more than half of Americans reported greater stress in September over work (67%), providing for their families (64%), housing costs (62%) and job stability (56%) than they did in April.

The most stressed out Americans are women. The survey found women were more stressed out than men over money (83% vs 78%), the economy (84% vs 75%), job stability (57% vs 55%) , housing costs (66% vs 58%) and family health problems (55% vs 43%).

And women also were substantially more likely than men to report experiencing physical and psychological symptoms of stress such as headaches (56% vs 36% of men), depression or sadness (56% vs 39%) and nervousness or anxiety (55% vs 43%).

What is it? Stress is tension. When you are stressed, your body tenses up, you are less relaxed, you are more irritable, more critical, less creative, less productive, more overwhelmed, and your over-all state of health is lowered—mental, emotional and physical. It is the single thing that is extraordinarily simple to change, but plays all the difference in your life.

Stress Management Techniques
*Lower your stress level in a matter of minutes with breathing exercises, meditation, humor, music, yoga, exercise or journaling.
*Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, get enough sleep, exercise, enjoy your favorite hobby—have some fun!
*Maintain the right attitude. Much of stress has to do with your attitude and the way you perceive your life’s events. Try being optimistic, survey the things that you have control over, maintain a sense of humor, let go of anger and stressful thoughts, use positive affirmations, surround yourself with positive people.
*Create the right atmosphere—play soothing music, de-clutter your environment, use aromatherapy, create a home spa and take time to relax.
*Prioritize and practice time management . Learn to say “no” in a diplomatic way.
*Develop healthy habits. Certain routines can help buffer you from stress. Have a morning routine that will help you start your day off right. This could include playing soothing music, stretch in the shower, eat a balanced breakfast, drink green tea, take a morning walk or exercise. Create better sleep by taking a bubble bath, listening to relaxing music, meditation, having a massage or journaling.

Source: American Psychological Association, About Health