Stress Management Resources

Stress management resources aim to control a person's level of stress, whether chronic and recurring or acute and unique. Stressors are constantly present throughout life, so one of the major keys to overall wellness and happiness is the effective management of stress. The symptoms of stress can affect both the body and the mind. They range in severity depending on the person and the circumstances involved. Stress management techniques provide a way to cope with stress and its symptoms to promote and maintain general well-being. There are several different approaches to the management of stress including conventional medicine, alternative medicine, and self-help therapies. The effectiveness of each of these strategies remains difficult to fully assess as the field still requires additional research in this area.

Approaches to Stress Management

Studies of stress have shown that it is caused by distinct, measurable life events deemed stressors. Life stressors can be ranked by the median degree of stress they produce. This finding led to the belief that stress was somehow outside of or beyond the control of the person experiencing stress. Further study into this belief yielded a slightly different result. While external stressors can produce valid and measurable stress in the body, this reaction is entirely dependent on the appraisal formed by the stressed person. Not only does an event need to be perceived as stressful, but the individual must also believe that the pressure of the event outweighs his/her ability to cope. This theory of imbalance between demands and resources is now called the transactional model of stress. Modern stress-management techniques were modeled from this idea that stress is not a predetermined, direct response to a stressor but rather an changeable perception of deficiency on behalf the individual. This precept allows stress to be controlled by the person and provides the basis for most stress management techniques.

Conventional Methods

Conventional methods of stress management are most popular in the Western world. These methods are called conventional because most people are familiar with them and their effects on stress. Some conventional methods of reducing stress include psychiatric therapy and anxiety-reducing medications. As with traditional medicine, conventional methods of stress management tend to focus on evidence-based approaches to both the stressor and the experience of stress. While some conventional methods embrace the power and effectiveness of counseling and therapy in stress management, they often rely on medication to reduce stress. Sometimes, the social support factor of therapy alone can be enough to lift a person out of a debilitating state of stress. Conventional methods tend to face the stressor head-on and adapt a person's life to either avoid or abate a particular type of stress.

Alternative Methods

Alternative methods of stress management have traditionally been popular in regions of the world outside of the United States, but they continue to gain influence in the Western world. As with alternative medicine, alternative stress therapies are not rooted in the scientific method, but rather have non-evidence-based healing effects. These methods tend to focus on the person experiencing stress, providing methods for mental reframing or management. Alternative methods such as yoga, meditation, and visualization embrace the transactional model of stress by empowering the stressed person to either view the situation differently or believe in their capability to cope. The transactional model of stress is a framework that emphasizes one's ability to evaluate harm, threats, and challenges, and results in an enhanced ability to cope with stressful events. Individuals focus on the nature of thought and stress, and are encouraged to develop heightened security and positive thinking when it comes to stressful situations. Alternative methods are gaining prevalence as personal anecdotes and research continue to reinforce their effectiveness. Other alternative methods to stress management include meditation, deep breathing, relaxation techniques, spending time in nature, humor, spas, and social activity, among many others. 

Alternative stress management

Yoga is a popular alternative stress-management resource. In yoga teaching, the seven chakras are believed to be the source and manifestation of all stress and disease in the body.