stress management using relaxation techniques downloaded via mp3 to reduce stress and help you relax

   what is stress?

...a state of physiological or psychological strain caused by adverse stimuli, physical, mental, or emotional, internal or external, that disturbs the normal functioning of the body.
Stress can directly and indirectly contribute to general or specific disorders of body and mind. Stress can have a major impact on the physical functioning of the human body. Such stress raises the level of adrenaline and corticosterone production in the body. This then increases the heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure and thus puts more physical stress on bodily organs. Long-term stress leads to increased production of cortisol causing the body to be on 'high alert' for extended periods of time. This can be a contributing factor in heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and other illnesses.

People react differently to stressful situations. Both your emotional and physical reactions to a stressor are partly determined by how sensitive your sympathetic nervous system is. This is the system that produces what is known as 'the fight or flight' mechanism. This reaction 'prepares' the person by increasing the pulse rate, breathing rate, tensing muscles, temporarily 'switching off' unneeded systems such as digestion, and increasing blood circulation. Long term or constant anxiety symptoms may cause an overreaction of your sympathetic nervous system. This may lead to a person being in a state of constant tension. If you have an especially stressful life, your  sympathetic nervous system may always be poised to react to a crisis, putting you in . In this mode, you tend to react to small stresses the same way you would react to real emergencies. The energy that accumulates in the body to meet this "emergency" must be discharged in order to bring your body back into balance. Repeated episodes of the fight or flight reaction deplete your energy reserves and, if they continue, cause a downward spiral that can lead to emotional burnout and eventually complete exhaustion. You can break this spiral only by learning to manage stress in a way that protects and even increases your energy level.

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