Feeling stressed out? You might be experiencing  higher level of stress than you realize. This podcast will give you solid ideas to manage stress and, if possible, relax.

Take a look at the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory, for a sense of your stress level over the past year. Although this is not a diagnosis or medical advice, you might be surprised at the result. As you realize your stress-level, you might be able to feel self-compassion to begin.

To take this a step further, consider the various areas of your life, and how balanced they are. You can try the "Wheel of Life" and have a copy automatically e-mailed to you, right here on DrBCoach.Com. Seeing your life visually depicted in this type of wheel is informative as you think about possibilities.
Why is Being Stressed Out a Problem?With high stress, you might be less focused or on-edge. You may find it difficult to manage your work and home life. As stress takes its toll, you might feel detached, unsure of your thoughts and feelings about things.

Here are three strategies that can help you relax and manage your stress a little bit more every day.
Three Tips to De-stress

* Self Care: emotional, physical, spiritual, social, mental, and creative areas to reorient you.
* "Out-of-the-box" space: when you are feeling stressed, visiting or imagining a place outdoors that helps you connect to your authentic self can help.
* Optimism: this is the belief that every situation will eventually have a positive outcome.
It is not always possible to relax in tough times, but we can manage stress in ways that keep us open, approachable, and hopeful.  By acting in self-care areas, we can reduce stress, worry, and anxiety. Managing stress also gives us the energy to become emotionally agile, by acting rather than letting life "happen" to us.

These strategies build resilience and help us adapt to quickly changing, challenging situations.