Stress Release For Today's Busy Lifestyle Ebook

Stress Release
For Today’s Busy Lifestyle

Stress Release
For Today’s Busy Lifestyle
Taking Control Of Your Life with
Humor
by
Nicolette Jackson
Looking for a hat*
Mrs. Henry wanted to add a hat to her famous wardrobe.
She said to the clerk, “I want to try that one there.”

“Sorry, ma’am,” said the clerk, “that’s a lampshade.”
Copyright © 2008-2009 http://StressReleaseForToday.com All Rights Reserved. 2

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Dedication
This ebook is dedicated to my mom

Mrs. Norma Jackson-Fraser

About The Author
By now you should know that I’m Nicolette Jackson, what you probably don’t
know is that I’m a ‘small Island Girl’. I’m Vincentian by birth and the last of six
children. I’m also a Seventh Day Adventist Christian. I hold a Bachelor of Science
degree in the Behavioral Sciences with a Psychology emphasis (Cum Laude) from
Andrews University, Berrien Springs Michigan.
I have a passion for people and love to help others achieve their dreams. I have
huge dreams which will not just affect my life but eventually improve the quality
of life for others; at the end of this book I’ve a special invitation for you to become
a part of the fulfillment of this dream. This book is just one aspect of my ultimate
dream. I love to help others improve their personal life which in turn has a domino
effect on other facets of their life. I can’t say that I’ve experienced all that you are
going through but I can say that I’ve had my own experiences and I’m stronger
because of them. I couldn’t say that while I was going through my past struggles
but now when I’m faced with difficulties my attitude is totally different. I used to
ask God ,“Why? Why me?”, but now I simply say “Bring it on!”
I define stress as every and anything that causes a change in your life, there is a
saying “more you live, you learn” while that is true “more you live, you get stress”
would be more appropriate since learning in itself has the connotation of newness’.
Thus the importance of managing your response to stress since it is something that
you will be faced with whether or not you want to is another issue.
I hope you enjoy reading this book and I look forward to interacting with you in
the future.
Nicolette Jackson
Follow me on twitter so that we can communicate one-on-one
http://twitter.com/stressrelease

__________________________________________________________________
Contents
Preface
Part I The Basics of Stress
1. What is stress?
2. The effects of stress on the body
3. Techniques to de-stress yourself
Activity I Lifestyle change as a stress indicator
Part II Humor
4. What is humor?
5. Humor as the solution to stress
6. Using humor in a daily routine to combat stress
Activity II Laugh it up
Part III Taking Action
7. Your thoughts and you

8. Taking control of your thoughts and life with humor
9. The secret to dealing with stress
10. Nicolette's three steps to neutralize stress with humor: FUN
Activity III Getting to know yourself
Summary
Your Bonuses
References
Disclaimer
Sneak peek at 30 day guide
_________________________________________________________

Preface
Airport Blues
Sue was having a bad day and was down right upset, this was suppose to be
an exciting day because she was going to be seeing her family for the first
time since she had left for college four years ago. However, she had just
spent eight hours on an airplane and now her baggage was no where to be
found, everything she owned was in those bags. Sue had no clothing in her
hand luggage and she doubt that her old stuff was still in a condition to be
worn. She approached the counter for the tenth time and was finally
informed by the rude attendant that her luggage was on the next aircraft that
was schedule to arrive the following morning. That was the last straw, Sue
lost all resolve and she exploded on the impolite attendant causing a huge
scene at the small airport.
Anything sounds familiar? I think so; we all have had this experience at some point
in our life. The question I really want to ask however is: How did you handle such
a stressful situation? How are you accustomed to act when faced with stress? Do
you believe that your current technique is the best for you?
We often see stress for exactly what it is, something that we don’t want to deal
with because it will cause a change in our current life, we see distress as an enemy
and rightfully so. There are many people who just love to see you lose your cool
and most likely that’s how they get their kicks but how do you deal with such an
intrusion.
What if I told you that the best way to deal with it is just to laugh? Would you
think that I'm crazy or that I’m not a very assertive person?
I’ve found that the best way to deal with stress is to “look it right in its eyes and
laugh.” Yeah, I'm not crazy. Continue reading and I'll explain.
In writing this book I’m not hoping to reinvent the wheel since in essence there
really isn’t anything new under the sun; what I hope to do however is to enlighten
your perspective on the issue of stress and the effects it can have on your life
depending on your response to it. My intention is to help you to realize that stress
is not something that should be ignored but utilized to propel you to where you

want to be in your life personally, financially and all the other allies. I want to help
you to be in better control of your response to stress and ultimately help you to live
the life you want to live and fulfill your dreams.
“Stress Release For Today’s Busy Lifestyle” is about letting go of your stress and
releasing it from your thoughts so that you can be in control of the way you
respond to and handle stress now and in the future. As a result you will also
become more in control of your life. In this book, humor will be used as the initial
tool to release stress and you can find other tools in the Stress Release For Today
30 day fast break guide, along with The Stress Release Club (both accompany this
ebook).
The reason why I decided to write this book is based on my own personal
experience with stress (from an early age I was exposed to stressors that I was not
prepared to deal with mainly parental separation). It’s my dream to create a helpful
resource that will provide the necessary support system for others who are going
through stressful situations which they can’t and shouldn’t try to deal with on their
own.
This book is about firstly learning to release stress and then learning to handle your
daily stressors in such a manner that is beneficial to your well being. This book is
based on the concept of the mind being the most powerful tool in your life. Thus
“Stress Release For Today’s Busy Lifestyle: Taking Control Of Your Life With
Humor” is a thought altering tool, which introduces humor as a way to take control
of stress from it’s starting point, your thoughts. This book will prove that humor is
the best solution for a person who is stressed since humor could be used quite
effectively and easily as an antidote for stress; it also will help you to get in touch
with your funny side. Therefore, the purpose of this book is to persuade the reader
that humor is one of the best ways to rejuvenate a stressful life.
This book is divided into three parts; the first is mostly introductory and is about
stress, the second is about the basics of humor whilst the third, the main purpose of
this book, focuses on humor and how it can be used to help you take control of
your life.
To help you to laugh, I've inserted some Caribbean Humor and captioned them as
Stress Release, I hope you enjoy them and don’t be afraid to laugh it up.
Before I continue I’ll like to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped to
make this book a reality. I’ll like to thank God first and foremost for life and the

way that he made me, especially for the dreams that he has placed in my heart. I’m
also grateful for the support of my Family and friends, those who helped with
editing and those who kept only good thoughts in their mind for me and the
success of this book and accompaniments’. I also want to thank you for
downloading and reading this book and thanks in advance for emailing me with
your feedback at nicolette@stressreleasefortoday.com

Stress Release
Reading and writing*
They were booking in Nedd at the prison in Barbados.
Prison Officer: “Can you read and write?”

Nedd: “I can write, but not read.”
Prison Officer (pausing): “Write your name here, then.”
The prisoner made a scrawl that the prison officer could not make out.
Prison Officer: “What’s that?”
Nedd: “I don't know.”
Prison Officer: “What do you mean you don't know?”
Nedd: “Officer, I told you I can write, but I can't read.”
We sometimes can give ourselves stress due to our inability to listen as opposed to
just hearing what’s being said.

Part I The Basics Of Stress

Chapter One
__________________________________________________________
What Is Stress?
For the purposes of this book stress is seen as the response of the body to any
demand made upon it. The demand can be a threat, a challenge or any kind of
change that requires the body to adapt. The threat can be real or imagined. The
response is automatic, immediate and generalized. It is usually perceived as feeling
tense, nervous, uptight or anxious.
Stress is necessary to life and survival. It can be positive and beneficial (eustress)
or it can be negative and detrimental (distress). Stress is the 'wear and tear' our
bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has
physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings.
As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new
awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in
feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression.
Individual experiences causes stress as that individual readjust his/her life. In so

adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder an individual
depending on how that individual reacts to it. If an individual sees his situation as
not threatening then it will not be a problem for that individual. Hans Selye (1974)
author of the book Stress without distress stated that a person’s interpretation of
stress is not dependent solely on an external event, but also depends upon their
perception of the event and the meaning they give it. Hence, it can be deduced that
stress starts in our thoughts.
Stress therefore is subjective as opposed to objective since an event can only be

seen as stress through your perception of it. Thus we all would have differing
opinions as to what stress really is. As a result, we would also have differing stress
thresholds, meaning that due to our genetic makeup and our socialization
(nature/nurture) we would have differing breaking points; so even if we do
recognize the same events as stressful we will have different points at which it will
start to affect us or become obvious.
The stress model

The stress model has five stages:
1) A new or potentially unpleasant situation

2) Your interpretation of the situation as stressful
3) Your emotional response
4) Your physical response
5) Consequences
You can intervene at any level to change the process and the end result of the
stress.
The Causes Of Stress
Romas & Sharma1, authors of the book Practical stress management, states that
the causes of stress are known as stressors. Stressors can be physical or emotional,
and internally or externally generated. Stressors can be events, situations, people or
demands the individual perceives to be the source of stress. The most common
stressor is change, such as lost of a loved one; career change; illness or injury and
lifestyle changes. Major life changes and daily hassles and demands cause stress as
well as internal factors.
Types Of Stressors
Emily Hauenstein2 of The University of Virginia School of Nursing identified four

types of stressors which I’ve found particularly interesting: Episodic Stressors or
Hassles, Losses or Transitions, Chronic Stressors or Strains, and Intrapsychic
Stressors or Worries.
 Episodic Stressors or Hassles are stressor events that are brief but occur and
reoccur commonly in every day life. They include running late for work,
family disagreements, sick children, deadlines at work, or moving to a new
home.
 Losses or Transitions are stressors that typically are unexpected and are of
short duration, but often result in major short or long-term changes for the
individual. These stressors often involve loss such as the death of a loved
one, job loss, or divorce.
 Chronic Stressors or Strains are stressors that are always present in some
degree. Typically chronic stressors need to be managed several times a week
over a long period of time being months or years. These stressors include

financial difficulties, inability to achieve desired goals, relationship
difficulties, having a difficult boss, or school problems of children.
 Intrapsychic Stressors or Worries are stressors that occur within one's mind
and include uncontrollable and unwanted thoughts. They are worries from
which one cannot be distracted, attempts to put out of one’s mind difficult
truths about oneself or significant others, or memories. These are caused by
Perfectionism, Low self-esteem, Excessive or unexpressed anger, Lack of
assertiveness, Uncertainty or worries, Pessimistic attitude, Self-criticism and
Unrealistic expectations or beliefs.
Some other stressor types are:
• Physical stressors, which are demands placed upon our bodies such as
pushing it too far.
• Emotional stressors, which are messages we receive about ourselves and
others.
• Social stressors, which are the demands of interpersonal interaction.
• Family stressors, which are the demands of family living.
• Chemical stressors, which are pressures placed upon body systems due to
drug abuse.
• Work stressors, which are tensions and pressures at the work place.
• Commuting stressors, which are pressures brought on because of the
necessity to commute regularly, over long distances, or through frustrating
traffic, etc.
• Disease stressors, which are pressures brought on by the reality of illness,
especially long-term and/or terminal illness.
• Decision stressors, which are the demands of decision making.
• Phobic stressors, which are tensions and pressures brought on by fears
(phobias).
• Academic stressors, which are stress triggered by educational issues.
The stressors that tend to have an extensive impact on your life don’t have to
happen to you, they generally involve the people that you love. Personally the two
biggest were the separation of my parents and my mom’s current illness. My
parents’ separation at an early age caused me to become a couch potato, I was still
a child and thus I really didn’t know how to handle such a situation. Now I’m an
adult and my mom’s illness was very hard for me, she’s my rock and seeing her
like this hurts, I used to cry everyday (most people won’t know this) at the very
thought of the things we won’t be able to do and the important parts of my life that

she will miss out on, but I’ve made a conscious decision about this stressor and
now I’m able to control myself and be there for her. I’m here because I want to and
not because I have to and that makes a big difference.
I know that there are others hurting and if I can help just one other person to fast
track their success in life by learning to have a better grip on their life then the
whole purpose for this book would be fulfilled and I’ll be happy.

Stress Release
Ugly Competition!*
One time they were having on ugly competition, three men wanted to enter, a
Jamaican, Trinidadian and a Guyanese. They all went to the place to enter, the
Trini went first and got in, and then the Guyaneee was next, he also got through.
After, the Jamaican went in; the person at the counter looked at the Jamaican and
said, “SORRY NO PROFESSIONALS”.
Being too qualified for a job can definitely be a stressful situation but it is also an
opportunity to move on to bigger and better things.

Chapter Two
__________________________________________________________________
The Effects Of Stress On The Body
The effects of stress on the body are numerous. Body changes are determined by
the severity of the stress, the speed of development of the stressful condition, and
the length of time that the stressor is in operation. When the body is stressed the
initial reaction is what is termed, 'the fight or flight response'. This is initiated by
the autonomic nervous system. The body produces chemicals to prepare to fight or
run away from an attacker in life threatening situations. However, even when there
is no danger to that individual’s life many situations trigger this response since the
body is unable to differentiate between the different types of stressors.
Seven changes that occur as a result of the fight or flight response are:
1. Digestion slows so that blood may be directed to the muscles and the brain;
this is often referred to as “butterflies in your stomach”. This happens since
when faced with danger it is more important to be strong than digest food.
2. Breathing gets faster to supply oxygen for the needed muscles. That’s why
there’s difficulty with breathing after a frightening experience.
3. The heart speeds up and the blood pressure soars, forcing blood to parts of
the body that needs it. That’s the experience of a pounding heart.
4. Perspiration increases to cool the body so that the body can burn more
energy. Sweating more than usual is a sign of stress.
5. Muscles tense in preparation for important action. Thus, at the end of a

stressful day, you may experience a stiff neck or back.
6. Chemicals are released to make the blood clot quickly in order to reduce
blood loss in cases of injury. Thus some wounds stop bleeding quickly. This
also means that there is an increase in your cholesterol level which increases
your risk for heart disease.
7. Sugars and fats pour into the blood to provide fuel for quick energy. In case

of emergency you will notice your superhuman strength in action.
Through 'the fight or flight response', stress arms the body with mood altering
hormones, thus the problem-solving-level-headed person you are, disappears.
Thus, the horrendous embarrassing results which we just want to erase from our
memory.
Symptoms of stress
In order to handle stress it is very important to learn to recognize when you are
stressed. The general symptoms are:
Cognitive Symptoms Muscle tension and stiffness

Memory problems Diarrhea or constipation
Indecisiveness Nausea, dizziness
Inability to concentrate Insomnia
Trouble thinking clearly Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
Poor judgment Weight gain or loss
Seeing only the negative Skin breakouts (hives, eczema)
Anxious or racing thoughts Loss of sex drive
Constant worrying Frequent colds
Loss of objectivity
Fearful anticipation Behavioral Symptoms
Eating more or less
Emotional Symptoms Sleeping too much or too little
Moodiness Isolating yourself from others
Agitation Procrastination, neglecting
Restlessness responsibilities
Short temper Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to
Irritability, impatience relax
Inability to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting,
Feeling tense and “on edge” pacing)
Feeling overwhelmed Teeth grinding or jaw clenching
Sense of loneliness and isolation Overdoing activities (e.g. exercising,
Depression or general unhappiness shopping)
Overreacting to unexpected problems
Physical Symptoms Picking fights with others
Headaches or backaches
(Keep in mind that the signs and symptoms of stress can also be caused by other
psychological and medical problems. If you’re experiencing any of the warning

signs of stress, it’s important to see a doctor for a full evaluation. Your doctor can
help you determine whether or not your symptoms are stress-related).
Stress and disease
Stress can cause disease directly or indirectly. The types of stress related diseases
are labeled as Psychosomatic, Psychogenetic Psychosomatic, or Somatogenic
Psychosomatic1:
• Psychosomatic disease involves the mind and the body; it is a real disease
and not just in the mind.
• Psychogenetic Psychosomatic disease is a physical disease caused by

emotional stress. There is no disease causing agents involved; the mind
changes the body so that parts of the body break down.
• Somatogenic Psychosomatic disease occurs when the mind increase the

body’s susceptibility to disease causing agents or a natural degenerative
process.
Stress can cause disease since when an individual experiences stress the adrenal
gland releases corticosteroids (which are rapidly converted to cortisol in the blood
stream); elevated levels of these suppress the immune system which provides the
body’s defenses to disease. Therefore, if stressed too frequently, the body may
suffer harmful effects since stress lowers the body’s defense mechanism. Thus,
people with high stress in their lives are twice as likely to develop colds and other
viruses. Some doctors believe that 90% of all illnesses are stress related.
Diseases associated with stress are:

• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Coronary heart disease
• Ulcers
• Migraine headaches
• Cancer
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Hay fever
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Backache

• Temporomandibular (TMJ) syndrome
Digestive and abdominal discomfort can also be associated with stress. Stomach
tension (knots), ulcers or pre-ulcerous conditions, constipation, diarrhea, colitis,
sexual dysfunction (70% of the time), poor digestion and absorption, and hyper-
secretion of gastric acid are the major physical symptoms that can link stress and
abdominal problems. These conditions are not always created by stress, but can be
made worse in stressful situations.
Stress can also cause premature ageing, since every biological activity causes some
irreversible chemical scars, which accumulate the signs of ageing3.
Memory loss could occur as a result of stress. Studies done on the hippocampus,
the brain's memory center, have found that negative stress, such as the loss of a
child, has a negative effect on the hippocampus and therefore on memory.
Emotional stress has also been found to cause hair loss but once the emotional
pressure has been relieved hair grows back.
There are other effects that stress can have on a person including post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). It has been found that people who have successfully
managed PTSD had supportive relationships with family and friends, did not dwell
on the trauma, had personal faith/religion/hope, and they had a sense of humor.
These are all effective ways of managing stress and later we will explore them
especially humor.
Emotional effects of chronic stress are anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and
substance abuse.
Research suggests that each exposure to stress leaves an indelible scar, in that it
uses up reserves of adaptability which cannot be replaced. Thus the answer to
stress is really to avoid it as much as possible since you can’t totally reverse its
effects.
It is also very important to eat well since diet can affect the stress that we suffer.
Processed food especially refined carbohydrates in the form of white flour
products, and too much sugar, rob the body of essential vitamins of the B complex,
which are the basic ingredients for a healthy nervous system. When you live on
fast food which are fried, peeled and boiled there is no build up on the B complex
vitamins. You can increase your intake by taking Brewers' yeast tablets, or by

eating whole wheat bread and cereals rich in B vitamins, as well as, fruit and
vegetables4.

Stress Release
Quick action needed*
A Polish lad married a Barbadian girl after he had been in Barbados a year or so
and, although his English was far from perfect, they got on very well until one day
he rushed into a lawyer’s office and asked him if he could arrange a divorce for
him – “very quick”. The lawyer said that the speed of getting a divorce would
depend on the circumstances and asked him the following questions:
LAWYER: Have you any grounds?

POLE: Ja, Ja, an acre and half.
LAWYER: Does your wife beat you up?
POLE: No, I'm always up before her.
LAWYER: Is your wife a nagger?
POLE: No, she white.
LAWYER: Why do you want this divorce?
POLE: She going to kill me.
LAWYER: What makes you think that?
POLE: I got proof.
LAWYER: What kind of proof?
POLE: She got bottle from drug store, and put on shelf in bathroom. I read - it said
“Polish Remover.”
We can definitely see the effects of stress here; this man was in a state of dismay
over something so harmless that he perceived was a threat.

Chapter Three
Techniques To De-Stress Yourself**

__________________________________________________________________
There are many possibilities for the management of stress. Managing stress
involves many coping skills that can vary depending on the stressors, type of stress
and needs of the individual.
Here are twenty ways by which an individual can de-stress him/herself: **
1. Learn to breathe deeply because deep breathing helps calm the body.
2. Be very careful regarding your thoughts because negative or fearful thoughts

create more anxiety and stress. Thinking positive about a situation helps
reduce stress.
3. Practice to visualize what you want to happen in your life and affairs. That
way you will have a clearer picture of your future and less stress about what
you want to do with your life.
4. Have a personal exercise program because physical activities often relieve

the body of unnecessary tensions and allow the body to function more
effectively. Exercise also provides needed diversion from life’s pressures.
However exercise alone is not the answer to stress since the mind and body
needs to rest together. If the body is not accustomed to exercise, too much
physical activity will further be stressful to the body.
5. Learn to relax because an individual needs just a few minutes of peace and
quiet each day to give that individual the ability to properly assess a
challenging situation and to respond in an appropriate manner.
6. Learn to talk about your stress. Opening up about your problems or tensions
with close friends, a therapist, or a clergy member will allow a sharing of
feelings and an opportunity to keep potential stressors in proper perspective.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
7. Plan ahead, by properly planning and using one’s time, daily demands can

be handled before they create unhealthy stress. Daily planning provides for a
varied schedule, which can include work, leisure, social, and family
activities, as well as personal time.
8. Learn to set realistic goals. People who expect too much of themselves are
most frequently troubled by stress. Goals must be realistic in order to be
motivational.
9. Always treat yourself regularly by doing something that you enjoy.
10. Get regular physical checkups. Often physicians can discover physical
symptoms of stress that enable one to deal effectively with the tensions of
stress.
11. Learn to accept problems as challenges; such an attitude will help you to
turn distress into eustress.
12. Know your priorities and learn to say no when necessary, you can’t do all
on your own and it’s ok to say no sometimes.
13. Smile always and be pleasant to others, people are social beings and
naturally a smile will be returned. Develop a sense of humor.
14. Observe the beauty around you and express gratitude at all times even when
in difficult situations.
15. Strive for excellence as opposed to perfection, the perfectionist will always
have stress since there is only one perfect: GOD. Life will always throw
curve balls and thus we have to learn to be flexible.
16. Give and accept unconditional love, let’s try to be less judgmental of others
and ourselves.
17. Talk less and listen more, sometimes we only hear what is being said as
opposed to listening to what the other person is trying to communicate.
18. Keep in touch with family and friends, as well as be open to form new
relationships with strangers. Maintaining our support system is very
important, “no man is an island”. A strong network of supportive friends and

family members is an enormous buffer against life’s stressors. But the more
lonely or isolated you are, the higher your risk of stress.
19. Enjoy the simple things, dream big but don’t you ever lose your gratitude
for the small things in life.
20. Know your limits, don’t compare yourself to others but compare your
present to your past actions and what you want to accomplish in the future.
Be your own yard stick. Most importantly make small changes gradually and
naturally to avoid the stress of change.
Peace of mind is the ultimate goal of de-stressing, get to know your body and how
it responds to stress so that you can recognize when you are in trouble and try to
get to the root of the problem as opposed to just treating the symptoms. Strive for
balance of the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of self (mind, body and soul).

Stress Release
Making sure*
Two men were stoning a mango tree, trying to hit down a large mango at the very
top. One of them stopped to say to the other: “All the stone we ah stone, suppose
de mango nah ripe?”
“True,” replied his friend, “Check it out nuh.”
The first man then climbed the tree all the way to the top where the branches were
dangerously slender, reached out and carefully felt the mango, then came back
down.
“It ripe!” he announced to his buddy. “We nah fling fi nutten.”

Then they began to stone the mango tree again.
Mangoes are a nutritious treat that can help to relieve stress since it provides
comfort however please don’t go about acquiring your mangoes like these men.

Activity I
Lifestyle Change As A Stress Indicator
This activity is geared to helping you assess your risk of health problems due to
stress by evaluating your current lifestyle changes3. Current research into lifestyle
change indicates that a number of changes occurring within a short period of time
prepare the body for major illness, serious injury, or even death! The body
although used to coping with stress, is only capable of focusing its attention on one
stressor at a time. If a number of stressors demand attention before one’s body has
recovered from the original stress there follows a breakdown of the body’s coping
system.
Various stressors and their likelihood of occurrence have been ranked by the
researchers, and mean value given to the amount of stress likely to be caused. The
following checklist should enable you to pinpoint your areas of recent lifestyle
change and to come to an awareness of changes that may be necessary in order to
reduce your likelihood of succumbing to stress related problems.
Obviously some of the lifestyle changes will have come about by actions and
influences beyond our control. Nevertheless the changes are there. The secret of
avoiding further problems is in the timing and execution of changes that will lower
our stress risk.
On a separate page write down the mean value for each change that has occurred in
your life over the past month add it up and then look at the scoring to see how at
risk you are.
Lifestyle change stress indicator scale
63
1. Death of spouse 100 6. Personal injury or illness 53
2. Divorce 73 7. Marriage 50
3. Marital separation 65 8. Sacked from work 47
4. Prison term 63 9. Marital reconciliation 45
5. Death of close family member 10. Retirement 45

11. Change in family member’s 26
health 44 27. Begin or end school 26
12. Pregnancy 40 28. Change in living conditions 25
13. Sex difficulties 39 29. Revision of personal habits 24
14. Gain of new family member 39 30. Trouble with boss 23
15. Business readjustment 39 31. Change in work hours, or
16. Change in financial state 38 conditions 20
17. Death of a close friend 37 32. Change in residence 20
18. Change to different line of 33. Change in schools 20
work 36 34. Change in recreation 19
19. Change in number of 35. Change in church activities 19
arguments with spouse 35 36. Change in social activities 18
20. Loan of over $10,000. 31 37. Loan under $10,000. 17
21. Foreclosure of loan 30 38. Change in sleeping habits 16
22. Change in work 39. Change in number of family
responsibilities 29 get-togethers 15
23. Son or daughter leaving home 40. Change in eating habits 15
29 41. Holiday 13
24. Trouble with in-laws 29 42. Christmas 12
25. Outstanding personal 43. Minor violations of the law 11
achievement 28
26. Spouse begins or stops work Your total values…………….
Scoring
150-299 - You are at risk for illness
300 or more – Take care, you are heading for major illness or serious injury. Try to
adjust your lifestyle.

Part II Humor

Chapter Four
What Is Humor?
“A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by
every pebble on the road.” Henry Ward Beecher
Defining humor is a difficult task since humor is not objective but subjective
therefore, due to differences in experiences and the way we think not everything
that is seen as humorous by one person will be seen that way by another.
For the purposes of this book we will use Sultanoff's5 method to define humor. He
suggested that humor has a five part definition:
Firstly, humor is seen as the experience of incongruity, meaning that the punch
line of jokes normally says one thing literally but it is humorous due to the shared
meaning that is attached to its use (the second meaning). This is also obvious in
cases where something unexpected happens, such as at a wedding where the cake
falls on the head of a child crawling from under the table. That was something that
was not expected to happen but it did and is definitely funny.
Second, as James Thurber has stated, “Humor is emotional chaos remembered

in tranquility”. When someone is currently experiencing a difficult situation it is
often difficult to see the humor in it until later when it is no more an issue. Thus
the onlooker will be able to see the funny side immediately but not the person
who’s experiencing the difficulty.
Third, humor can be experienced in the joy of “getting” it. The “ah ha moment”
(finally understanding something) can be seen as humorous.
Fourth, the experience of the “forbidden”, or “getting away with” something is

often experienced as humorous.
Finally, humor is comprised of three components: wit, mirth, and laughter.

Wit is the cognitive experience, mirth the emotional experience, and laughter the
physiological experience. As individuals we tend to experience humor by either
“getting it” (which tends to be a cognitive or intellectual response), by feeling it

(which tends to be an emotional response), or by laughing at it (which is more of a
physiological response). Laughter and humor are often used interchangeably but
you do not need to laugh to experience humor.
Humor however can also be hurtful. Healthful humor stimulates wit, mirth, or
laughter; the end results foster closeness and intimacy. Hurtful humor on the other
hand, produces pain and distance. Often healthful humor pokes fun at oneself and
situations while harmful humor pokes fun at other individuals or groups.

Stress Release
The cat
Three sailors, a Vincentian, a Guyanese and a Trinidadian were looking for a

place to stay the night after their little boat was washed ashore in Barbados after a
hurricane. They were very hungry and tired and there was only one house in sight;
they knocked on the door to ask for help and were met by a very angry Mr. Joe
with a shotgun, who ran them off his property.
Realizing that there was no other place for them to go in such a weather they
decided to sneak into Mr. Joe’s garage to sleep until morning, hoping that they
wouldn’t get caught.
In the middle of the night, The Guyanese and the Trinidadian were awoken by a
familiar smell; the Vincentian was eating fried chicken. They asked for some and
were told that they should go to the kitchen and if Mr. Joe shows up they should
hide and make him to believe that it was the cat that was in the kitchen.
They went to the kitchen and ate their bellies full but Mr. Joe showed up with his
gun, remembering what the Vincentian had said they both hid.
Hearing the racket Mr. Joe asked, “Who there? I go kill yo tonite if yo nah answer
me”
The Guyanese responded, “meow, meow” while he slid through the night to
safety.
To this Mr. Joe replied “dat darn cat” as he turned to return to his room he heard
another movement and realizing that he had only one cat he asked,
“Who the hell in me kitchen?”
The Trinidadian replied, “It’s me another cat!”
To this Mr. Joe pulled the trigger of his gun and as the bullet caught him the
Trinidadian screamed “Lawd save me”.
The next time you’re pretending to be a cat, please remember that cat’s don’t talk,
lol. On a serious note, it is important to be yourself at all times because eventually
you’ll be caught out of character.

Chapter Five
Humor As The Solution To Stress

____________________________________________________
The famous comedian Bill Cosby stated, “If you can laugh at it, you can survive
it”.
Due to the characteristics of humor it can be seen as the solution to stress. Humor
is very essential when faced with stress since it tends to have the opposite reaction
on the body, thus neutralizing the mood altering effects of stress. When you are in
a good mood you can think more rationally as opposed to being unhappy, nervous,
aggressive, angry and hostile when you are stressed.
Norman Cousins6 was the first person to call the attention of the medical
community to the potential therapeutic effects of humor and laughter in 1979 when
he described his utilization of laughter during his treatment for ankylosing
spondylitis. Believing that negative emotions had a negative impact on his health,
he theorized that the opposite was also true, that positive emotions would have a
positive effect. He believed that the experience of laughter could open him to
feelings of joy, hope, confidence and love.
However, as early as the 1300s, Henri de Mondeville, professor of surgery wrote:

“Let the surgeon take care to regulate the whole regimen of the patient’s life for
joy and happiness, allowing his relatives and special friends to cheer him, and by
having someone tell him jokes”.
The difference is that we now have scientific studies of that relationship. Cousins
spent the last 12 years of his life at UCLA Medical School in the Department of
Behavioral Medicine exploring the scientific proof of his belief. He established the
Humor Research Task Force, which coordinated and supported worldwide clinical
research on humor.
Lee Berk and Stanley Tan7 also did research at Loma Linda University School of
Medicine’s Department of Clinical Immunology, which have produced carefully
controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortisol
levels. It increases the amount of activated T lymphocytes, increases the number
and activity of natural killer cells (the cells that attack virus and tumor cells), and

increases the number of T cells that have helper/suppresser receptors. This simply
means that laughter stimulates the immune system, thus balancing the negative
effects of stress on our body’s defenses.
Further research8 asserts that stress hormones decrease in the body as a result of
laughter. It also shows that scheduling humor into your day could be beneficial to
your health; the study confirmed that endorphin and human growth hormone levels
rise in expectation of an upcoming positive experience.
Dr. Berk says:

“The physiological effects of a single one-hour session viewing a humorous
video appear to last anywhere from 12 to 24 hours in different individuals,
while other studies have shown that a daily 30-minute exposure can produce
profound and longer-lasting changes in these measures.”
Their study further showed that “mirthful” laughter, laughter arising from
happiness or joy instead of other emotions such as embarrassment and anxiety help
to control physiological and mood states associated with the symptoms of chronic
stress. A recent study also noted that people with a good sense of humor and a
propensity to laugh may be less likely to develop heart disease compared to people
who possess antisocial personalities. Thus, heart health can be maintained by using
humor in stressful situations. A good belly laugh is therefore actually good for an
individual. It relieves muscular tension, improves breathing, and regulates the
heartbeat. So when it’s appropriate don’t be afraid to laugh loudly, the benefits are
immense.
It has also been found that humor pulls the various parts of the brain together rather
than activating a component in only one area. Experiencing humor uses the whole
brain and therefore is beneficial to mental health.
Humor also helps with building and strengthening relationships, thus couples
should share funny episodes with their spouse so that they both can experience the
relieving of stress and as a result their communication will improve.
However, caution is needed when using Humor to help another person to reduce
their stress.
“Laughter isn’t always appropriate... I got sacked from my last job for
laughing: mind you, I was driving the hearse at the time!” Neil Baxter

Jerrold Greenberg9, author of the book Comprehensive stress management, noted
that there are different forms that humor can take. It can use surprise, exaggeration,
absurdity, incongruity (two or more contrasting ideas or feelings), word play
(puns), or the tragic word twist (combination of the tragic and comic poles of a
given phenomenon followed by reconciliation in a humorous blend). Thus, even
though there are so many benefits to the use of humor, like so many other remedies
and medicines it can be misused and cause pain, distress and discomfort to an
individual.
Another disadvantage is that humor’s effects are not always predictable. Therefore
it is recommended that humor be used carefully when trying to help someone else
cope with stress so as not to aggravate the situation. However, once consideration
is given to the potential negative effects of humor and they are well thought-out to
be minimal, one should not hesitate to use this approach.
Regarding the use of humor for coping personally, an individual should look for
the humorous aspects of a stressful situation or a stress-producing person. Also try
not to poke fun at someone to try to calm them down, find humor in the situation
or from a past event as opposed to embarrassing the individual by making them the
center of a joke. Telling a joke isn’t the only way to be funny. Find other creative
ways, like telling a humorous anecdote about yourself, to tickle others’ funny
bones.
When humor is used in the proper context, humor could be an empowerment tool.
Humor gives an individual a different perspective on that individual’s problems,
along with an attitude of detachment; thus the individual will feel a sense of self-
protection and control in his environment10. Humor helps the body to counteract
the impact of stress therefore humor is a definite solution to stress however; it is
not a cure for stress (we’ll return to this in chapter eight).

Stress Release
Caribbean unity*
A California Highway Patrolman pulled a car over and told the Guyanese driver
that, because he was wearing his seat belt, he had just won $5,000 US in the state
safety competition.
“What are you going to do with the money?” asked the policeman.
“Well, I gun get a driver’s license,” he answered with pride and jubilation.
“Oh, don’t listen to him,” yelled the Trinidadian woman in the passenger’s seat.
“He real stupidity when he drunk.”
This commotion woke up the Bajan guy in the back seat. He took one look at the
cop and moaned, “I knew we ain’ gon’ get far in no tiefin car.”
At that moment, there was a knock from the trunk and a Jamaican voice asked, “I
man mek it krass the barder yet?”
How about that, Caribbean people are so supportive of each other.

Chapter Six
Using Humor In A Daily Routine To Combat Stress

_________________________________________________________________
The vital questions that I believe you are interested in:10
“How does one go about laughing? How can one get that humor perspective
which can so affect your spirit, body, and mind? How do you learn to access the
lighter side of yourself in an often-tragic world?”
Laughing at yourself is not always easy and frequently one is too immersed in a
problem to find any humor in it. However, it is possible to learn to laugh at
yourself by not taking yourself too seriously. This can be done by seeking out
people with that special talent for seeing the funny side of a situation, thus using
their sense of humor to enhance your own.
You can also increase your laughter by reading and watching more humorous
materials. There are endless resources available thus it is possible to insert humor
in your life to lessen the negative effects of stress. You can achieve this by
watching funny movies, sitcoms on television, and comedy acts. Read the comics
and watch cartoons. You can also watch videos on YouTube. Watch reruns of the
old comics such as “The Andy Griffith Show” and “I Love Lucy!” Just laugh and
feel the difference in yourself!
If you find it difficult to laugh or you can’t seem to find your sense of humor in
difficult times prepare for it by storing funny jokes, sayings, and even bumper
stickers. You can share these with others which will help them to relate to you in a
better manner.
The saying, 'practice makes perfect' is also true in the use of humor so practice
making funny faces in the mirror with a friend.
The activity at the end of this part will help you to get in touch with your funny
side.

Stress Release
You remind me*
Jack: “Every time I see you I remember Danny.”

Sam: “I don't look like he, no way. Why you got to remember that bum?”
Jack: “He too owes me money.”

Activity II
__________________________________________________________________
Laugh it up
Take a break by visiting http://onlinebloopers.com for a laugh.
To help you use humor in your daily routine I’ll like you to learn to follow the
three steps below. This activity is designed to help you defuse anxiety and
frustration with humor in your daily life, its adapted from Larry Wilde’s Humor Rx
for Alleviating Stress in the 21st Century13.
1) Take a humor break
Keep a book of jokes or cartoons handy. It makes good sense to keep a first-aid kit
for medical emergencies why not a mirth-kit to deal with stressful situations?
Ten minutes before a meeting or potentially stressful situation read some funny
stories. A smile or chuckle will relax and better prepare you for a confrontation. A
good laugh makes you feel good and allows you to think more clearly and quickly.
Humor makes you more efficient because it allows you to function better.
2) Laugh at yourself
Being able to laugh at yourself is healthy. Dr. Friedman after doing research in
heart disease said “The person most effectively protecting himself against the
continued progress of coronary artery disease is the person willing to see himself
and his affairs as ludicrously unimportant in the planetary scheme of things.”
When you make fun of yourself it takes the sting out of what other people say.
It is not necessary to constantly put yourself down in the workplace, but self-
depreciating humor shows that you’re human. It reveals that you are so self-
assured; you can readily poke fun at yourself. And guess what? People like you
more!
Humor keeps you from taking yourself too seriously and makes dealing with others

easier.
3) Create a funny file all your own
Find out what makes you laugh and nurture it. Each of us has an individual sense
of humor. There are many life experiences we can look back on and laugh about
uproariously. Childhood incidents, school situations, even marriage mishaps.
Remember the embarrassing moments that were so painful when they happened
but are funny now when you think about them.
The next step in developing your funny file is to put together a humor library.
Gather up your favorite cartoons, comedy records, joke books, funny video films;
anything that will bring a smile to your lips. Bookmark your favorite humorous
websites.
An executive who has a file folder reserved for cartoons, jokes and other humorous
anecdotes said “I call this my mental health file,” he explains. “When I’m down in
the dumps, bored, uninspired, I flip through this folder. I’m always amazed at how
a few laughs pick me up and change my perspective. It's interesting how a humor
file can reach your inner spirit and remind you that the world's not such a bad place
after all.”
Keeping your own humor collection provides comic relief when you need it most.
Medical science has made us aware that there is now another way to cope with
stress. People who may need a cure for one of the most depressing and debilitating
maladies of our times can now access the newest and best prescription: Humor.

Part III Taking Action

Chapter Seven
Your Thoughts And You

__________________________________________________________________
As mentioned before stress can be seen as beginning in your thoughts since you
have to perceive an event as stressful before your body reacts to it as such. Your
thoughts are also very important to having the life that you dream of since you are
the sum total of what you think. How you see yourself and how you think other
people see you play a very crucial role in the things that you actually attempt to do
and also succeed in doing. Your mind is therefore the place where you begin and
end. There’s a saying “once you believe it, you can achieve it” If you want to
succeed in life you’ll need to learn to think in a manner that emits success. Thus if
you want to use stress as a stepping stone to your dreams then you’ll need to learn
to change your thoughts about stress.
We are going to get a bit theoretical here in order to better understand the
importance of our thoughts in forming who we are; our personality. We are going
to do this by taking a look at a key concept within social cognitive theory:
perceived self-efficacy. The social cognitive theory is Albert Bandura’s theory of
personality it sees people as self-organizing, proactive, self-reflecting and self-
regulating rather than as reactive organisms shaped and guided by environmental
forces or driven by concealed inner impulses. Bandura sees self-reflection as the
capability that is most distinctly human. Through self-reflection, people make
sense of their experiences, explore their own cognitions and self-beliefs, engage in
self-evaluation, and alter their thinking and behavior accordingly.
At the very core of social cognitive theory, is self-efficacy beliefs, people's

judgments of their capabilities to organize and implement courses of action
required to attain selected types of performances. Self-efficacy beliefs provide the
foundation for human motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishment. The
reason for this is that, unless people believe that their actions can produce the
outcomes they desire, they have no reason to act or to persist in the face of
difficulties.
Bandura11 defined perceived self-efficacy as people’s beliefs about their

capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence
over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel,

think, motivate themselves and behave. A strong sense of efficacy enhances human
accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways. People with high
assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered
rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook fosters intrinsic
interest and deep engrossment in activities. They set themselves challenging goals
and maintain strong commitment to them. They heighten and sustain their efforts
in the face of failure. They quickly recover their sense of efficacy after failures or
setbacks. They attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficient knowledge and
skills, which are acquirable. They approach threatening situations with assurance
that they can exercise control over them. Such an effective outlook produces
personal accomplishments, reduces stress and lowers susceptibility to depression.
On the other hand, people who doubt their capabilities shy away from difficult
tasks, which they view as personal threats. They have low aspirations and weak
commitment to the goals they choose to pursue. When faced with difficult tasks,
they dwell on their personal weaknesses, on the obstacles they will encounter, and
all kinds of adverse outcomes rather than concentrate on how to perform
successfully. They release their efforts and give up quickly in the face of
difficulties. They are slow to recover their sense of efficacy following failure or
setbacks. Because they view insufficient performance as deficient aptitude it does
not require much failure for them to lose faith in their capabilities. Thus they fall
easy victims to stress and depression.
Bandura’s key contentions as regards the role of self-efficacy beliefs in human

functioning are that “people’s level of motivation, affective states, and actions are
based more on what they believe than on what is objectively true”. For this reason,
how people behave can often be better predicted by the beliefs they hold about
their capabilities than by what they are actually capable of accomplishing, for these
self-efficacy perceptions help determine what individuals do with the knowledge
and skills they have. This helps explain why people’s behaviors are sometimes not
related to their actual capabilities and why their behavior may differ widely even
when they have similar knowledge and skills.
Self-efficacy beliefs according to Albert Bandura can enhance human

accomplishment and well-being in countless ways:
Firstly, they influence the choices people make and the courses of action they
pursue. Individuals tend to select tasks and activities in which they feel competent
and confident and avoid those in which they do not.

Secondly, self-efficacy beliefs also help determine how much effort people will
expend on an activity, how long they will persevere when confronting obstacles,
and how resilient they would be in the face of adverse situations. The higher the
sense of efficacy, the greater the effort, persistence, and resilience exerted in an
activity. People with a strong sense of personal competence approach difficult
tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. They have
greater intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities, set themselves
challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them, and heighten and
sustain their efforts in the face of failure.
Thirdly, self-efficacy beliefs also influence an individual’s thought patterns and

emotional reactions. High self-efficacy helps create feelings of serenity in
approaching difficult tasks and activities. On the other hand, people with low self-
efficacy may believe that things are tougher than they really are, a belief that
fosters anxiety, stress, depression, and a narrow vision of how best to solve a
problem. As a consequence, self-efficacy beliefs can powerfully influence the level
of accomplishment that one ultimately achieves.
Individuals form their self-efficacy beliefs by interpreting information primarily

from four sources. These four sources can help someone to acquire or change their
self-efficacy12.
Firstly, the most influential source is the interpreted result of one’s previous
performance, or mastery experience. Individuals engage in tasks and activities,
interpret the results of their actions, use the interpretations to develop beliefs about
their capability to engage in successive tasks or activities, and act on the beliefs
created. Outcomes interpreted as successful raise self-efficacy; those interpreted as
failures lower it.
Secondly, people form their self-efficacy beliefs through the vicarious experience
of observing others perform tasks. The effects of modeling are particularly relevant
in this context, especially when the individual has little prior experience with the
task. Even experienced and self-efficacious individuals, however, will raise their
self-efficacy even higher if models teach them better ways of doing things.
Vicarious experience is particularly powerful when observers see similarities in
some attribute and then assume that the model’s performance is indicative of their
own capability. On the other hand, watching models with perceived similar
attributes fail can undermine the observers’ beliefs about their own capability to
succeed.

Thirdly, individuals also create and develop self-efficacy beliefs as a result of the
social persuasions they receive from others. These persuasions can involve
exposure to the verbal judgments that others provide. Persuaders play an important
part in the development of an individual’s self-beliefs. Effective persuaders must
cultivate people’s beliefs in their capabilities while at the same time ensuring that
the foreseen success is possible. However, just as positive persuasions may work to
encourage and empower, negative persuasions can work to defeat and weaken self-
efficacy beliefs.
Fourthly, somatic and emotional states such as anxiety, stress, arousal, and mood
states also provide information about efficacy beliefs. People can estimate their
degree of confidence by the emotional state they experience as they contemplate an
action. Strong emotional reactions to a task provide signs about the anticipated
success or failure of the outcome. When they experience negative thoughts and
fears about their capabilities, those affective reactions can themselves lower self-
efficacy perceptions and trigger additional stress and agitation that help ensure the
inadequate performance they fear.
Thus, changing dysfunctional expectancies is largely a matter of changing

perceived self-efficacy. From experience, I can confirm that the above statements
about how one can acquire or change their self-efficacy are somewhat true. My
past experiences, support group of family and friends, role models and my
emotional state all influence what I have tried to accomplish and what I have
actually succeeded at. As a result, I’ve learned that in order to achieve more and to
be successful it is very important to be surrounded by optimistic people and to
always have a positive outlook.
Therefore whatever a person achieves is based on what they expect to happen and
how they view the whole matter. Thus, if a person can consciously change their
beliefs about their potential to produce high altitudes of performance that execute
authority over actions that affect their lives they can change their negative
anticipations. Therefore, positive thoughts about ourselves can result in a strong
sense of self-efficacy that will propel us to high levels of success and thus less
negative outcome from stressful situations.
Another concept that is also very important is our self esteem, this refers to how
high a regard you have for yourself. Those with low self esteem experience stress
from not thinking well of themselves, not trusting their opinions, and acting
nonassertively. Self esteem is however learned and can be changed.

In addition locus of control is also mentionable, it is the perception of the amount
of control you believe you have over events that affect your life. An external locus
of control refers to a perception of very little control (control is outside yourself)
and an internal locus of control refers to a perception of a great deal of control. An
internal locus of control is therefore desirable since it will ensure less stress
however there are external sources which we can give our control to which will in
turn give us better results than if we rely solely on ourselves to control our life and
such a source is GOD. Belief in the existence of a deity and the act of worshiping
gives the assurance that everything will be alright since God is in control. Research
has shown that people who believe in and worship God does cope better with
stress.
A person’s resilience to stress can be increased by possessing certain features

which are termed as hardiness factors; these are commitment, control, and
challenge. Powerlessness is seen to be the cause of burnout. Thus if you have a
strong commitment to yourself and your work, if you believe that you are in
control of the choices in your life, and if you see change as challenging rather than
threatening; then you are more likely to cope successfully with stress. Thus your
thoughts and personality are crucial to dealing with stress in a beneficial manner.

Stress Release
Get your hair cut*
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a
preacher, if they could discuss his use of the family car. His father took him into
his study and said: “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study
your Bible a little, get your hair cut and then we'll talk about it.”
After about a month, the boy came back and again asked his father if they could
discuss his use of the car. They again went into the father’s study where the father
said: “Son, I’ve been very proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve
studied the Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut.”
The young man waited a moment and then replied: “You know Dad, I’ve been
thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah
had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair.”
The preacher said: “Yes, and they walked everywhere they went.”

Chapter Eight
__________________________________________________________________
Taking Control Of Your Thoughts And Life With Humor

__________________________________________________________________
Research on therapeutic humor suggests that if one is encouraged and guided to

use humor, they can gain a sense of control in their life. Use of humor represents
what is termed cognitive control. We cannot control events in our external world
but we have the ability to control how we view these events and the emotional
response we choose to have towards them. When dealing with stress this is
something important that we should all realize: there is only one person that we
can truly change, and that’s ourselves. We can help others but they have to make a
conscious decision for themselves. This is very significant when dealing with
external stress, stress that you have no control over, for example, illness of a loved
one or an irate housemate. You’ll have to either move away from such stress or
adapt to it so that it will no longer become stress since prolonged stressful
situations are detrimental to health and are related to early deaths.
It’s only human to think that we can change the world, when in reality, we can
only change ourselves, that’s how you make the world a better place, by
controlling YOU. When one is stressed he/she is not in control, when you can
control your thinking and emotions, you will have less stress and more confidence
to realize your dreams.
The buildup of stress without release of tension leads to trouble. Humor is the
initial solution to stress release since it works as a distraction from the current
situation or problem. Therefore, it is a great tool to utilize in order to take control
of your life since it will help you to avoid negative outbursts which will affect you
tremendously later. Humor however should not be used by itself to handle stress
since it can then become a defense mechanism and act as a means to repress your
feelings and a way to avoid the real problem. Humor should not be used to hide
your feelings but as a device to regain control of the situation, then alternative
methods can then be utilized to handle the real underlying problem.
In order to deal with stress you will need to be in control of your thoughts and life
hence humor is only the initial solution. A stress free life or successful coping is a
two step process:
1. Humor

2. Resolution of problem
When you allow something or someone to affect your life you temporarily give
control over to them, therefore, before you can resolve the matter you’ll need to
regain control, and humor is an effective way to do this without using physical
force or nasty words. There are however some situations that you can simply
ignore and use humor effectively to solve them. These are generally events that are
unimportant to you and will not affect your quality of life now and in the future.
Not everything you have to get to the bottom of, there are some things that you will
need to learn to just let go.
When you are in control mentally it helps you to be able to think clearer so that
you are physically able to make the necessary changes. For example if Sue had a
sense of humor about her lost baggage she would have been in more control and
would have handled the situation better but she allowed her anger to get the best of
her.
Being in control doesn’t mean that you are free of emotions or emotionless. We’re
humans and showing emotions is important to our humanness. Being in control is
all about knowing when it is appropriate to express certain emotions. It’s ok to be
angry even the bible says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: …” Ephesians 4:26. The
important thing is to channel your anger in such a way that is positive and not
detrimental to you and those around you.
It will be cool to have a system that realizes when you are stressed and zap you
back to reality; however such a system does not exist. There are other alternatives
like medication but medicines can have terrible side effects and leave you worst
off. I find that the best solution is to not take yourself too seriously. It helps to
know who you are and where you want to go. Learning to deal with stress from
within gives you more power and independence as opposed to becoming dependant
on drugs. When the dust settles and we have made all the money in the world,
reached the height of fame and obtained the epitome of power, what gives us true
meaning in life? Define yourself and not let others define you (the activity at the
end of this part is designed to help you define yourself).
On the other hand, you can have an illusion of being in control of yourself by
doing what you think is expected of you, when you do the right things the end
result is great but when faced with hardship its not going to be easy to do what you
know is right just because it is right and expected of you, you need to consciously
decide for yourself. That way you’ll be in control and it will be much easier to face

hardships because you know what you want and you have your own driving force
as opposed to just living the way you should. You are in control because you want
to be and you decide to be. It just doesn’t happen, there’s no magic about it.
There’s no one out there who can put you in control, only you, the power is yours.

Stress Release
Church gossip*
Mabel, the church gossip and self-appointed supervisor of the church's morals,
kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several residents were
unappreciative of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.
She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being
an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the town’s only bar
one afternoon. She commented to George and others that everyone seeing it there
would know that he was an alcoholic.
George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He
said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of
Mabel's house and left it there all night.

Chapter Nine
__________________________________________________________________
The Secret To Dealing With Stress
The secret to dealing with stress is very simple. We all know it but we take it for
granted and never really use it to its fullest potential. I’ll like to share this story
designed to give you a hint.
Many living things need each other to survive. If you have ever seen a
Colorado aspen tree, you may have noticed that it does not grow alone.
Aspens are found in clusters, or groves. The reason is that the aspen
sends up new shoots from the roots. In a small grove, all of the trees may
actually be connected by their roots!
Giant California redwood trees may tower 300 feet into the sky. It would
seem that they would require extremely deep roots to anchor them
against strong winds. But we’re told that their roots are actually quite
shallow in order to capture as much surface water as possible. And they
spread in all directions, intertwining with other redwoods.
Locked together in this way, all the trees support each other in wind and
storms. Like the aspen, they never stand-alone. They need one another to
survive.
People, too, are connected by a system of roots. We are born to

family and learn early to make friends. We are not meant to survive
long without others.
And like the redwood, we need to hold one another up. When pounded
by the sometimes vicious storms of life, we need others to support and
sustain us.
“A trouble shared is a trouble halved” I believe you’ve heard this saying before. It
always helps to get worries off your chest by confiding in a sympathetic friend.
When serious problems start to get you down, don’t be afraid to discuss them with
your family doctor, your pastor or priest, or an understanding member of your
family. If we are Christians we are able to talk out our problems with God, who

always hears and cares.
Therefore, the secret to dealing with stress is to have a support system in place.
Having support tends to ground us and help make it easier to go through difficult
times. From birth, we all have had the need to belong and be accepted by our peers.
This has led to some people succumbing to negative peer pressure and doing things
which they regret, but today I’ll like you to open up your mind to the power of
positive peer pressure to help keep you on track. The key concept I’ll like to share
is called conformity. It’s the tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or
behavior in ways that are consistent with group norms14.
Conformity can be seen as beneficial to life and detrimental at the same time
depending on how one analyzes the subject. It has positive and negative influences
on our behavior in a group. When one is pressured by a group to do something,
which that person doesn’t want to do, conformity is seen as enslaving. However, if
the group share your values and are supportive of you accomplishing your
objectives then conformity in this sense is seen as liberating, helping that
individual to stand up for their beliefs and achieve their goals.
Conformity is not just acting as other people act; it is being affected by how they
act. It is acting differently from the way you will act if you were alone. Group
influence can be liberating when the group helps you to be yourself and you are
able to share your experiences and feelings with the group. For example joining a
weight loss group will help an individual to accomplish weight loss faster than if
they tried alone. Since the members will help you to stay on track and support you
through the different transitions that you will have to go through. It frees you in
this sense, since the group will keep from doing something you don’t want to do
and help you to do the things that you want to do. Being in a group that shares your
goals therefore, is very helpful when it comes to goal achievement. The same is
also true when it comes to stress.
Social support is the most powerful aid to stress release. Having that close friend,
relative or support group to confide in, is tremendously healthy for you and vice
versa. People who feel that they have emotional support have much lower stress
levels when dealing with difficulty compared to those who feel isolated and alone.
A study done with breast cancer patients found that those who were in a support
group who were able to share their emotional feelings and support with each other
lived much longer than those without social support. We are taught to be critical
rather than supportive. From birth, we are socialized to focus on the bad instead of
the good, thus if we can learn to be more supportive and less critical we can

become a vital source of well being. We are social beings and it is healthy to seek
out help when facing difficulties.
Finding support
Seeing that this book is intended to be read worldwide I can’t make a list of places
where you can find support in your local area. However, I would like to share two
things with you that would guide you through the process of finding support:
Firstly, the saying “you are known by the company that you keep” is true, so
before you join any groups check them out thoroughly and learn how compatible
you are with the values and aspirations of the group.
Secondly, make sure that the members of the group are positive and supportive
people because if they aren’t they would only hinder your progress. The people
that you share your dreams with are very important since they would become a
driving force that would either push you forward to your dream fulfillment or away
from your goals. Therefore, it is crucial that you share your dreams only with
supportive people since unsupportive people tend to be dream killers and you
really don’t need them in your circle of friends or social support group.

Stress Release
3 Men*
One day three men were hiking and unexpectedly came upon a large violent river.
They needed to get to the other side but had no idea how to do so. The first man
prayed to God saying, “Please God, give me the strength to cross this river.” Poof!
God gave him big arms and strong legs. He was able to swim across the river in
about two hours, after nearly drowning a couple of times.
Seeing this, the second man prayed to God, “Please God, give me the
strength….and the tools to cross this river.” Poof! God gave him a rowboat. He
was able to row across the river in about an hour after almost capsizing the boat a
few times.
The third man had seen how this worked out for the other two, so he also prayed
to God saying, “Please God, give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to
cross this river.” And poof! God turned him into a woman, with a map. She looked
at the map, hiked upstream a couple of hundred yards, and then walked across the
bridge.
Life is filled with many little surprises. We might not be able to pray and Poof , our
stressors disappear instantly, but we can laugh, refresh our lives and move on.

Chapter Ten
Nicolette’s Three Steps To Neutralize Stress With Humor:

FUN
Prevention is better than any cure therefore, you need to prepare your thoughts to
become a stress blocker. I’ve come up with a description for the acronym FUN
which will help you to keep stress from having negative impacts on your life. FUN
stands for forgive self and others, unwind, and nullify negativity.
Step one: Forgive self and others
Forgive means to cease to blame or hold resentment against someone or

something. It is important to let go of the past in order to make room for your
future, start each day with a clean slate, clear your mind so that when a stressful
situation presents itself you’ll be in a frame of mind that will resist it. Forgiving
self and others for past mistakes will allow you to put the past behind you along
with the stress that it had. Also adapt a forgiving spirit because there would be
situations in your present and future which you’ll need to let go of to maintain your
peace of mind.
Step two: Unwind
Unwind means to make or become relaxed. We are too winded at times and tend to
worry about every little thing. We need to be flexible and understanding with
others. Take the time to just read something funny or remember something funny
that happened in the past, laugh more and loosen up. Seeing the lighter side of
things will allow you to have less stress.
Step three: Nullify negativity
Nullify means to render ineffective or useless; cancel out. When we think negative
thoughts this causes the secretion of hormones which are very harmful to the body.
However, when our thoughts are calm and tender, hormones are secreted which
returns the heart rate and blood pressure to normal. An improved blood supply aids
the processes of digestion, elimination and assimilation, and as a result we have a

feeling of peace, relaxation and optimism. We can learn to be more positive so that
when we experience difficult times we would be able to stop negative thoughts
from affecting our lives.
Learn to have some FUN so that you can be in control of your response to stress in
the future. Forgive self and others, unwind and nullify negativity to block distress
from ruining your quality of life.

Stress Release
Dumb brother*
Tessa was injured in a car accident and fell into a deep coma. After six months she
woke up and found that she was no longer pregnant. Naturally, she asked the
doctor to tell her what happened to her baby.
The doctor replied, “Well, you had twins! A boy and a girl, the babies are fine.
Your brother came in and named them.”
Tessa became anxious as she didn’t think her brother was very smart.
Expecting the worst, she asked the doctor, “So what's the girl’s name?”
“Denise,” said the doctor.
Tessa began to feel a little guilty about how she thought about her brother.
“Not bad,” she said. “I like the name Denise.”
She then asked the doctor, “What's the boy’s name?”
The doctor replied, “Denephew.”

Activity III
Getting to know yourself
This activity is set up in such a way that you can get to know yourself better which
would enable you to make conscious decisions as to the changes that you’ll need to
make in order to be in more control of your life and hence your reaction to stress.
Earlier we looked at the role of self efficacy in personality formation and the
importance of self esteem and locus of control to success, now we are going to
utilize these concepts to define our self. Self definition is the understanding or
determination of one’s own nature or basic qualities.
How well do you know yourself? Getting to know yourself is different from
getting to know a new friend, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a huge challenge.
Ask yourself questions about how you feel regarding things that have bothered you
or things that you feel are important. Write the question down and write the first
reply that comes to your mind.
Getting to know yourself on a deep level can be a long process. Most people think
they know themselves pretty well, but how well do you really know yourself? Do
you know exactly how you feel about certain things and why, or do you tend to
judge how you feel by how you think you should feel? Are you comfortable with
your feelings and the “inner you,” or is that uncomfortable?
Spend sometime alone with yourself, take time to get to know who you are, and
decide whether or not you like yourself just the way you are or whether you need
to make some changes to become the person that you want to be. This would take
sometime but it’s worth it, since it allows you to really grow in the relationship
with yourself. It’s a true grounding in who you are, what you believe and what’s
important to you. It’s like getting to know your life partner so don’t rush it. By
treating yourself as this important and by honoring the time and emotional
commitments, you can truly become a friend with yourself and find the true self
you’ve probably been missing all this time.
To get to know yourself better:

• Schedule some time each week to spend with yourself.
• Think about the issues in your life about which you are not clear, and work
on clarifying your feelings.
• Keep a journal about your discovery so that you can learn what you want to
accomplish and what’s getting in the way of you achieving your dreams.
Take a look at how you make decisions and where you place the blame for
your failures and success. Do you believe that you have some control of
your life and what happens to you or do you believe that the decisions that
you make don’t matter since you have no control over what happens? Do
you accept responsibility for your failures or do you blame external factors
for your failures and success?
You won’t be able to have total control of your life since there are things about
yourself that you won’t be able to change but you do have some control, so start
small and soon you’ll see the wonderful results. We are all in more control of our
lives than we believe even though we can’t be in total control of the events that
affect us. To improve your self-esteem observe the part of yourself that you have
the lowest regard for and work to improve it. Ask yourself what you can do to
perform better at work/school, in your family and in social settings. Seek honest
feedback from family and friends about your strengths and weaknesses; you can
also be more open to them with your thoughts, feelings, passions, and frustrations.
The very essence of stress management requires confidence in your self and in
your decisions to control your life effectively. So take the time out to evaluate your
physical appearance, social self, family self, school/work self, analyze your
thoughts on these different aspects of your self and your behavior. Is your behavior
representing the person who you want to be?
Enjoy this activity and really get to know who you are now, who you used to be,
and you want to be in the future. If you don’t currently know what you want to
accomplish in the future and how you are going to achieve it, that’s ok. The 30 day
guide contains a very interesting activity which would help you to sort this out and
the stress release club is also conducive to your success.

Summary
The stress threshold for everyone is different due to nurture and nature, as well as
what we perceive as stress. Stress can be used to propel you to success since a little
stress can be motivational. However, prolonged stress is detrimental to your health
and psychological well being since stress affects the functioning of your immune,
digestive, and nervous systems.
The good news is that humor and laughter can be used to cope with stress. They
can improve the function of the body, mind, and spirit. The ability of an individual
to laugh at his/her situation or problem gives that individual a feeling of superiority
and power. Humor and laughter can foster a positive and hopeful attitude. Thus an
individual is less likely to succumb to feelings of depression and helplessness if
that individual is able to laugh at the problem. Laughter provides an opportunity
for the release of uncomfortable emotions, which, if held inside, may create
biochemical changes that are harmful to the body. Humor is thus a very good
antidote for stress and when used properly it can help to revitalize a stressful life.
It is also very important for you to utilize the power that is within you to control
your stress level since in essence stress begins in your thoughts. You do have the
ability to control your thoughts and the way you see yourself as well as the type of
life you wish to live. So if you desire to have less stress in your life and escape the
detrimental effects of uncontrolled stress you need to be in control of yourself.
This is something which can be learned so if you are feeling helpless now there is
still hope for you. Take your time and don’t try to change too much in your life at
one time or it will end up being registered as stress by your body, change slowly.
Being in control of your thoughts is the key to stress management. It’s best to
perceive stress as a new challenge and look for the positive within each encounter.
This would help you to reduce anxiety and enjoy each moment instead of worrying
about the negatives. Focusing on the good is less stressful than focusing on the
negative. However, the secret to dealing with stress is to have social support. We
are social beings and when faced with difficult times, sharing our feelings with
supportive people makes us stronger and our problems seem less significant.

__________________________________________________________________
Your Bonuses
__________________________________________________________________
This book is only the beginning of your journey to stress management.
Bonus 1.
To help you on your journey I’ve created a stress release 30 day guide which
would help you through the next thirty days to release your stress and laugh more.
This 30 day guide is free for members of the stress release club along with other
helpful resources.
Special Invitation
As a bonus for downloading this book I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you
to become a member; the stress release club is for a very unique set of people who
just want to have FUN. Positive and supportive people this special invitation is for
you to join our social support group at http://www.thestressreleaseclub.com so that
I can help you release your stress and achieve success. Prepare to have some
FUN :) To claim your free 30day access pass to the stress release club send a blank
email to thesrc@aweber.com or visit the website.
Make sure you add our email address to your contact list so that you can receive
your free 30 day access pass to the stress release club, check us out and collect
your free 30day guide. http://www.thestressreleaseclub.com There’s no obligation
on your part to stay. We provide group support, as well, as one-on-one consultation
with a professional counselor. We are here to help you release stress and achieve
success. See you on the inside.
Bonus 2
Stress Release For Today is all about helping you to release stress and achieve
success. I know that we are now experiencing a global financial crisis and you may
have suffered a job loss or pay cut as a result and I'll like to help you in any way
that I can. The persons who are surviving the recession are persons who run their
own businesses successfully, therefore I've created a free network where you can
do just that. http://www.theentrepreneurialfamily.ning.com is a network for all
entrepreneurs (present and future) who need practical solutions for their businesses
to thrive especially in the current recession. Looking forward to working with you
to build your business and climb up the ladder of success together.

__________________________________________________________________
References
__________________________________________________________________
Books
Bandura.11 (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of

human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press.
Cousins.6(1989). Head First: The Biology of Hope. New York NY: Dutton
Greenberg.9 (1999). Comprehensive Stress Management. Boston: WCB/McGraw-

Hill
Mitchell, et al.4 (2003). Vibrant Health: in the twenty-first century. Lincolnshire:

The Stanborough Press Ltd.
Myers.14 (1990). Social psychology. (3rd ed). New York: McGraw-Hill publishing
co.
Romas, & Sharma.1 (2000). Practical Stress Management. California: Allyn and
Bacon
Willis.3 (1994). Your Health In Your Hands. Lincolnshire: The Stanborough Press
Ltd.
Journals
Berk & Tan.7 (1989) Neuroendocrine And Stress Hormone Changes During
Mirthful Laughter. American Journal of Medical Sciences. 298:390-396.
Stajkovic, & Luthans.12 (1998). Social cognitive theory and self-efficacy: going
beyond traditional motivational and behavioral approaches. Organizational
Dynamics v26 n4. USA: Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd.
Sultanoff.5 (1995). What is humor? Therapeutic Humor (Vol. IX, 3, p. 1-2),
Online

Hauenstein.2 (1999). The Effects Of Stressors. Retrieved March 16, 2004, from
http://www.nursing.virginia.edu/centers/research/wait/psyched/stressors.html#type
s
Today.8 (2006) Laughter Research Conducted At LLUMC. Retrieved August 4,

2008 from http://www.llu.edu/news/today/
Wilde.13 (2006). Humor Rx for Alleviating Stress in the 21st Century. Retrieved
Mseptember 29, 2008, from http://www.larrywilde.com/rxstress.htm
Wooten.10 (1996). Humor: An Antidote For Stress. Retrieved January 29, 2004,
from http://www.jesthealth.com/artantistress.html
Key for stress release inserts:
* Caribbean Humor, unknown source
** These are elaborated on in the 30 day guide

Disclaimer
The author and publisher of this Stress Release For Today’s Busy Lifestyle ebook
and accompanying materials have used their best efforts in preparing it. The author
and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy,
applicability, fitness or completeness of the contents of this program.
This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational

and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or
delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
The author and publisher disclaim any warranties (express or implied),

merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The author and publisher
shall in no wise be held liable to any party for direct or indirect, punitive, special,
incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any
use of this material, which is provided “as is”, and without warranties. Therefore, if
you wish to apply ideas contained in this eBook, you are taking full responsibility
for your actions.
As always, the advice of a competent legal, tax, accounting or other professional

should be sought. The author or publisher does not warrant the performance,
effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in this ebook. All links
are for informational purposes only and are not for content, accuracy or any other
implied or explicit purpose.
This Stress Release For Today’s Busy Lifestyle ebook and all related materials are
© copyrighted by Stress Release For Today. No part of this may be copied, or
changed in any format, sold, or used in any way other than what is outlined within
this ebook under any circumstances.

__________________________________________________________________
Sneak peek of Stress Release 30 Day Guide
Day 1
For Day one the goal is to get acquainted with your stress level and relax a bit by
taking the following test and watching one of your favorite comedy shows.
Personal Stress Test
Instructions: The following cannot work late or take care of

questions ask how you feel and how things
things have been going for you 1 Very much so
during the past month. For each 2 Quite a bit
question indicate the answer that 3 Some – enough to bother me
most nearly applies to you. Since 4 A little
there is no right or wrong answers, 5 Not at all
it’s best to answer each question
quickly, without pausing too long 3. Have you been in firm control of
on any one theme. Get a piece of your behavior, thoughts, emotions,
paper to jot down your answers or or feelings?
open a notepad window.
5 Yes, definitely so
1. How have you been feeling in 4 Yes, for most part
general? 3 Generally so
2 Not too well
5 In excellent spirits 1 No, and I am somewhat disturbed
4 In very good spirits 0 No, I am very disturbed
3 In good spirits mostly
2 I’ve been up and down in spirits a 4. Have you felt so sad, discouraged,
lot or hopeless, or had so many
1 In low spirits mostly problems, that you wondered if
0 In very low spirits anything was worthwhile?
2. Have you been bothered by 0 Extremely so – to the point I have

nervousness or your ‘nerves’? just about given up
1 Very much so
0 Extremely so – to the point where I 2 Quite a bit

3 Some – enough to bother me 0 Much, and I’m very concerned
4 A little bit
5 Not at all 8. Have you been anxious, worried,
or upset?
5. Have you been under or felt you
were under any strain, stress, or 0 Extremely so- to the point of being
pressure? sick, or almost sick
1 Very much so
0 yes, almost more than I could bear 2 Quite a bit
1 yes-quite a bit of pressure 3 Some- enough to bother me
2 yes-some, more than usual 4 A little bit
3 yes- some, but about usual 5 Not at all
4 yes-a little
5 Not at all 9. Have you been waking up fresh
and rested?
6. How happy, satisfied, or pleased
have you been with your personal 5 Every day
life? 4 Almost every day
3 Fairly often
5 Extremely happy - couldn’t have 2 Less than half the time
been more satisfied or pleased 1 Rarely
4 very happy 0 None of the time
3 fairly happy
2 Satisfied-pleased 10. Have you been bothered by
1 Somewhat dissatisfied illness, bodily disorder, pain, or
0 Very dissatisfied fears about your health?
7. Have you had reason to wonder if 0 All the time

you were losing your mind, or 1 Most of the time
losing control over the way you act, 2 A good bit of the time
talk, think, feel, or of your 3 Some of the time
memory? 4 A little of the time
5 None of the time
5 Not at all
4 Only a little 11. Has your daily life been full of
3 Some, but not enough to be things that are interesting to you?
concerned
2 Some, and I’ve been a little 5 All the time
concerned 4 Most of the time
1 Some, and I am quite concerned 3 A good bit of the time

2 Some of the time Note: For each of the four scales
1 A little of the time below, the words at each end
0 None of the time describe opposite feelings. Circle
any number along the bar that
12. Have you felt downhearted and seems closest to how you have felt
blue? generally during the past month.
0 All the time 15. How concerned or worried

1 Most of the time about your health have you been?
2 A little of the time
3 Some of the time Not concerned at all Very concerned
4 A little of the time 10 8 6 4 2 0
5 None of the time
16. How relaxed or tense have you
13. Have you been feeling been?
emotionally stable and sure of
yourself? Very relaxed Very tense
10 8 6 4 2 0
5 All the time
4 Most of the time 17. How much energy, pep, and
3 A good bit of the time vitality have you felt?
2 Some of the time
1 A little of the time Very energetic No energy at all
0 None of the time 10 8 6 4 2 0
14. Have you felt tired, worn out, 18. How depressed or cheerful have
used up, or exhausted? you been?
0 all the time Very cheerful Very depressed

1 Most of the time 10 8 6 4 2 0
2 A good bit of the time
3 Some of the time Directions: add up all the points
4 A little of the time you’ve checked or circled for each
5 None of the time question. See the scoring chart
below.
Scoring
Stress state Total stress score

Indicates positive well-being 81 – 110

Low positive 76 – 80
Marginal 71 – 75
Indicates stress problem 56 – 70
Indicates distress 41 – 55
Serious 26 – 40
Severe 0 – 25

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Stress Release

For Today’s Busy Lifestyle

Taking Control Of Your Life with

Looking for a hat*

Mrs. Henry wanted to add a hat to her famous wardrobe.

She said to the clerk, “I want to try that one there.”

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You now have limited redistribution rights to this book.

You can redistribute this ebook (online only) For FREE.

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This ebook is dedicated to my mom

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Part I The Basics of Stress

Part III Taking Action

7. Your thoughts and you

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They were booking in Nedd at the prison in Barbados.

Prison Officer: “Can you read and write?”

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Individual experiences causes stress as that individual readjust his/her life. In so

Stress therefore is subjective as opposed to objective since an event can only be

The stress model

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1) A new or potentially unpleasant situation

The Causes Of Stress

Emily Hauenstein2 of The University of Virginia School of Nursing identified four

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Some other stressor types are:

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The Effects Of Stress On The Body

5. Muscles tense in preparation for important action. Thus, at the end of a

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Cognitive Symptoms Muscle tension and stiffness

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Stress and disease

• Psychogenetic Psychosomatic disease is a physical disease caused by

• Somatogenic Psychosomatic disease occurs when the mind increase the

Diseases associated with stress are:

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LAWYER: Have you any grounds?

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Techniques To De-Stress Yourself**

Here are twenty ways by which an individual can de-stress him/herself: **

2. Be very careful regarding your thoughts because negative or fearful thoughts

4. Have a personal exercise program because physical activities often relieve

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9. Always treat yourself regularly by doing something that you enjoy.

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“True,” replied his friend, “Check it out nuh.”

“It ripe!” he announced to his buddy. “We nah fling fi nutten.”

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Lifestyle Change As A Stress Indicator

Lifestyle change stress indicator scale