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| Wordscapes® Stress Management Links | |||
| Feature under development - Please return soon |
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| Wordscapes® Stress Management Links | |||
| Feature under development - Please return soon |
Stress Management
Feeling stressed out lately? Repeat this sentence: "Stress is a good thing!" A certain level of stress keeps life interesting and exciting; it prevents boredom and provides energy for coping with life's challenges. It's only when the body's fight-or-flight response - triggered more often these days by rush-hour traffic or an impending algebra test than by lions, tigers and bears -- pumps more adrenaline into the system than we can hand comfortably. That stress becomes a problems. But don't despair: Help is as near as a phone call to your internet service provider!
So take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and point your browser to Relax.calm. A background of blue sky and white clouds frames the stress management resources provided by Dr. Michael Olpin, professor with the Concord College (Athens, WV) Department of Health and Physical Education. Feel better already?
Relax.calm promotes services provided by Dr. Olpin, such as a video on relaxation techniques and stress management seminars for business people. Articles include the "Ten Commandments for Managing Life's Stresses," and "Over 100 Good Reasons to Exercise." Also available online are excerpts from Dr. Olpin's doctoral dissertation on stress management.
You might prefer to start your stress-free surfing session at one of two excellent directory sites. Stress Management Portals is one good kickoff point. This site contains links to the Institute for Stress Management, the American Institute of Stress, and the Stress Education Center, just to name a few. Several sites that focus on job-related stress are also available From this site, in case your boss is the one triggering that fight-or- flight response.
The Stress Management and Emotional Wellness Links page features a huge list of links to sites on almost any category of stress management. Examples are Humour, Health & Happiness, Biofeedback, and Meditation Resources. Whether you prefer to combat stress overload with exercise, yoga, hypnosis, or deep-breathing, you won't find a larger Library of resources
At first glance, you might not think this site provides a lot of content. However, just one click on the drop-down arrow under the heading, Things You Can Do At This Site, is enough to convince you otherwise. An extensive list of categories awaits your selection; for example, click on the Life Events Rating Scale to find a list of stress-producing events. (No surprise: Death of a Spouse and Divorce head the list.) You can also sign up for a free weekly Stress Tip delivered via e-mail, or order a stress management cassette tape or handbook online.
University of Buffalo Counseling Center
This informative site is maintained by the counseling center at the University of Buffalo, so focuses mainly on the causes of stress for college students (i.e. Study Habits and Test Anxiety, Overcoming Procrastination). Other Resources section of the site maintains a good list of links to other stress management resources on the Web, and also maintains a Recommended Readings list if you'd rather absorb your stress management information via hard copy. This is a good site to bookmark whether you're experiencing stress because of a big mid-term exam, an upcoming presentation for management, or the boss looking your over shoulder one time too many!
As the title indicates, this site focuses or benefits of fitness and exercise as stress-fighting mechanisms. Feature sections such as Snooze or Lose -- Getting a Good Night's Sleep, and A Healthy Diet Helps Reduce Stress, make interesting reading, if, you're into "natural" stress management. The site maintains an extensive list of links to sites related to general fitness topics (Fitness Links and Nutrition) as well as stress management links.
This site is a rather simple, unadorned directory of links to stress management resources on the Web, as well as other health-related sites. Categories include Fitness & Exercise, Diet & Nutrition, Breathing Exercises, and even Yoga & Meditation. Even a stress relief game is available from this site, in case solitaire isn't calming enough for you. Several of the categories are focused on students and the stress-producing factors they face (tests, deadlines, presentations, etc.), but the information provided is valuable for non-students as well.
This site isa little more commercial than some of the others, but it does offer an army of interesting features. For example, you can sign up for a free "personalized" stress reduction program. Live 24 hour-a-day customer service is available for those stress management emergencies, and a 30-day (US$30) "interactive" stress management program is featured. You can take a stress quiz to see how your level of stress compares with the norm. A large group of products is available for ordering online, such as videos, books, tapes, and perhaps the most effective stress-fighting product of all: a punching bag. A chat/bulletin board area is available , or you can send an e-mail stress question to clinical psychologist Dr. Paul Fair.
Sections on Stress Cures, Stress Assessments, Humour & Stress, and Holiday Stress are maintained at StopStress.com. Each category features an extensive list of links to other stress sites, articles about stress, and stress assessments, so you can measure just how stressed out you really are. (Which in itself may be a bit stressful!) A link to online book selling site Barnes and Noble allows you to stress your budget, if you like, with books at 40 percent off list prices.
The American Institute of Stress
The American Institute of Stress provides a welcomed change from some of die more "commercial" stress management sites out there. However, despite its professional content and feel, the site is colourful and attractive. A monthly newsletter can be ordered from the site, or you can check into membership with the Institute, if you are so inclined. Information on the causes of stress and stress management is provided in a very clear, straightforward manner. One drawback is the lack of links to other stress-fighting sites; otherwise, it's worth a look.