.::.Easy Mind Reading.::.

A few decades ago, futurists took note of the rapid advancement in technology and predicted that employees will be working less hours during the week. They thought that technology would make our lives easier by this time. As you can tell, this is true and false at the same time. False, because technology made our lives more complicated and more hectic despite the comforts that it brought us. False, because the average employee now works more hours than the time futurists made their prediction.

True, because some Americans are now working less hours because they have been laid off by their downsizing companies due to the economic crisis the globe is currently going through. The unemployed faces the pressure of being able to find jobs to feed their families. The employed faces the pressure of handling the added amount of workload that were left behind by the laid off personnel. What does this tell us? Both scenarios equate to one thing: stress. In this day and age, no one is exempted from stress.

Stress has been a human problem for the longest time. Nowadays, there are lot of stress management techniques scattered around. The goal of these is one of the same: to relieve stress. The varying methods are designed to suit different personalities, since we all have different reactions to stress. There are three main categories of stress management techniques. They are as follows:

Stillness: Most tress management techniques involve a certain degree of stillness. The main objective in these techniques is to induce a state of calmness or relaxation. Examples of techniques that involve staying still are meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. Listening to music is also considered.

Moving: If there are techniques that involve stillness, there will always be techniques that do the opposite. These techniques are a little like distraction. Engaging in sports and hobbies can turn the attention of the stressed person from the stressful situation to something fun. Exercising also helps offset the stress hormones and gives you more energy for handling stressful situations.

Positive Mindset: Hans Selye proposed that there are two kinds of stress: good and bad. Stress is neutral to begin with, but can become a negative or positive aspect of our lives if we react in certain ways to it. Being an optimist most of the time can help deal with stress. When we have a positive mindset, our bodies are less likely to respond to situations as threats. No stress response, no stress effects.

There are a lot of stress management techniques listed under each aforementioned category. Since we can't avoid stress, you can utilize any stress management to at least reduce the effects.