Session 1: How stressed or anxious are you? and How does stress impact your brain and body?

Okay, here we are.  Beginning this journey towards a more relaxed way of being.

So, what's the difference between stress and anxiety?  They are actually closely related, on the same continuum really.  Stress is a daily part of life, stress in moderate amounts helps us optimize our performance and pushes us forward in life.  It is the great motivator.  However, high levels of stress will start to wear us down instead of build us up.  Over time, high levels of stress begin to impact our mental and physical health.  Unmanaged, long-term stress can lead to anxiety and depression as well as physical ailments.

Take a deep breath, babe ~ let's take a peek and see how stressed/anxious we are; right here, right now:

Click on the pic below, it will take you to The Student Stress Inventory:

Click on the pic below, it will take you to the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale:

Finding out our level of stress or anxiety helps us start to form of picture of what is going on in our lives.  Are we handling our stress?  Or are we compounding our stress, do we feel anxious? depressed? sick?

Let's take a closer look at how long-term stress starts to impact our body and our mind.

Now we know a little bit about stress and its long-term impact on us.

Next session we are going to start building our skill-set at managing stress, anxiety and depression.  

Until then, check on this App ~ research proven to help people reduce stress!