5 most common stress questions answered - PART 2

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Recognition of the problem is the first step. Once you can do that, you then have to be mindful of what is causing the stress.

Some people have very healthy stress responses. They go to the gym. They do mindfulness exercises. They do-- experience time with friends.

They have things that give back to themselves so that they feel better. But most of us do things like overeat, drink too much,

do things that might be dangerous to us in other ways. It's important to at least recognize that that is a problem. Once you can do that, you then have

to be mindful of what is causing the stress. Why am I getting stressed out? What is happening in my life? Are there really practical things

that I can do to reduce the stress? Can I eat better? Can I get more sleep? Can I get some exercise? And then you want to add in things that bring pleasure

to your life. So spending time with friends, going to concerts, indulging in things you really enjoy. It doesn't mean spending a lot of money,

but maybe just sitting for half an hour listening to music is something you enjoy, which brings down your stress level and allows you not to engage in these negative and potentially

harmful things. Some typical stress responses that people experience can range from biting your fingernails,

picking at your skin, twirling your hair, sweating, overeating, using drugs and alcohol excessively,

not exercising, not sleeping. All these things are really things that potentially damage

your self and your health. So if you can replace them with alternative and healthier things, it'll build a better life for you.

How do you avoid getting super angry when provoked?

People who know how to push your buttons will push the same button over and over and over again. And it's your job to deactivate the buttons.

Stop reacting in the same way. Sometimes you have to stop reacting at all. You have got to redirect your thoughts.

If we're able to step back and say, you know what, a boundary has been crossed, I need to set a stronger boundary here. Or I need to walk away for now.

I need to take a deep breath. Sometimes you have to make a clear decision to change your environment or change

the dynamic of that relationship so it doesn't affect you in the same way over and over and over again.