Feel that you are being pushed and pulled in so many directions at once that's your head is spinning and you don't even know where or how to start?

Having trouble juggling the often conflicting priorities of work, home, the kids and family finances?

There's always too much to do and too little time and everybody else's needs and wants always seem to come ahead of your own. There's never time for just you, for your own SELF.

Striving to achieve work/life balance and find some precious time for just you is a real challenge.

Chances are, like most of us, you experience some form of stress in your daily life. But as Hans Seyle said "Without stress, there would be no life".

Like it or not, stress is a part of everyday life and how you react to and manage stress varies greatly from person to person. We each experience stress very differently, likewise there's a myriad of ways we can manage, alleviate, control or even conquer stress.

What is Stress?

Firstly, there's no easy, all-embracing, definitive definition.

Put simply, stress is the everyday 'wear and tear' our bodies experience as we negotiate and adapt to our constantly changing environment. Stress affects us physically and emotionally and manifests itself in many different ways. Modern day psychological stress can be very pervasive, persistent and insidious and is often associated with tension, anxiety, worry and fear.

However it's not all bad news - stress is not always negative or harmful, and like most things, in moderation, is beneficial.

There's 'good' stress and 'bad' stress. Mild or moderate stress motivates, keeps us on our toes, stimulates and helps us to achieve. It adds excitement, makes us feel good about ourselves and promotes well-being. Winning at sport, being promoted at work, taking a holiday or simply anticipating a holiday creates positive stress. You are positively stressed when you are focused, the adrenalin is pumping, you have the 'eye of the tiger' and you feel that you are winning.

'Bad' stress or distress occurs when life's demands exceed our ability to cope with them, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The cumulative effects of too much stress too often creates negatives like anxiety, fear, tension worry, apprehension, depression and the like. It depletes energy and thus physical and emotional well-being. Thus you often hear phrases 'hit the wall' and 'run out of gas'.

There is however an answer. There is something you can do about it.

While you may not be able to completely eliminate stress from your life, you CAN

• Determine your optimal stress level and
• Manage your stress levels better.