e nervous or is it more of a physical reaction? (Stress Management 1999). Once you recognize the issues at hand, you must then try to determine what can be changed. Can these stressors be avoided or eliminated all together? Can you reduce their intensity? Can you lessen your exposure to them? (Stress Management 1999). Those are all questions that must be considered when determining what your stressors are and your plan of action in order to lessen the blow of these harmful stressors.One unusual way of coping with stress is to write about it. According to a study conducted by the Jorunal of the American Medical Association, writing about a stressful experience can help reduce the symptoms of common diseases, such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis (Stress Reduction Techniques 2000). As part of the study, a group of patients was asked to write for 20 minutes a day over three consecutive days about their most stressful life experience. Another group was asked to spend an equal amount of time writing about their plans for the day (Stress Reduction Techniques 2000). The results indicated that forty-seven percent of the patients who wrote about their stressful experiences showed what physicicians determined to be "clinically relevant improvement" in their conditions four months later. A mere twenty-four percent of group number two showed a similar improvement(Stress Reduction Techniques 2000). Also, growing research has revealed that writing about one's thoughts and feelings can lead to improvements in immune functioning, fewer visits to the doctor and an increased sense of well-being (Stress Reduction Techniques 2000).Since humans by nature are very social creatures, we need to be around other people, especially when we are feeling stressed. Having a supportive family and network of friends is one of the most significant ways to reduce stress and other medical conditions that are caused or magnified by it. One of the main outlet...
