Heart Health--are you all stressed out?

Stress –we all have experienced stress with its physical tension and mental pressure.  It’s a part of modern day life.   What causes stress for one person may not be a stress for someone else.  A person who hates to fly might find an eight hour flight to Hawaii miserable.  Another person might not find flying to Hawaii stressful at all.  Our physical bodies respond to stress with the ‘fight or flight’ response.  In prehistoric man, this was useful because it enabled him to run away from the tiger chasing him.  Modern day man often may find no physical outlet for the ‘fight or flight’ chemicals that flood his body. 
A mother driving to work gets a frantic phone call from her daughter, “Mom, I forgot her gym clothes.” That mom will find herself checking her clock.  Can she get to work on time if she drives back home and takes gym clothes to her daughter? This mom may find herself physically tense and feeling stressed before her work day has begun.
How can you decrease your stress?  It’s your choice to deal with it or ignore.  Here are 5 things you can do to decrease your stress level:  Physical exercise can work off stress.  Breathe in a deep breath and hold it for several seconds; as you breathe out, feel the tension decrease in your body.  Meditate (find a quiet time to meditate or pray), Journal (write about the stress and how you feel)Vent (talk, cry, laugh, and complain) to someone who will listen and keep your confidence.