Some questions come up for many people--they're frequently asked. Below is a link to dozens of commonly-wondered, oft-uttered questions, and answers, along with links to resources.

Stress FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About Stress

Sample Stress FAQs:

"I'm Overwhelmed By Stress. How Can I Even Begin To Better Manage It?"
Many people feel overwhelmed by stress and don't know where to begin in leading healthier lives. Too often, stress affects health and leads to unhealthy behaviors and a downward spiral of more and more stress. This article on stress management basics can show you how to feel better right now, and give you a clear path to a healthier lifestyle.

How Can I Deal With A Difficult Co-Worker?
According to a recent job stress poll on this site, about three in four of us deal with at least one difficult co-worker at our jobs. These people can cause weekly--or sometimes even daily--stress. Find out how to handle difficult coworkers to reduce job stress and feel more at peace when you're at work.

How Can I Keep Stress From Interfering With My Sleep?
Attaining quality sleep is very important to your physical and emotional health, as well as your personal productivity, for many reasons. Unfortunately, many people find that stress affects their sleep. This article explains how, and provides useful information and resources to help you reduce stress and get more quality sleep right away.

I'd like to hear your answers, too! Here's a selection of articles that are comprised almost entirely of responses from the other stress experts on this site: you guys, the readers! See what other readers have to say, and add your best words of wisdom!

Reader Response Articles

Is there a question you'd love to see answered, but don't see it in these lists? Something else on your mind? Write it in the comments!

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A few years back, the Law of Attraction was brought into mainstream awareness when Oprah showcased the popular book, The Secret. Suddenly, many people realized, as they had never grasped before, that they had more of a hand in creating their own reality--their stressors, their circumstances, their 'lucky breaks'--by how they habitually focused their attention. (Those who study optimism, practice positive affirmations, or keep gratitude journals knew this already.)

Now that the idea has had a chance to take hold and sink in, I see many people on Twitter who are using the Law of Attraction in their own lives, and discussing its effects. Are you one of them? What do you think of the Law of Attraction? And how has it worked in your life?

Share your thoughts on attraction in the comments section, or share your stories about the effects of the Law Of Attraction in this Reader Response article on attraction.

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Sometimes, even if you've been working at utilizing stress management techniques for a while, it helps to get a basic overview of what stress is, where it comes from, and what works best in the way of stress management. This is true for many reasons: sometimes we get stuck with one or two techniques that we use in every situation, and we may miss out on other, more appropriate strategies; there may be simple changes that can bring big results--like a shift in attitude--to learn about; a better understanding of stress and stress management may lead to a better understanding of how to lead a less-stressed lifestyle. (You may be surprised by what you didn't realize!)

This has been true for me. I've been studying stress and stress management since my first year in college (and unofficially since high school, or even middle school!), and have built up a nice arsenal of techniques on top of a pretty solid understanding of things like the stress response, stress-invoking cognitive distortions, and other topics that relate to stress, which has helped me relieve stress in my life. However, I'll periodically learn a new piece of information, or begin practicing a new technique, that seems to 'change everything', and deepen my understanding of stress and ability to relieve it, even further.

Here is some basic information about stress, with links to additional resources you can use to deepen your understanding and practice of stress management.

Stress Management Basics

• What Is Stress?
  We hear the term 'stress' being thrown around so often, we may not realize that people mean different things when they're discussing stress. Just what is stress, and what do people mean by the term? Learn the basics of stress, and find a simple but effective 'game plan' you can use with virtually all the stressors you face.

• Relaxation Tips
  Relaxation is sometimes seen as a luxury, but in fact, regular relaxation and stress management are important for physical and emotional health. Learn the main reasons for this, and find strategies that work well for you!

• 10 Things To Know About The Effects of Stress
  What's the role of attitude on your stress levels? How much does stress affect your health? How preventable is stress? Learn the answers to these questions and more.

What about you? What are some stress relief techniques or bits of information that have really deepened your understanding or practice of stress management? Leave them in the comments, so others can benefit, too!

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Did you know that June is 'National Smile Month'? I almost didn't either! (Since June is almost over, you may have to let your smiling spill into July...and August!) I've already talked about the importance of celebrating the smile (National Smile Day was back in October), as well as the fact that any day can be the perfect day to smile, so I'll let you read that blog here.

Today, I'd like to tell you about some more reasons to smile--they're being studied right now by researchers in a new-ish branch of psychology known as Positive Psychology. The research being done now in Positive Psychology is good news because now therapists, counselors, and coaches (not to mention writers) have more information on what makes people thrive, and more tools for helping their clients (and readers) do just that.

Read more about Positive Psychology now, and see what new habits can bring positive results into your life.

More Positive Psychology Resources

• Quiz: How Happy Are You?

• Positive Psychology and Happiness

• Having What You Want

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