This is a message from Dr. Moe Peck, a Mental Excellence Counselor with 25 years of experience. I am licensed in Texas, and teach stress reduction techniques and coping skills for stress relief. I also offer a ten-hour course in Austin, Texas on select Saturdays (usually the first Saturday of each month) in the area of stress relief.

When I entered the key words (stress relief) into the search box of About.com, my own stress level elevated when I realized that it responded with over 1900 items! What emerged from that search is that there are multiple definitions of the causes and effect of stress.

Stress was a "new concept," identified as such around 1936.

Pioneer researcher, Hans Selye, identified both positive stress ("eustress"), and negative stress ("distress"). His research led to the general adaptation syndrome (better known as GAS). This finding was one of the first attempts to put cause-and-effect together, to explain how the body reacts during stress; it either goes into "fight-or-flight" mode. This led to an attempt to explain how the response of the body and the demands placed on the body induce stress and cause an excess of hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and other stress-related hormones. Later research has defined how chronic stress may possibly be linked to disease.

Stress relief…what comes to mind when we hear that term?

Suggestions from About.com will supply you with information such as stress management, training, psychotherapy by experts, research from journal articles and many resources and advertisements for gadgets to relieve stress (such as tapes and much more).

My seminar revolves around the notion of progressive relaxation, autogenic relaxation, triggers and goal setting. The sequence begins by taking a deep breath, clenching one fist, holding the breath as long as possible, then letting go. Doing so can help you get a true experience of how we normally go through a day completely tensed up (as a result of pressure and stress) without even knowing it.

My information is based on a combination of my own research, as well as personally participating in mental training sessions in Sweden. This is based on the practice of sport psychology with Professor Lars-Eric Unestahl and professionals from other worldwide cultures.

Are you truly interested in the relief of your own life-shortening stress? Are you ready to commit to the change that could make that happen? Go for it.