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Understanding stress
Today everyone’s life is full of changes and new challenges.
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of U.S. adults say they lack the time they need to do the things they want. |
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of Americans say they are sometimes stressed in their daily lives, including one in three who experience stress “frequently.” |
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With each change and challenge comes more stress. The heart races, hands get cold and sweaty, muscles tense, and the stomach feels jittery.
People of all ages experience stress in their lives:
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Adults are faced with difficulties on the job or in the home
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Teens feel stressed as they try to live up to the expectations of others, and
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Young children face situations where they feel afraid or rejected.
Hell bent
William G. Tapply.
New York : St. Martin's Minotaur, 2008.
"Boston attorney Brady Coyne finds his own past coming back to haunt his professional life when his ex-girlfriend Alex Shaw, long out of touch, reappears, wanting Brady to represent her brother. Augustine Shaw was a notable photojournalist, happily married with two small children - until he returned from a stint in Iraq missing a hand and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Now he's lost his career, his peace of mind, and his family." "Brady is hired to see him through the divorce. The client wasn't eager to accept Brady's representation, but before the divorce proceedings are very far along, the photographer is found dead in his rented apartment, an apparent suicide." "Something isn't right, however, and Brady starts to think the suicide was staged. With very little to go on and with everyone around him wanting to quickly close the books on what appears to be a tragic case, Brady soon finds himself alone, in the midst of one of the most dangerous situations of his entire life, and facing people who would do anything to avoid being exposed."--BOOK JACKET.
The hour I first believed : a novel
Wally Lamb.
New York : Harper, c2008.
"When forty-seven-year-old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, Caelum returns home to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to be with his aunt who has just had a stroke. But Maureen finds herself in the school library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed, as two vengeful students go on a carefully premeditated, murderous rampage. Miraculously she survives, but at a cost; she is unable to recover from the trauma. Caelum and Maureen flee Colorado and return to an illusion of safety at the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers. But the effects of chaos are not so easily put right, and further tragedy ensues." "While Maureen fights to regain her sanity, Caelum discovers a cache of old diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in an upstairs bedroom of his family's house. The colorful and intriguing story they recount spans five generations of Quirk family ancestors, from the Civil War era to Caelum's own troubled childhood. Piece by piece, Caelum reconstructs the lives of the women and men whose legacy he bears. Unimaginable secrets emerge; long-buried fear, anger, guilt, and grief rise to the surface." "As Caelum grapples with unexpected and confounding revelations from the past, he also struggles to fashion a future out of the ashes of tragedy. His personal quest for meaning and faith becomes a mythic journey that is at the same time quintessentially contemporary - and American."--BOOK JACKET.
Get going on your job
produced and directed by Jeff Heck.
Indianapolis, IN : Jist Works, 2006.
Totally relaxed : techniques to create calm in mind, body & soul
Emily Clayton.
San Diego, CA : Thunder Bay Press, c2003.
Totally Relaxed is an introduction to relaxation for the mind, body, and spirit. It offers simple ways to calm the mind and soothe the soul through easy-to-follow exercises, techniques, and tips. Inspiring snippets of wisdom, light-hearted sayings, amusing quotes, and poignant anecdotes give an added boost to flagging spirits. With color photos and illustrations throughout, Totally Relaxed is the ultimate gift of inner contentment and repose.
Understanding that stress is the body’s way of defending itself can help us deal with stressful situations. Our response to these stressful situations often offers an opportunity to do things better or discover something new about ourselves.
But it is important to be sure stress does not begin to have a negative impact on our health.
Stress may be normal, but that does not make dealing with it easy. Take advantage of the many resources available to help understand what causes stress, identify signs of stress, and provide tips for dealing with stress.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.
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