The brain produces electromagnectic wave forms, called brain waves.  The frequencies of these waves will change depending on the neural activity of the brain.  There are different frequencies that correspond with different levels of wakefulness and consciousness.

Binaural beats are audio signals than help train the brain to move into certain levels of consciousness.  The mind can actually be tricked into entering these new phases without us actually having to think about it.

Binaural beats work by taking two tones at slightly different frequencies and presenting one to each ear.  It sounds like a kind of rhythmic beat, and the brain actually interprets the two sounds into a completely new third beat.  This beat determines the state that the mind enters.

A stressed brain is in the Beta state, which is between 13 and 40 Hz.  When you are stressed, the sodium and potassium levels in your brain are unbalanced, which can cause mental fatigue in addition to physical fatigue.

By using binaural beats in the range of 4 to 8 Hz, you can cause your brain to enter the Theta state.  After only 10 minutes of being in the Theta state, the brain can restore the balance of potassium and sodium and eliminate that stressed feeling.

Binaural beats can also be used to enduce a state of wakeful meditation.  Meditation has been proven to reduce stress.  In people who have trouble meditating, binaural beats can simulate the effects of meditation and bring the stress-reducing benefits meditation would enduce.

You can buy binaural beats on CD that work in various ways.  There are CDs for stress, insomnia, concentration, creativity, and more.  Just be sure you’re getting your binaural beats from a reputable source, or they could do more harm than good.

Stress can cause a wide range of symtoms.  Different people will display different symptoms, because stress affects people in different ways.  We’re going to look at some of the more common stress symptoms.

1. Rapid heartbeat.  Stress often causes the heart to beat rapidly, even uncomfortably.
2. Headaches.  Stress can cause tension headaches that can range from mild to severe.
3. Stomach issues.  Nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, and vomiting are all common with stress.
4. Rapid breathing.  Many people experience this.
5. Muscle aches.  Stress can cause muscle tension, leading to backaches, stiff neck, and tight shoulders.
6. Irritability.  Stress often makes people moody and irritable.
7. Exhaustion.  Stressed people often feel mentally and physically exhausted.
8. Nervousness.  Feeling jittery, jumpy, or scared is quite common.
9. Difficulty concentrating.  Many people find they just can’t concentrate when they are stressed.
10. Excessive worry.  People under stress often worry a lot, even about things that they shouldn’t.
11. Bad temper.  Your temper may be a lot worse when you are under stress.

These are some of the most common symptoms of stress.  There can be many more.  When stress crosses over into anxiety or panic, these symtoms can intensify and be joined by many other symptoms.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should see a medical professional.  Only a medical professional can diagnose stress and make sure you aren’t suffering from a serious physical condition that could be life threatening.

Once you are diagnosed with stress, your doctor or therapist can help you figure out the best course of action to treat your stress.

There are many different ways people cope with stress.  Some are positive and helpful, and some are destructive and can even make stress worse.  It’s very important to deal with stress in a positive way, because negative methods often do end up increasing stress levels, either directly or indirectly.

Positive Ways of Coping with Stress:

• Laughing, giggling, and watching comedies that help you laugh.
• Taking a relaxing bath or shower.
• Being creative by writing, painting, drawing, or playing music.
• Gardening.
• Going out with friends to dinner, movies, shopping, etc.
• Listening to music.
• Playing with pets.
• Taking part in religious activities.
• Exercising.
• Taking walks.
• Talking to friends or loved ones.
• Meditation.
• Yoga.
• Spending time outdoors.

Negative Ways to Cope with Stress:

• Drugs.
• Excessive drinking.
• Overeating, especially binge eating junk food.
• Yelling at the people around you.
• Becoming violent, screaming, hitting people or things, throwing things, kicking things, etc.
• Smoking cigarettes.
• Biting your fingernails.
• Becoming overly critical of yourself.
• Taking part in dangerous activities like driving too fast, skydiving, or other dangerous activities.
• Avoiding contact with friends or others.

If you do find yourself using one of these negative coping methods, try to immediately catch yourself and switch to something positive.  Using these negative coping mechanisms will only serve to make your sress worse in the end.  Learning to recognize when you’re using these negative methods is vital.  Once you learn how to recognize when you’re doing it, you can train yourself to replace these negative methods with positive methods that will actually help you heal.

One common method of releasing stress is to vent.  While most people vent inappropriately, there are ways to vent without hurting your loved ones or causing yourself trouble at school or work.

First, let’s look at some unhealthy ways to vent:

• Blowing up at coworkers, employees, or friends.
• Yelling at your family.
• Throwing or breaking things.
• Hitting walls.
• Kicking things.
• Scratching yourself, hitting yourself, or pulling your hair.

These are all very destructive ways of venting.  If you don’t find contructive ways to vent, you might end up venting in one of these unhealthy ways.  These can actually make your stress worse.

Now let’s look at some healthy ways to vent:

• Talk to a therapist.
• Make posts on a blog or in a journal that no one but you will ever see.
• Vent on forums where you have friends who will listen.
• Cry.  If you’re embarrassed, cry in a bathroom or out in the woods.
• Go into the middle of nowhere and scream at the top of your lungs.
• Grab your boxing gloves and take it out on a punching bag.  Great exercise!
• Go jogging.  Exercise relieves a lot of tension.

The important thing is making sure you vent in healthy ways rather than taking it out on the people around you.  If you take your frustrations out on the people you love, it could drive a rift between you that may never be mended.

There are many ways you can decrease your stress.  Some people have so much stress that they seek help from their physicians and take medication, but they don’t realize that they could relieve a lot of their stress with simple techniques.

1. Cut Out Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that causes a lot of stress on the body.  Around 75% of people will notice a significant reduction in their stress levels by simply cutting out caffeine!

2. Get More Exercise

Exercise isn’t just important to the body, it’s almost vital to the mind.  When you are under stress, exercise helps you burn off a lot of the excess stress energy.   Stress is exacerbated by excess adrenaline, and exercise helps the body use up that extra adrenaline.

3. Meditation

Meditation brings about a hyper-relaxed state that can drive stress right out of the body.  It is a highly important tool in fighting stress.

4. Get More Sleep

A lack of sleep is a strong contributing factor to excessive stress.  Most chronic stress sufferers feel extreme fatigue, and getting more sleep can help relieve a lot of that fatigue.  When your body is rested, you are much more capable of coping with things.

5. Take Time Off

You don’t have to take a whole week off.  Just spend some of your days off relaxing and doing things YOU want to do instead of only worrying about others.  Spending time with your family doesn’t have to be stressful.  Instead of high-stress trips to the mall or the movies, take your family fishing or camping, or just spend time playing games or having fun together!