This article comes from the PsychCentral.com website, which has numerous articles on coping with stress from professionals.

4 Tips To Change the Way You Deal with Stress
By Donna M. White, LMHC, CACP
 
Dr. James C. Dobson once said “there are very few certainties that touch us all in this mortal experience, but one of the absolutes is that we will experience hardship and stress at some point.” Stress may be inevitable, but how we handle it is our choice.
Stress is different for all individuals, so there is no “cookie cutter” solution to manage it. You may have to experiment to find what works best for you. Finding healthy, positive ways to deal with stress will add to your overall well-being.
When dealing with stressful situations, consider the four points below. They may aid in decreasing the amount of stress and changing the way you view it.

1. Nothing and no one can “make” you feel anything. How you feel and the way you deal with a situation is a choice. I’m reminded of a counselor who would often state “no one can drive your car unless you give them the keys.” You cannot control others’ actions, but you can be responsible for your reactions.

The serenity prayer states “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” When applied, this can be a great stress reliever. Look at the situation and ask yourself “is this something I can change?” If so, start exploring positive ways to change the situation.
If the situation cannot be changed, such as an illness or the economy, accept it for what it is. Accepting does not mean giving up. By accepting the situation and finding ways you can cope with what cannot be changed, stress can be drastically reduced.

1. Exchange attitude for gratitude. Our attitude has a profound effect on how we deal with situations. Negative attitudes affect our physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing.

When in a particularly stressful situation, try exchanging attitude for gratitude. When you are running late for a meeting because you are stuck in traffic, change your attitude. Instead of being frustrated about the traffic, find some gratitude. Look around and think of all the things you can be thankful for. Sometimes you can find gratitude in the smallest things. You can be thankful for life, health, strength, friends, family, nature, etc. Focusing on gratitude can definitely change your attitude.

1. Relax, relax, relax. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. If we do not help ourselves, how can we effectively help others? Relaxation rejuvenates the body, mind, and spirit and leaves us better equipped to handle stressful situations when they come.

Try to find something that you enjoy and do it every day. If you can set aside time for relaxation, do it. Try to set aside a designated, uninterrupted time and stick to it. Many people state they don’t have time to relax, but relaxation does not have to be time-consuming. Relaxation can include periodic 5-10 minute breaks of breathing exercises or watching your favorite show for 30 minutes. Relaxation can also include connecting with positive people.

1. Look at the big picture. Evaluate your stressful situation from a “big picture” point of view. Ask yourself “how important is this?” and “will this matter in the long run?” If the answer is no, it’s likely not worth your time and energy.

Stress does not have to be a part of life. Success stress management is all about learning how and when to take control. It’s important to remember that you control how stress affects you. You can control the stress or let stress control you.
 
White, Donna M. "4 Tips To Change the Way You Deal with Stress." Psych Central. Psych Central, 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

This article comes from a site called psychcentral.com which has several quick resources on stress, what it can do to the body and different ways to cope with it.  Stay tuned later this week for an article from this same site on stress management techniques.
The Impact of Stress
By Steve Bressert, Ph.D.
 
Stress often is accompanied by an array of physical reactions. These symptoms can be characteristic of other physical or mental disorders. A health care professional can rule out other causes after you have undergone a physical examination. Signs of stress can include the following:

• sleep disturbance (insomnia, sleeping fitfully)
• clenched jaw
• grinding teeth
• digestive upsets
• lump in your throat
• difficulty swallowing
• agitated behavior, like twiddling your fingers
• playing with your hair
• increased heart rate
• general restlessness
• sense of muscle tension in your body, or actual muscle twitching
• noncardiac chest pains
• dizziness, lightheartedness
• hyperventilating
• sweaty palms
• nervousness
• stumbling over words
• high blood pressure
• lack of energy
• fatigue

Cognitive signs of stress include:

• mental slowness
• confusion
• general negative attitudes or thoughts
• constant worry
• your mind races at times
• difficulty concentrating
• forgetfulness
• difficulty thinking in a logical sequence
• the sense that life is overwhelming; you can’t problem-solve

Emotional signs of stress include:

• irritation
• no sense of humor
• frustration
• jumpiness, overexcitability
• feeling overworked
• feeling overwhelmed
• sense of helplessness
• apathy

Behavioral signs of stress include:

• decreased contact with family and friends
• poor work relations
• sense of loneliness
• decreased sex drive
• avoiding others and others avoid you because you’re cranky
• failing to set aside times for relaxation through activities such as hobbies, music, art or reading

Recently, much has been reported about stress and its relationship to other health problems, such as heart disease, blood pressure and depression. While research has not confirmed that having a hostile or aggressive personality (so-called “Type A”) directly causes cardiovascular disease, it may place you at greater risk, especially if your heart rate or blood pressure rise dramatically in response to everyday stress.
Stress also has been linked to suppression of the immune system, increasing your chances of becoming ill or altering the course of an illness if you already have one. In particular, it has been implicated as playing a role in cancer and gastrointestinal, skin, neurologic and emotional disorders, and even the common cold. Some studies have shown that relaxing while listening to soothing music can improve immune system functioning and, we can assume, help with our long-term health.
Elevated blood pressure is another response to stress. Too much stress with little or no coping skills keeps the body “revved up.” Learning to relax can help lower your blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure always should be discussed with your family physician, who can help you sort out whether your elevated blood pressure is due to a medical or genetic condition or a reaction to uncontrolled stressors.
If you do not end up identifying a method to handle your stress then it eventually can lead to a heightened sense of dysfunction. This may result in increased anxiety or a sense of depression because you’re not mastering your world. Feeling depressed (for example, sad, pessimistic, hopeless or helpless) is a common reaction to stress. When these symptoms are temporary, they may simply be a reflection of life’s normal ups and downs. But if they persist for long periods of time, especially after the stressful situation has passed, you may have a problem that could benefit from professional help.
When stress and anxiety escalate without a means to cope with the stress, they often are linked to many troublesome psychological and physiological conditions. Oftentimes, psychological distress accompanies and/or produces these conditions, which include:

• amnesia
• sleepwalking
• multiple personality
• obsessive-compulsive disorders
• phobias
• generalized anxiety disorder
• hypochondriasis (fear and excessive complaints of bodily disease)
• high blood pressure

Since prolonged stress can impact your health, it’s important to develop positive coping mechanisms to manage the stress in your life.
 
Bressert, Steve. "The Impact of Stress." Psych Central. Psych Central, 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.