A widely accepted definition of stress, attributed to psychologist and professor Richard Lazarus, is, “a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.”
This means that we experience stress if we believe that we don’t have the time, resources, or knowledge to handle a situation. In short, we experience stress when we feel “out of control.”
This also means that different people handle stress differently, in different situations: you’ll handle stress better if you’re confident in your abilities, if you can change the situation to take control, and if you feel that you have the help and support needed to do a good job.
Find a comfortable position and focus on deep breathing. Press your finger firmly onto an acupressure point and move in a small circular or up-and-down motions for several minutes. There is no limit as to how often you can stimulate a point.
Acupressure can help activate your body’s self-healing mechanisms—the release of endorphins and increased blood flow. It stimulates the same points that are used in acupuncture—with massage-like pressure rather than needles.
