General Information about Stress Management and Healthy Living. Everyone experiences stress, sometimes on a daily basis, and cognitive behavioral therapy provides tools that can help you to better manage it. The goal is not to eliminate stress completely but to reduce it because some stress is inevitable and moderate stress can actually result in improved performance. Major life transitions, even positive ones, are often experienced as stressful because they produce new pressures and changes. Entering adulthood, buying a home, getting married or divorced, starting a new job, retiring, and losing a loved one are all significant life changes that can be very difficult to manage. Illness, disability, chronic pain, and infertility can be additional sources of stress.

We are less vulnerable to stress, both psychologically and physiologically, when we take care of ourselves because good health boosts our resistance to stress by improving our capacity to respond to daily demands. Taking care of yourself may mean stopping an unhealthy behavior such as smoking, using drugs or alcohol, or overeating. It can also involve incorporating healthy behaviors into your life such as exercise, good sleep hygiene, and improved eating habits. If you have difficulty regulating your temper or other emotions, learning assertiveness skills and anger management techniques can also be extremely beneficial in reducing stress.