When individuals go through major life changes they often receive support from those around them, such as when they move home or start a new job.

Although these kinds of events can make those involved feel uneasy, it's the daily pressures that sometimes cause the most damage to health. Everyday situations that produce anxiety or other stress responses - whether they occur at home or in the office - are now believed to significantly contribute to the development of stress. Many workers feel helpless in the face of the daily problems that cause them to have a negative response, but by looking at your reactions from a different perspective there are lots of measures you can put in place to feel more relaxed and happy each day.

Stress development

Believe it or not, you and the way you react in certain situations is one of the major contributors to stressful responses. Experts identify three main contributors; these are the situation itself, how you perceive it and your bodily response to these thought processes. Once you reach a point where you cannot cope with the situational factors then you feel negative and your body reacts by releasing flight or fight chemicals into your blood stream.

When this occurs on a chronic basis, your health is at risk as your body is constantly flooded with hormones that keep you on high alert. Although some level of these substances are good for keeping your mind alert, too much is linked to long-term health problems.

What does stress feel like?

On a biological level, the flight or fight response may feel similar in all those who experience stress. You body redirects blood to your core to stop excessive bleeding should you be hurt in anyway, so you could feel cold and clammy. Perspiration increases to cool muscles that are expected to work to fight foes and you can also experience a pounding heart and dry mouth.

Psychologically, there are many different kinds of reactions, with some people feeling agitated or aggressive. Others may withdraw and display signs of depression and a third group could freeze completely but feel very agitated under the surface.

How you can take control

As mentioned previously, a large part of why stress develops is because we let it, via our perceptions and immediate responses. That's not to say that workplaces are not to blame when employees are diagnosed with this condition. But when it comes to resolving the negative thoughts and feelings brought about by the situation, there needs to be a multi-pronged approach.

Quite often workers cope with the stress until it builds to a point where they may need time off work to recuperate, at times like this managers and employees will recognise a need for change, which can hopefully be worked out effectively between employers and the stressed staff member. Although your working day and tasks may change, or you decide to move into another sector, the problem with stress reactions is that they tend to become automatic.

This can mean that when you encounter a situation or event that makes you uneasy, your body immediately slips into fight or flight mode. As you can probably guess, this is where you break the cycle and take control of your reactions as well as you're able to manage.

Prepare for primal

Controlling the cycle of events is not an instant cure and takes time and effort to perfect. Stress management experts advise that you recognise those early signs of stress before they develop fully. When you begin to feel uneasy, deep breathing and positive thinking techniques can assist you in overcoming an influx of negative thoughts and the reactions associated with them.

These can also be used ahead of situations that you fear may produce a stressful response. Getting the support of your family and friends to help keep you positive, optimistic and upbeat is also a good barrier for thinking negatively.

Activity is another way to rid yourself of pent up feelings, and you could consider matching them to the type of stress response you encounter. Those who feel agitated or aggressive may prefer sports, while those who withdraw could get involved with social activities where they are persuaded to mix with others and come out of themselves, for example.