Stress has been a hot topic of conversation for years. But with so many people in the world suffering from stress, and with our lives becoming increasingly stressful, I feel compelled to revisit the subject. The truth is you are probably stressed out this minute, and stress—especially prolonged stress—can be very damaging to your body and mind.

Over the past 10 years, researchers have closely studied the function of fat cells (adipocytes). It is now known that these fat cells within belly fat release various substances that can cause inflammation, much like cytokines of the immune system cells fight infection. However, instead of fighting infection, these adipocytokines fight your normal tissues!

Conventional treatments for anxiety and stress include psychotherapy and medication. There are two types of psychotherapy: Behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. These are both limited to the ability of the conscious mind to bring about change of the emotional side of us.

Behavioral therapy uses several techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing and exposure therapy. Diaphragmatic breathing teaches people how to control anxiety by taking slow, deep breaths. Exposure therapy gradually exposes people to whatever frightens them to help them cope with their fears.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches people to react differently to the sensations and situations that trigger anxiety and stress. A change of thinking patterns that control the thoughts and sensations that go along with anxiety is an essential part of this form of therapy. However, neither of these typically gets to the root cause of the feelings associated with anxiety or stress.

Antidepressants are frequently used in combination with behavioral therapy to lessen anxiety and stress. However, deeper causes of your stress remain present. The major classes of antidepressants are those that change the active levels of neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These include medicines such as Prozac®, Zoloft®, Tofranil®, Wellbutrin® and Effexor®.

Antidepressants are among the most widely prescribed medications in the United States. But prescription antidepressants often cause unwanted side effects and may become habit forming in some cases. I encourage you to focus on natural ways to manage stress and anxiety, and focus on the manageable methods that are easily available to all people.

Ask yourself these questions…

If you are working, do you enjoy your work or are you avoiding other issues at home? Are the things you work long hours to buy more important than your family? Are you sacrificing important social and religious interests to focus on a project or job? Is the work commute worth having such an expensive home? Are your monthly expenses more than your monthly income?

One strategy which helps prioritize goals is to consider what the words of your eulogy will say when you die and someone reads it to the group of friends and mourners. By focusing on what you want to achieve in this lifetime, it becomes easier to then focus on what that represents 10 years from now, 10 weeks from now, and today.

Set realistic goals that stretch and help you reach milestones that require clear intention and self-discipline. Certainly, it is not conceivable that a 12 year-old boy would be an astronaut by the age of 18!

Remember, there can be goals set that stretch you and are worthy of pursuit. Goals can be achieved, and everyone should set high goals. Be careful that the steps, the timeline, and the self-discipline are surrounded with appropriate expectations.

The main point here is that much of stress is self-induced, and if we are aware of our priorities and have made a realistic series of daily activities, then our ability to reduce stress is that much stronger.