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I frequently get questions from readers, and sometimes I add them to the FAQs section. Here's the latest:

"Sometimes when I have conflicts with people in my life, I find myself replaying conversations in my mind, thinking about what was said and what I'd like to say, imagining hypothetical situations in my head, talking to friends about it over and over and generally making myself miserable. Is this ultimately helpful, and if not, how can I stop?"

This is a common question because many, many people experience rumination, and it is generally stressful. We may start by trying to solve a problem, and end up focusing so much on the problem that we miss finding solutions, and we cause additional stress by stewing in anger. It can be a slippery slope. Here is what you can do to feel better, without getting trapped in our stressful thoughts:
Read About How To Clear Your Mind

Read More Frequently Asked Questions About Stress

FAQ: How Can I Clear My Mind? originally appeared on About.com Stress Management on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 02:44:22.

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These people were all quite different from each other, and each will be sorely missed. Each of these losses hurt not only the families and loved ones left behind, but many, many people whose lives were touched by these lives. And each of them brings us something valuable even in death. Though we may dearly wish these people were still here, we can honor their memories by appreciating what they left in their passing. Losses like these hit different people in unique ways, so I can only speak for myself in how this impacted me. (If you would like to add what these people meant to you, please feel free to share your sentiments in the comments section below.)

I have been a fan of the Beastie Boys for a long time. While their music isn't for everyone (though most of my friends loved it), Adam "MCA" Yauch was a groundbreaking musician as well as a humanitarian. He fought for Tibetan freedom, and worked at making the world a better place. He lost a nearly three-year battle with cancer approximately a month after being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and will be missed by his fans for quite some time (especially me). His contribution to music and his humanitarian work can remind us of the impact that one person can make, and how we can all make a difference in the world if we choose to. His death can remind us of the importance of not giving up in our search for a cure to cancer. (The cancer fundraiser Relay For Life is coming up in many areas. To learn more about what you can do, visit this resource from About.com Cancer.)

For me, Junior Seau's death from suicide is a tragedy, and a reminder. When we lost Junior, we lost a wonderful sports hero (he was a hall-of-famer, and played for my hometown, San Diego for many successful years, as well as for the New England Patriots), and this is a great loss. His life can be an inspiration for athletes and people everywhere, as we all strive toward goals that are important to us. However, his death can also serve as a reminder that depression can be more common that we may realize, and that we don't always know what personal demons others may be fighting. He had loved ones in his life, but must have felt overwhelmed, and unable to keep going. We must remember to be kind of others, and gentle with ourselves. We also need to encourage others to get help if they may need it, and remember to get help for ourselves if we ever feel we're in over our heads. It is horrible that these important truths are being brought up in response to such a tragedy, but it would be worse if this type of loss happened again if there was any chance it could have been prevented. (To learn more about depression, visit About.com Depression.)

Finally, if you haven't heard of Baby Avery, this story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Avery was born with a rare and terminal condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. When her parents were told she had less than 18 months to live, they were devastated, as any parents would be. However, they took their pain and impending loss and turned it into something beautiful that would also raise awareness of the disease and hopefully bring us closer to a cure one day: they took to the blogsphere and created Avery's Bucket List. This was a list of experiences they thought little Avery would want to have while she still had time left. The list items ranges from mundane (like "have a bad hair day" and "play with play-dough") to the exciting, "swim with dolphins" and "throw out the first pitch at a baseball game"). At only a few months old, this remarkable little girl and her amazing parents had captured the hearts of many, many people, and the blog detailing her adventures had attracted millions of page views as well. Although her journey ended much sooner than everyone had hoped--she was just five months old--her story demonstrates something important for all of us to remember. First, her parents were extremely wise and strong to take the gut-wrenching reality of her situation and focus so strongly on the beauty and potential of her brief life, rather than the of the fact that it would be cut so tragically short. This can serve as an inspiration to every one of us, as we face pain and loss in our own lives. We always have the choice to focus on the positive aspects of a situation rather than the negative, even if the negatives are heavy and crushing. It was also beautiful that they were able to raise awareness for a disease that needs more resources behind it for a cure to be found. But ultimately, with everything they did, they brought smiles to many hearts as they showed all the wonderful things that can be done with a too-short amount of time. They also reminded us of all the things in life we take for granted or even fail to appreciate: the ball games we can attend, the artistic creations we can make, the bad hair days we are lucky enough to have. (To learn more about Avery's story, you can read her blog here.)

These stories remind me that each of us touches the lives of others in life, and each of us can make a difference in the time we have here. These stories also remind me of one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Seuss, which is eloquent and wise: "Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."

Three Important Lives To Be Remembered originally appeared on About.com Stress Management on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 07:03:05.

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The latest yoga video to go viral (over three million hits!) is this inspirational YouTube clip featuring Gulf War veteran Arthur Boorman, a former paratrooper who was severely overweight and could not walk unassisted. Boorman started doing a yoga program created by pro wrestler "Diamond" Dallas Page and, within a year, had dramatically transformed both his body and his outlook on life. For those wanted to know more, Boorman was featured on Good Morning America today. I'm curious about the cardio portion of the program mentioned in the GMA clip and the "eating guidelines" referred to on the DDP Yoga website, both of which are essential for weight loss. Anyone tried any DDP Yoga?

Arthur Boorman's Yoga Transformation originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 23:28:34.

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Secrets of Happy People
What benefits do happy people enjoy, how are they all similar, and what makes happy people so darn happy? Get answers to these questions and more!

Shortcuts to Happiness
Most of us do specific things in our lives to increase our happiness levels in the future, but what are some things you can do to feel more happiness right now? This article will tell you.

How To Be Happy
Here's a step-by-step approach to help you build a lifestyle that's more conducive to happiness.

What Makes You Happy?
It's virtually impossible to be stressed when you're happy, so I guess you could say that happiness is a great stress reliever. Read a partial list of things that make me happy, and share what makes YOU happy?

Several of these resources and more are included in today's Stress Management Newsletter. Sign up, and see what else this site has to offer today!

New Happiness Resources originally appeared on About.com Stress Management on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 04:12:48.

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Because May is Family Wellness Month, and because Summer is coming up, this blog brings you information on staying healthy, staying active and, of course, relieving stress. Here are health and stress management strategies for people of all ages.

• Strategies for Family Health
  Family health is important--and increasingly hard to obtain these days. With busy schedules and childhood diseases on the rise, it's important to maintain healthy habits to maintain a healthy family. Here are some top strategies for family health.

• Kids and Stress Management
  We don't always think of kids as being as stressed as we adults, but children do face significant stressors in their lives, and react to that stress. Learn more about kids and stress, and find stress management strategies that can work for them.

• Readers, Respond! Healthy Family Strategies
  With families finding themselves busier than ever, it's often difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a result, obesity rates and juvenile diabetes, among many other conditions, is on the rise. That's why it's important to maintain strategies that keep your family healthy. What are some of the habits and strategies that you've adopted to keep your family healthy?

How Healthy is Your Family? originally appeared on About.com Stress Management on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 02:07:44.

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