Stress management is also possible simply by owning a pet. People who have pets such as dogs or cats or even fish can simply watch their pet or even play with their pets, giving them a nice little break from regular stresses and strains of life. It has been shown that pets are actually better than spouses for relieving stress, as spouses have expectations of you. A pet, however, is going to love you no matter what and that is a nice thing to think about after a hard day of work. And petting a dog or cat has been shown to be very therapeutic. So, if you are stressed out all time, it may be time to get yourself a pet in order to have a friendly face waiting for you whenever you walk in door.

The final stress management technique here is probably most important. That is to get some sleep. Let's face it, nobody gets enough sleep any more. People are usually getting at least two hours less than they need every night, putting them into serious sleep debt. This debt is going to have to be paid up sometime, but sleeping in on weekends is not going to get it done. The adult body needs, on average, 8 hours of sleep every night, but most adults get about 6 hours. This does not do your body any good and it does not do your mind any good. In fact, it tends to weaken mind and make it more susceptible to stress, which is exactly what you want to avoid. So get to bed early and make sure that you are getting sleep you need every night.

Stress management is fairly easy once you get used to it. Unfortunately, most people do not create proper stress management habits, causing them to spiral into stress constantly. By allowing yourself breaks you need and by giving your mind stress relief it demands, you can relax, stay focused, and keep stress away.

Also, effects of stress include body's tendency to break down white blood cells when it is stressed. Unfortunately, white blood cells are used to fight disease and breaking them down causes immune system depletion and makes people more vulnerable to disease. Thus, if you do not slow down, your body will be slowed down for you with a cold or a bout of flu. This explains why many people tend to become ill when they are under pressure for long periods of time.

Finally, body bumps up production of platelets in order to help seal wounds one might receive from a physical attack. However, you are not going to receive wounds working in office late -- paper cuts excepted -- and thus these platelets are not really doing anything productive. However, what platelets will do is stick to sides of your blood vessels and cause blockages. This means an increased risk for stroke or heart attack in long term if you are stressed too much or too often. Of all effects of stress, this can be most dangerous; especially in older folks who are more susceptible to heart attack and stroke.

The effects of stress are many, but they are almost universally dangerous. Thus, you need to manage your stress in order to keep your body healthy for a long time. So take care of yourself by keeping your mind uncluttered with stress and one of more dire effects of stress will not happen to you.