Stress Management

and everyone you meet. Think of yourself as an
actor or athlete who is practicing this skill. When
you choose to love, you allow joy and a sense of
fulfillment into your life—and into others lives as
well,” Dr. Siegel says.
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Get Social
Feeling connected to other people is another
great stress reducer and confidence builder.
When David, the future king of Israel, was under
tremendous stress, it was his friend Jonathan who
comforted him. The account states: “Jonathan
… arose and went to David in the woods and
strengthened his hand in God. And he said to
him, ‘Do not fear’” (1 Samuel 23:16, 17). Various
studies conclusively demonstrate that people who
have a strong social network experience a better
quality of life than those who do not. In one
study of Alameda County, California residents,
adults who had the fewest friendships were most
likely to die prematurely of heart disease, cerebrovascular
disease, cancer, and other illnesses. One
who has benefited by becoming more socially involved
is Andrew Ferrante of East Meadow, New
York. After his wife died, he spent his time sitting
at home. “I’d had quadruple bypass heart surgery,
my joints were hurting, and I was always catching
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