Heart and Stroke Foundation

Situations that are stress-provoking are part of everyone's life – from daily situations such as traffic jams, lineups or deadlines, to major life events such as moving, marriage, or a death in the family.

As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, you probably raised a glass and vowed that this year, things will change. Motivated by that New Year optimism, you're determined to break some bad habits and form some good ones. Unfortunately for most of us, those good intentions are soon derailed.

If a co-worker isn't doing his or her share on a project, or you're behind on a deadline, what are you going to reach for when you get home? The ice cream or the grapes? The remote control or the running shoes? If you're like most people, the remote control and the ice cream will probably win out.

Just say the word childhood and you might conjure up images of building snow forts, playing musical chairs, or chasing friends in a game of tag - everything we miss so dearly about being a kid. But being young isn't always fun.

Over the last week – or maybe longer – you've found that you've been tense or anxious. Maybe you've got a permanent lump in your throat or had a chronic headache. You're snapping at colleagues or family members. You're not sleeping. The symptoms vary, but the source is always the same: stress. It is, however, more than an annoyance.

From the moment you get out of bed to the time you fall back on the pillow, you never know if you’ll run into an unforeseen stressful situation. But hectic mornings, forgotten lunches, wardrobe disasters and overlooked appointments don’t have to get you flustered – especially when you can avoid these problems altogether.

It’s difficult to avoid having at least a few stressful moments throughout your week. Mishaps and unexpected changes are just part of life, although sometimes it might feel an entire week has been nonstop frustrations. But whether you have an occasional bout of stress or if it seems to creep into your life almost every day, there are things you can do to help cut those negative feelings and reduce the strain it puts on your heart.

Children seem so resilient. One minute they could be crying and wailing at top volume, and within mere minutes, they could be back to happily playing a game of tag. Sometimes, this ability to bounce back makes it seem as if kids are untroubled by the world. But, Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher and Canada Research Chair in Youth and Wellness Dr.

By Sean McNeely. It's no secret that food can bring us comfort. But when we eat as a way to cope with problems such as depression, boredom, anxiety, anger, frustration and stress, the result can be poor self-esteem and unwanted weight gain, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.