It is now more than 20 years that the world began to speed up its creative wheels at a pace that has totally transformed our lives and rewritten the way we live. Unfortunately, with this extraordinary creative power came a massive amount of information to digest and an increasing number of decisions to make on a daily basis. Devoid of a real purpose and, after years of trying to adjust to the new status quo, our minds are now starting to collapse under the relentless progress of creation.

Traditional approaches have tried to combat stress by focusing on its effects, which manifest primarily on the physical body. Prescriptions, regular exercise, physical therapies and vacations all bring positive albeit temporary relief. But not a few days or weeks have passed that we are haunted back by the same or even worse problems. It is becoming clear that focusing on the effects only leads to a never-ending road of patching up holes and frustrating short-effect remedies.

Aware of the great importance of providing a solution to the increasing importance of stress in our society, a wide arrange of seminars, workshops, online courses, books, CDs, therapies, and other techniques are blossoming everywhere. Even though most of them prove to be beneficial and succeed in bringing relief to participants, they are mostly temporary solutions that unfortunately fail to provide long-term results. Following are some common stress-relieving techniques and their level of effectiveness:

External products (books, CDs, online courses, lectures): Good level of information. Most fail due to lack of discipline in participants, poor or no follow-up support from providers, and lack of interaction with a person that can encourage and guide participants throughout the process.

Physical therapies and exercising programs (massage, stretching classes, walking, jogging, gyms): Despite their undeniable health benefits, these programs consistently fail since they can only work at a physical level, never getting to deal with the mental and emotional components of stress. Nevertheless they are excellent as part of a more comprehensive program.

Personal interaction (therapy; awareness seminars; team building programs): Working at the mind level, they are crucial in understanding stress, identifying destructive patterns of behavior, and setting up the scenario for an overall change in attitude. Drawbacks may include dependency on facilitators, lack of call-to-action programs, steep costs, and lack of complementary techniques that help empower individuals. They become more effective when combined with a program of physical and mental activities.