Stress causes physiological changes in your body.

Headache is a common result of stress. However, it  is  now  generally accepted that stress also affects the immune system and makes people more susceptible to illness.

Research  has  shown good nutrition and sleep to be  good  coping strategies for combating the extra demands that stress places on your body. This is especially important for the first two  years after spousal death or separation/divorce.

Physical  exercise  is also important. It relaxes  your  tensed muscles, increases your energy, helps you sort out problems, and improves your immune system and your self-image.

Physical exercise also improves the way you look to others.  This may  become important when you feel it is time to  date  again. Change is stress producing.

Research  has  shown that the spouse who leaves home  finds the period immediately after separation more stressful than does his or  her ex-partner who undergoes less changes even if he/she  did not want the separation.

Try to keep all other changes in your life to a minimum when you are dealing with the changes of divorce or spousal death. To many people  coping with stress is equated with taking  tranquilizers, drinking, smoking or abusing other drugs.

Don't  do  it! These methods only create further stress on your body.

Learn  a deep relaxation technique instead. Twenty minutes  daily spent in deep relaxation also decreases stress. It  makes  you feel calm, less anxious and less tense.

Deep Relaxation will introduce you to a method of relaxing during stressful times. You might also want to explore hypnosis. It has been a great stress reducer for many singles.