Some warning signs of stress-related mental illness include an increase in general sadness that continues for more than two weeks, difficulty enjoying things that were once pleasurable, sleep or appetite disturbances, difficulty concentrating, difficulty focusing on daily routine, and suicidal thoughts.

People who have recently lost their job due to the global economic downturn may be feeling some of the above signs.

The following tips can help counteract stress build-up.

1. Get a good night’s sleep. Avoid exercise and stimulating activities close to bedtime.

2. Eat regular, well-balanced meals. Don’t overindulge on sweets and fatty foods or skip meals.

3. Exercise regularly. Exercise is one of the best stress relievers and should be a priority during stressful times.

4. Do something relaxing and pleasurable every day, such as yoga, massage, meditation, or even a hot bath.

5. Socialize with family members, friends, or community groups. People with strong social and spiritual systems seem to handle stress better than those who feel isolated.

6. Do something for others — volunteer at a shelter, help in the classroom, visit a home-bound friend. Altruistic behavior often helps people feel better about themselves and their own situations.

7. Avoid alcohol, narcotics, cigarettes, and excessive shopping to manage stress.

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If you’re like many people, you consider a state of fatigue normal. Often, a lack of energy can be corrected with changes in diet and exercise. But a real medical reason also could be causing that missing zip. Consider whether the following conditions sound familiar.

Sleep Disorders. Two common medical sleep disorders–obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome — might be interfering with a good night’s rest. Sleep apnea is a breathing abnormality caused by intermittent obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. One symptom is snoring, though not all people who snore have apnea. Another clue that you suffer from sleep apnea is “scalloping” at the edges of the tounge. This is caused by the impression of the teeth and indicates a crowded airway or a tounge that’s relatively large for the size of the mouth. Kids who have sleep apnea sometimes are misdiagnosed with attention-deficit disorder, because poor sleep makes it difficult for them to focus during the day.

Restless legs syndrome is aptly named. Periodic jerking motions and discomfort in the legs cause frequent awakening, which interferes with sleep. Often hereditary, the condition also can be caused by pregnancy or iron deficiency.

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Some people respond to impending deadlines, financial problems, relationship meltdowns and other difficulties by eating less not realizing that if you respond to added stress by eating more, you could end up with added pounds.

Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent stress-related weight gain by considering which of the following behaviors you are prone to. Then, take steps to change your usual behavior.

1. Behavior: You don’t have time to prepare healthy meals. If having a lot to do means less time to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy ingredients, you may be more likely to grab fast food or order high-calorie, high-fat takeout meals.

Instead: Make simple meals with few ingredients to cut cooking time and shopping lists. Invest in a cookbook with easy-to-prepare recipes or look online for recipes that you can prepare in 20 minutes or less.

2. Behavior: You crave foods high in refined carbohydrates (bread, cookies, cakes), sugar, fat or salt. Many people grab sweets, salty snacks and other processed foods when they’re stressed.

Instead: Reach for healthy high-fiber snacks with a bit of the tastes you crave. For example: oatmeal with raisins and a bit of brown sugar for sweet cravings, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter for fat cravings and light microwave popcorn for salty cravings.

3. Behavior: You don’t have time to exercise. As the demands on your schedule increase, time to exercise may be hard to find.

Instead: Accept the fact that physical activity is essential for weight loss. Also, it leads to the release of endorphins, compounds that have natural stress-fighting properties. Therefore, you need to remind yourself that you can’t afford to miss working out when you’re stressed. Look for ways to increase your physical activity. Take the stairs or park at the far end of the parking lot, for example.

4. Behavior: You’re not doing anything to manage your stress. You allow the things that cause you stress to continue to drive you to unhealthy habits.

Instead: You may not be able to control the stressors in your life, but you can control how you respond to them. Be proactive by learning and practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, yoga or visualization.

Address your stress by working on solving your problems, calling a friend for advice, talking with your boss about your workload or challenges or seeking help from a mental health professional who specializes in stress solutions.

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