The word 'stress' is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a
state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy".
A condition which can disturb the normal physical and mental health
of an individual. This demand on mind-body occurs when it tries
to cope with incessant changes in life. Stress, nonetheless, is
synonymous with negative conditions.
Today, with the rapid diversification of human activity, we come
face to face with numerous causes of stress and the symptoms of
stress and depression. Stress is something our bodies experience
as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical
and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative
feelings.
As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action;
it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective.
As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust,
rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health
problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers,
high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death
of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new
relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In
so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder
us depending on how we react to it.
As we have seen, positive stress adds anticipation and excitement
to life, and we all thrive under a certain amount of stress.
Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, and even our frustrations
and sorrows add depth and enrichment to our lives. Our goal
is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it
and how to use it to help us. Insufficient stress acts as
a depressant and may leave us feeling bored or dejected;
on the other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling
"tied up in knots." What we need to do is find
the optimal level of stress which will individually motivate
but not overwhelm each of us.
There is no single level of stress that is optimal for
all people. We are all individual creatures with unique
requirements. As such, what is distressing to one may be
a joy to another. And even when we agree that a particular
event is distressing, we are likely to differ in our physiological
and psychological responses to it.
The person who loves to arbitrate disputes and moves from
job site to job site would be stressed in a job which was
stable and routine, whereas the person who thrives under
stable conditions would very likely be stressed on a job
where duties were highly varied. Also, our personal stress
requirements and the amount which we can tolerate before
we become distressed changes with our ages.
It has been found that most illness is related to unrelieved
stress. If you are experiencing stress symptoms, you have
gone beyond your optimal stress level; you need to reduce
the stress in your life and/or improve your ability to manage
it.
How Can I Manage Stress Better?
Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of its effect
on our lives is not sufficient for reducing its harmful
effects. Just as there are many sources of stress, there
are many possibilities for its management. However, all
require work toward change: changing the source of stress
and/or changing your reaction to it. How do you proceed?
- Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and
physical reactions.
Notice your distress. Don't ignore it. Don't gloss over
your problems.
Determine what events distress you. What are you telling
yourself about meaning of these events?
Determine how your body responds to the stress. Do you
become nervous or physically upset? If so, in what specific
ways?
- Recognize what you can change.
Can you change your stressors by avoiding or eliminating
them completely?
Can you reduce their intensity (manage them over a period
of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis)?
Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break,
leave the physical premises)?
Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making
a change (goal setting, time management techniques, and
delayed gratification strategies may be helpful here)?
- Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to
stress.
The stress reaction is triggered by your perception of
danger...physical danger and/or emotional danger. Are
you viewing your stressors in exaggerated terms and/or
taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster?
Are you expecting to please everyone?
Are you overreacting and viewing things as absolutely
critical and urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail
in every situation?
Work at adopting more moderate views; try to see the stress
as something you can cope with rather than something that
overpowers you.
Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the situation
in perspective. Do not labor on the negative aspects and
the "what if's."
- Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress.
Slow, deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration
back to normal.
Relaxation techniques can reduce muscle tension. Electronic
biofeedback can help you gain voluntary control over such
things as muscle tension, heart reate, and blood pressure.
Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can help
in the short term in moderating your physical reactions.
However, they alone are not the answer. Learning to moderate
these reactions on your own is a preferable long-term
solution.
- Build your physical reserves.
Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times
a week (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best,
such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging).
Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals.
Maintain your ideal weight.
Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other stimulants.
Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get away when you
can.
Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep schedule
as possible.
- Maintain your emotional reserves.
Develop some mutually supportive friendships/relationships.
Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful to you, rather
than goals others have for you that you do not share.
Expect some frustrations, failures, and sorrows.
Always be kind and gentle with yourself -- be a friend
to yourself.
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