Stress is the emotional and physical strain that is caused due to pressures from the outside world. It is the wear and tear our bodies experience mentally and physically as we adjust to our continually changing environment.
These pressures (such as a death in the family, regular tiffs at the workplace, extreme work pressure, etc.) are what lead to stress and are known as stressors. Your individual response (negative) to these stressors is what causes stress.
Is Stress Bad
The answer to this is both - yes and no.
Everyone requires some stress in their lives. When you manage stress positively, it helps add flavor and challenge to life, increasing our energy levels and providing us with a zest for living.
Stress turns bad when it becomes excessive and difficult to handle. It is then that stress becomes destructive and turns into distress. Too much stress will have a bad impact on the body - both physical and mental.
Stress Management
Stress management tips and stress management techniques will help you to cope with stress that is caused due to a variety of reasons including job related, children / spouse / parent related, health related, or finance related stress.
Dealing with stress in a positive manner and with the right attitude will help bring a sense of calmness and control back into your life.
Stress Management Techniques
There is no single fixed method of managing stress. The main aim should be to see how best stress relief can be obtained and what technique works best to reduce stress.
Following are some stress relief tips and different ways to deal with stress.
-- Have realistic expectations (personally and professionally)
-- No matter what, always maintain your sense of humor
-- Never bottle up your feelings, share it with someone you trust
-- Never try to control others
-- Manage your time well
-- Do important tasks first
-- Get quality sleep
-- Exercise regularly
-- Eat well
-- Keep the intake of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, habit forming over the counter drugs to a minimum.
-- Keep some time exclusively for yourself
-- Have a lot of fun
Always be aware of your limits. Personally or professionally never try to cross this limit. If required learn how to say 'no'.
Your sense of humor comes naturally in good times. Make a conscious effort to keep this sense of humor intact the moment you sense that stress is taking over. A good sense of humor will help defeat and overcome stress.
Keeping your feelings bottled up within yourself is like gradually building a potent bomb. It will explode at some point in time and create stress of great magnitude. The better option is to get these feelings out to someone whom you trust and who is close to you (be sure that this person is not a gossip-monger, or else this could create further stress at a later date).
Many people try to control the behavior and actions of others. This does not succeed in most of the cases and leads to unnecessary and undesired stress. It is better to advise and let the other person decide whether to take the advise or not; do not try to control them. They will remain unaffected and you will end up being stressed.
Proper time management is of vital importance. If you know exactly how you will manage time during the day, it will seldom create a situation of stress. Designate specific periods for work, play / fun, and family. Follow the set schedule regularly.
You should always be aware of all the tasks you have on hand. Decide on what is most important to the least important. Get the most important tasks done first.
Sleep is very important in managing stress. Not just sleep, but quality sleep. When you wake up in the morning you should feel fresh and well rested. If this is not the case, you should visit your physician to find out the cause and get it treated. Poor sleep results in a variety of problems during the day and could be an important factor in causing you stress.
Exercising is a proven stress buster. Exercising regularly will help your body and mind remain fit and active and will help cope with stressful situations much better. Along with exercise you must also maintain a nutritious and healthy diet avoiding tobacco and keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Keep some time exclusively to yourself during the day. You can use this time to think on all the things that are disturbing you and could be the cause of stress. Find out ways of working on these stressful situations and act on them.
One of the best stress busters is to have fun - lots and lots of fun. Having lots of fun has never had any known bad effects on anyone. If anything it will help you lead a healthier, longer, stress free life.
By Kevin Mathias
SIGNS, SYMPTOMS & REACTIONS TO STRESS
Physical Cognitive (or thoughts)
- Racing heart
- Forgetting things
- Cold, sweaty hands
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Headaches
- Worrying about things
- Shallow or erratic breathing - Difficulty processing information
- Nausea
- Negative self-statements
- Upset tummy
- Constipation
- Shoulder or back pains Emotional (or feelings)
- Rushing around - Increased irritability or anger
- Working longer hours - Anxiety or feelings of panic
- Losing touch w/ friends - Fear
- Fatigue - Tearfulness
- Sleep disturbances - Increased interpersonal conflicts
- Weight changes
Everyone has developed his/her own responses to stress. The key is to learn to monitor your own signs and become aware of when they are indicating the stress level is unmanageable.
COPING WITH STRESS
Cognitive Coping Strategies Behavioral Coping Strategies
(refer to ways of dealing w/ stress using (refer to ways of dealing w/ stress by doing something
our minds) or taking action to reduce the stress experienced)
- Reframing - Physical exercise
- Challenging negative thinking - Relaxation
- Positive self-talk - Breathing
- Count to ten - Time management
- Cost-benefit analysis - Social support
- Keeping perspective - Seek help
- Reducing uncertainty - Have a sense of humor
- Using imagery or visualization - Get quality sleep
- Smell the rose - Eat well
- Have realistic expectations - Have lots of fun