Stress
Everyone will experience stress which is part of our life. The amount of stress one feels depends on how you manage you work, lifestyle, meet demands, cope with life events and interact with people. A certain amount of stress is important as it motivates us and make us improve. Good stress management results in a healthier and happy life.
Stress management is about taking charge of your emotions, thoughts , lifestyle and learning better coping strategies for daily events and stressors. Stressors are circumstances that cause stress. Examples of stressors are meeting sales target, meeting datelines, changing jobs, divorce, losing a loved one. Different people copes differently to stressors and each individual has their own way of coping with them depending on their skills, experience and knowledge.
Everyone will experience stress which is part of our life. The amount of stress one feels depends on how you manage you work, lifestyle, meet demands, cope with life events and interact with people. A certain amount of stress is important as it motivates us and make us improve. Good stress management results in a healthier and happy life.
Stress management is about taking charge of your emotions, thoughts , lifestyle and learning better coping strategies for daily events and stressors. Stressors are circumstances that cause stress. Examples of stressors are meeting sales target, meeting datelines, changing jobs, divorce, losing a loved one. Different people copes differently to stressors and each individual has their own way of coping with them depending on their skills, experience and knowledge.
Identifying causes of stress
To better cope with stress, we need to know what causes stress. Not only negative life events cause stress, positive events can also cause stress. Some examples of stressors in life are:
You can start a stress journal to note down what causes the stress, how you felt emotionally and physically and how did you resolve the stress. This will act as a good pointer to identify your common stressors and learn which is the best way from experience to cope with them.
To better cope with stress, we need to know what causes stress. Not only negative life events cause stress, positive events can also cause stress. Some examples of stressors in life are:
- Biological causes: Pregnancy, illness
- Economical causes: Retrenchment,Unemployment, Bills, Debts
- Personal causes: Death, Accident and injury
- Social or relationship causes: Breakups, divorces , relocation, switch jobs , new job
You can start a stress journal to note down what causes the stress, how you felt emotionally and physically and how did you resolve the stress. This will act as a good pointer to identify your common stressors and learn which is the best way from experience to cope with them.
Symptoms and signs of Stress
Stress can affect us and manifest with symptoms that disturb us emotionally, physically, mentally and behaviorally. Below are some symptoms/signs you may experience when stress affects you:
Stress can affect us and manifest with symptoms that disturb us emotionally, physically, mentally and behaviorally. Below are some symptoms/signs you may experience when stress affects you:
- Emotional: Feeling anxious and fearful. Mood swings , irritable and easily angered. Feeling alone and helpless.
- Physical : Headaches and other aches in the body. Lethargy, palpitations and tense muscles. It can also present as stomach aches , other intestinal symptoms and skin problems.
- Behavioral changes: Change in appetite and sleep hours. Personality changes, social withdrawal, reduce confidence and easy distraction. Excessive smoking and drinking.
- Cognitive mental thinking: Forgetfulness, excess worries/negative thoughts, decrease concentration and reduce decision making capability.
Complications of excessive stress
Longstanding stress that is not well handled can cause serious medical conditions like :
Longstanding stress that is not well handled can cause serious medical conditions like :
- Mental health disorder like depression and anxiety
- Heart conditions
- High blood Pressure
- Worsening of physical health like asthma
Unhealthy Ways of coping with stress
Unhealthy ways to deal with stress may temporarily reduce stress but in the long run it brings more harm to our body. These ways are not the correct way to deal with stress and should be avoided. Examples of unhealthy stress managements are:
Unhealthy ways to deal with stress may temporarily reduce stress but in the long run it brings more harm to our body. These ways are not the correct way to deal with stress and should be avoided. Examples of unhealthy stress managements are:
- Excessive drinking and smoking : increases risks of cardiovascular disease, cancers and stomach ulcers.
- Social withdrawal: family and friends are important factors to help us through difficult times
- Bingeing on junk food: increases the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Zonking out in front of TV/ laptop
- Sleeping too much and procrastinating : does not solve the problem
- Drug abuse: risk of sex disease, death
- Taking out stress on others like fighting, abuse : result in criminal punishment
Adopt healthier ways to cope with stress
Control your stress by taking up healthier coping methods suggested below.
1. Make time for fun and relaxation: Set aside time for yourself to engage in activities/hobbies that you enjoy
2. Think positive: instead of thinking of it as an obstacle think of it as a challenge for yourself to improve. Accept things that you can't change, do not try to control the uncontrollable. Learn to forgive and do not hold resentment, understand that everyone makes mistake.
3. Be Realistic: Set realistic and achievable goals so as to avoid discouragement and frustration. Set goals and organize your time appropriately.
4. Getting organized and pan your time well: keep a calendar to plan tasks and to-do list in advance, spread your time out to achieve them will reduce stress from deadlines.
5. Space out events / changes in life such as marriage, relocation, switch jobs so as to allow ample time for adjustment. Cramping every events into a single month may add more stress to daily life.
6. Having ample sleep helps us to concentrate better, cope more effectively with stress , make better decision and be more productive. 8 hours of sleep is recommended.
7. Eat healthily to maintain good health, increase energy and boost your immune system to keep yourself strong and going during the day.
8. Engage in relaxation techniques to relieve stress. These include yoga, tai-chi, meditation, muscle relaxation technique and controlled breathing exercise.
9. Get moving and engage in more physical activity: Regular exercise not only keeps you fit , it also improves your mood by the increased endorphin released during exercise and it is a good method to de-stress. You can always start slow and slowly build up. Engage in activities that you enjoy the most as that will improve consistency.
10. Engage socially with your family and friends : Go out with people you enjoy to be with will take your mind away your built up stress. This will also your relationship with your loved ones who will also be the ones who can help you cope with stress. Turning to a loved one for help is often the fastest and most efficient way to deal with stress.
11. The 4As : AVOID stressors that are triggers to stress yourself out. ALTER the situation that you can't change by expressing yourself/ willing to compromise/ better time management. ADAPT to the stressor by thinking positively, do not set high standards that you can't meet and look at the big picture. ACCEPT things that are beyond your control.
Control your stress by taking up healthier coping methods suggested below.
1. Make time for fun and relaxation: Set aside time for yourself to engage in activities/hobbies that you enjoy
2. Think positive: instead of thinking of it as an obstacle think of it as a challenge for yourself to improve. Accept things that you can't change, do not try to control the uncontrollable. Learn to forgive and do not hold resentment, understand that everyone makes mistake.
3. Be Realistic: Set realistic and achievable goals so as to avoid discouragement and frustration. Set goals and organize your time appropriately.
4. Getting organized and pan your time well: keep a calendar to plan tasks and to-do list in advance, spread your time out to achieve them will reduce stress from deadlines.
5. Space out events / changes in life such as marriage, relocation, switch jobs so as to allow ample time for adjustment. Cramping every events into a single month may add more stress to daily life.
6. Having ample sleep helps us to concentrate better, cope more effectively with stress , make better decision and be more productive. 8 hours of sleep is recommended.
7. Eat healthily to maintain good health, increase energy and boost your immune system to keep yourself strong and going during the day.
8. Engage in relaxation techniques to relieve stress. These include yoga, tai-chi, meditation, muscle relaxation technique and controlled breathing exercise.
9. Get moving and engage in more physical activity: Regular exercise not only keeps you fit , it also improves your mood by the increased endorphin released during exercise and it is a good method to de-stress. You can always start slow and slowly build up. Engage in activities that you enjoy the most as that will improve consistency.
10. Engage socially with your family and friends : Go out with people you enjoy to be with will take your mind away your built up stress. This will also your relationship with your loved ones who will also be the ones who can help you cope with stress. Turning to a loved one for help is often the fastest and most efficient way to deal with stress.
11. The 4As : AVOID stressors that are triggers to stress yourself out. ALTER the situation that you can't change by expressing yourself/ willing to compromise/ better time management. ADAPT to the stressor by thinking positively, do not set high standards that you can't meet and look at the big picture. ACCEPT things that are beyond your control.
