It could appear like there is nothing you can do to relieve stress. There will never be more hours in the day, the bills won’t stop flowing in, and your work and family obligations will always be demanding. However, you are much more in control than you might realise.
Stress is a natural part of life, and it can spur you on to action. Even high levels of stress can be an inevitable aspect of life in the wake of a traumatic incident or a serious illness. Short-term, controllable stress levels could motivate us to get things done and increase our resilience to upcoming obstacles. This kind of stress, which is ‘good’ for us, motivates us, is called “eustress”. For instance, if you have a big test coming up, your body may work harder and stay awake longer as a result of a stress response. But when stresses persist without relief or rest periods, stress becomes an issue. So, on the other hand, persistent, chronic stress can impair our physical and emotional health as well as our relationships with others and ourselves. This stress, which is negative for us, drains us, and negatively affects our lives, is called “distress”. Everyone goes through periods of stress. How we handle stress has a significant impact on how we feel overall.
Long-term (chronic) stress causes the body to deteriorate because the stress response is always being activated. Symptoms manifest as physical, emotional, and behavioural issues.
Among the physical signs of stress are:
- Aches and pains
- Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing
- Exhaustion or trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
- Headaches, dizziness or shaking
- High blood pressure
- Muscle tension or jaw clenching
- Stomach or digestive problems
- Weak immune system
Stress can lead to mental symptoms like:
- Increased irritability or frustration
- Increased anger
- Anxiety or excessive worry
- Sadness
- Difficultly in concentrating
- Decreased attention
- Poor memory
It can also lead to behavioral symptoms like:
- Withdrawing from social setting
- Not feeling like meeting anyone
- Substance abuse – excessive smoking or alcohol use
- Increased time on social media
- Fatigue
- Increased absenteeism at work
Finding the cause of your stress is the first step in managing it. However, it is more complicated than it seems. Finding the causes of persistent stress can be more challenging than identifying big stressors like job changes, relocation, or divorce. It’s all too simple to ignore the ways in which your own attitudes, feelings, and behaviours affect your stress levels on a daily basis.
If you experience excessive stress, anxiety or feelings of sadness for more than a few weeks or if it starts to affect your daily life at home or at work, speak with your healthcare provider or a mental health professional (psychiatrist, counselling/ clinical psychologist). Medication, psychotherapy, and other approaches may be beneficial.
You may take steps to reduce your stress before it becomes overwhelming in the meantime by learning certain techniques. You may find these suggestions useful for reducing stress:
- Everyday lifestyle changes:
- Exercise (running, gymming, dancing, swimming, aerobics, etc)
- Gor for a walk
- Spend time with nature
- Reduce caffeine (tea, coffee, green tea- yes it does have caffeine!) intake
- Have nutritional and a balanced diet
- Adequate sleep
- Relaxation exercises like yoga and medication
- Connect with people
- Set reasonable boundaries and refuse requests that would put too much stress on your life
- Make time for your interests and hobbies
- Avoid using drugs, alcohol, or addictive behaviours as a way to cope with stress. Alcohol and smoke use might cause your body even more stress.
- Look for social assistance
- Consult a psychologist or other mental health expert who specialises in stress management
- Establish goals for each day, week, and month. You’ll feel more in charge of the present and long-term responsibilities by narrowing your perspective.
- Following the news on social media and television for an excessive amount of time might make you more stressed. If watching the news makes you more anxious, try to limit your time spent doing so.
