Stress is inevitable, people experience it every day of their lives as they toil day and night in search of greener pastures without having adequate rest.
You can experience it anywhere, either at your workplace, house, school, market or any other place.
However, stress is also beneficial as 15% of people when stressed get motivated to achieve their goals, get that promotion at work, work diligently, or face any challenges of life but when the stress becomes prolonged, out of control, or overwhelming leads to a decrease in both physical and mental health.
It endangers one to health problems that can be life-threatening, therefore, it is paramount to know how to manage stress as this helps in curtailing the harm it imposes on people to its barest minimum.
This article has vividly elaborates the effective ways of managing stress. Read meticulously.
WHAT IS STRESS?
Stress is defined as a physiological and psychological reaction to a challenge, threat, or demand. This involves the body’s natural response to pressure, change, or any condition that requires adjustment or adaptation.
When someone is stressed, the body activates the “fight-or-flight” response, and this releases stress hormones which are; adrenaline and cortisol, and these trigger the body for emergency action.
This action gives rise to health conditions like, an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, tightening of the muscles, breathing rapidly, and sometimes causes seizures especially when exposed to environmental toxins.
CAUSES OF STRESS
Stress has its etiological factors which include:
- Environmental Factors:
Some environmental stressors like noise, pollution, overpopulation, or living in an unconducive area affect one’s mental health which exacerbates the high risk of stress.
- Family Problems:
Studies have shown that one of the biggest causes of stress is family responsibilities. Someone who is the breadwinner of the family tends to struggle harder to make sure there is always food on the table.
Again, when one has aging parents, children that go to school, etc, the person is prone to be psychologically stressed because he or she will always think about what to do to make them comfortable.
Combining family issues with other day-to-day activities is not easy.
- Relationship Issues:
Here, a healthy relationship intensifies one’s life but whenever there is a misunderstanding, everything begins to change, for example, there will be poor communication, trust issues, disagreements, etc which can affect or even end the relationship.
This affects an individual’s emotions, cognitive, or mental health. According to the Danish Study in 2020, divorced adults would always find it difficult to get along, especially those that left no stone unturned before they divorced, and this results in poor mental health.
- Financial Stress:
When one has a lot of things to do with money like paying bills or satisfying other relevant needs, and the money seems scarce to get, it makes one become stressed both physically, mentally, and most times emotionally.
Some people embark on strenuous and meager jobs just to make sure that they eat every day. Money-related issues such as debts, bankruptcy, unemployment, not being financially buoyant, and unaware expenses are susceptible to causing stress.
Financial stress can be disheartening and contributes to psychological problems. About 60% of people in developing countries encounter this type of stress every day in their lives.
- Work-related Stress:
Arduous workloads, nagging boss (or bosses), job insecurity, and disagreement with colleagues or those in power can constitute stress in a workplace.
- Academic Pressure:
Most students find it difficult to manage the stress experienced in school. For example, academic demands, exams, striving to perform well, and the fear of failure enhances stress.
- Health Issues:
Most diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancers, etc, are life-threatening and can also make one uneasy, this can be in the form of pain, anxiety, tremor, eating disorder, etc, which affects the mental health of the person.
Other causes are:
• Time pressure
• Uncertainty and unpredictability
• Life changes
• Personal expectations
SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
When one is stressed consistently, it affects the person’s health negatively, the symptoms might appear mild at the initial stage and become deadly once it is chronic.
Some of the symptoms of stress include:
• Physical Symptoms
– Fatigue
– Headache
– Sweating
– Fast breathing
– Muscle tension
– Detest sex
– Diarrhea or stomach ache
– Irregular menstrual cycle
– Persistent colds or flu
– Increased heart rate and heartburn
• Emotional Symptoms
– Anxiety
– Mood swings
– Depression
– Isolation and loneliness
– Feeling overwhelmed
– Thought disorder
• Cognitive Symptoms
– Decrease in learning performance
– Finding it difficult to focus
– Constant worrying
– Memory problems
– Poor judgment
– Being Pessimistic
• Behavioral Symptoms
– Eating habit disorder
– Insomnia
– Staying alone by isolating from families, friends, hobbies, etc
– Alcohol abuse
– Neglecting performance
EFFECTIVE WAYS ON HOW TO MANAGE STRESS
There are vital ways of managing stress, and practicing them every day increases your lifespan. It also makes you view the future with an optimistic mindset.
The Effective ways to manage stress include:
- Know the source:
One cannot find a solution to his or her problems without knowing the source. It is mandatory to find out the root of what is causing your stress regularly first before checking the ways to manage it, this helps to eliminate stress.
- Participate in Physical Activities:
Studies have proven that stress can be lessened by engaging frequently in physical activities like; walking, running, skipping, dancing, swimming, bicycle riding, jogging, etc.
It is important to exercise your body at least two or three times a week for 30 minutes. When you exercise often, your body releases a natural stress-fighting chemical called endorphins.
This is why it is crucial to reduce sedentary lifestyles, and engage in physical activities because it not only helps one to manage stress but also helps in keeping the immune system at top-notch which prevents one from falling sick easily.
- Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle :
Healthy lifestyles expand one’s lifespan. The way you live your life either affects you positively or negatively.
A healthy lifestyle involves; taking good care of yourself, eating healthy and balanced diets, engaging in activities that make you happy, practicing good personal hygiene and sanitation, reducing work that takes much of your time, etc. This enables the reduction of stress.
However, some people who are addicted to smoking hard drugs, or cigarettes, taking excess sugary foods or drinks, or any unhealthy habits are liable to develop health problems, which can be life-threatening most times.
Life does not have a duplicate, it is often advised for one to hang out with friends, chat, play games, etc to decrease the high level of stress. Always prioritize your health before engaging in any other activities.
4.Adopt Relaxation Techniques:
This means relaxing your body and brain to get adequate rest. Here, it does not require you to sleep but when you relax, it makes the brain work effectively and efficiently. One can do this by practicing the following:
•Trying to inhale deeply.
• Sit down, rest, and meditate
• Embark on Yoga training or make a progressive muscle relaxation
These help the mind to remain calm, thereby reducing stress levels.
5. Manage your Time Properly:
In life, time is essential, and when managed appropriately, go a long way in reducing stress. Spending much time on irrelevant things limits one from progressing or achieving one’s goals.
It is pertinent to balance your work life, business, etc with other human activities. Also, getting too engrossed in strenuous work damages your health, so it is crucial to know how to work with time efficiently, and reduce workloads that are not needed.
Make a to-do list that enables you to carry out your day-to-day activities, and also create time for leisure to avoid breakdown.
6. Seek Social Support:
Seek support from families, friends, and relatives in case you are having any challenges or difficulties, might be physical, emotional, financial problems, etc. When you discuss these problems with loved or trusted ones, it alleviates the stress being encountered.
There is a saying that “problems shared are half solved”. When you express your thoughts, feelings, ideas, challenges, problems, etc to those that you trust, they help in getting solutions easily. It keeps your mental health active, vibrant, smart, and effective.
7. Know your Limitations:
Don’t put your health in danger just to please someone, that is, trying to finish all tasks even when you are completely exhausted.
This can make one age faster or cause some health problems like cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, severe headache, etc.
It is important to learn how to say no to some jobs that you cannot do than getting yourself involved in too many tasks.
8. Seek Professional Assistance:
If your stress becomes overwhelming or seems it is now affecting your daily activities, seek professional help like visiting a clergyman, psychologist, therapist, etc. They help in examining you to find out the ways your health problem can be ultimately solved.
9. Be Optimistic:
Another way to manage stress is to always think positively in any situation you find yourself in. A negative mindset brings anxiety, depression, fear, streand ss, and can also give rise to suicidal ideation.
A clear and positive mindset reduces stress and also enriches one’s mental health making one to be productive in society.
10. Adequate Sleep:
Aim at sleeping 6-8 hours every day. This enables the brain to work effectively and efficiently. Someone who usually sleeps up to 6 hours a day rarely falls sick.
Create time for sleep, this keeps all the stressors at the minimum level. Get enough sleep every day for optimum mental health.
Conclusion:
Stress occurs every time but knowing how to manage it is very important in our lives. Know how to manage stress because it helps to maintain a good and healthy lifestyle which deviates us from health problems being caused by stress.
More about ways on how to manage stress
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