STRESS AND YOUR HEALTH

STRESS AND YOUR HEALTH

Developing a clear understanding of stress and how to handle it.

Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental and emotional responses. It is a feeling of being under abnormal pressure. This pressure can come from different aspects of your day – to day life such as work, family, relationships, money problems, etc.This normally have a cumulative effect with each stress or building on one another.

Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger. It becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between stressors. As a result, the person becomes overworked, and stress – related tension builds.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS.

Chronic stress can wear down the body’s natural defences, leading to a variety of symptoms.

Physical symptoms and health problems such as:

Depression, low self – esteem, feeling of constant worry and anxiety, low sex drive, pain, sleep problems, high blood pressure, fatigue, digestive problems, lack of concentration, weakened immune system, diarrhea, anger, irritability, heart diseases, moodiness, irregular menstrual cycle, etc.

CAUSES OF STRESS

The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that puts high demands on you can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college or receiving a promotion.

Stress could be external or internal.

External stress includes relationship difficulties, financial problems, being too busy, children and family issues, etc.

While internal stress includes pessimism, inability to accept uncertainty, rigid thinking, unrealistic expectations, etc.

Furthermore, what causes stress depends, at least in part, on your perception of it. What seems stressful to one may not faze another; they may even enjoy it. While some thrive under pressure and perform best in the face of a tight deadline, others might shut down when work demands escalate. And while you may enjoy helping to care for your elderly parents, your siblings may find the demands of care taking overwhelming and stressful.

 

How to handle stress.

The various ways to handle stress include the following: 

1.      Eat healthily: eating healthily can reduce the risks of diet – related diseases triggered by stress. There is a growing amount of evidence showing how food affects our mood and how eating healthily can improve this. You can protect your feelings of wellbeing by ensuring that your diet provides adequate amounts of brain nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals as well as water.

2.      Exercise: try and integrate physical exercise into your lifestyle as it can be very effective in relieving stress. Going out and getting some fresh air, and taking some light physical exercise, like going for a walk to the shops can really help. 

3.       Connect to others: the simple act of talking face – to – face with another human can trigger hormones that relieve stress when you are feeling agitated or insecure. A brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another can help calm and soothe your nervous system. So, spend time with people who improve your mood.

4.      Engage your senses: another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of your senses – sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the sensory input that works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently; so, experiment to find what works best for you.

5.      Learn to relax: you cannot completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control how much it affects you. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response. When practiced regularly, these activities can reduce your every day stress levels and boost feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure.

6.      Sleep well: feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. At the same time, chronic stress can disrupt your sleep. Whether you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, there are plenty of ways to improve your sleep so you feel less stressed and more productive and emotionally balanced. 

7.     Review your lifestyle: are there things you are doing which could be handed over to someone else? Perhaps, you may need to prioritize things you are trying to achieve and re – organize your life. This will help to release pressure that can come from trying to do everything at once.

8.      Be mindful: mindfulness is a mind – body approach to life that helps us to relate differently to experiences. It involves paying attention to our thoughts and feelings in a way that increases our ability to manage difficult situations and make wise choices. Research has suggested that it can reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and related problems such as insomnia, poor concentration and low moods in some people.

9.      Don’t be too hard on yourself: try to keep things in perspective. Remember that having a bad day is a universal human experience. When your inner critic or an outer critic finds faults, try and find truth and exception to what is being said. If you stumble or feel you have failed, do not beat yourself up. Act as if you were your own best friend: be kind and supportive. Take a few minutes each day to appreciate yourself. 

10.     Eat your veggies (vegetables): fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals like copper, zinc, manganese, and vitamins A, E and C. leafy greens are especially good for you. These vitamins and minerals work to neutralize harmful molecules produces when your body is under stress.

11.    Add high – fiber foods: high fiber intake has been associated with greater alertness and decreased perceived stress. So add fiber – rich foods like oatmeal, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables to your diet.

        With   all this points I believe you will know how to manage stress each day.