Stress is normally physical and psychological tension in our lives. Every human being feels stressed, but it helps us to get things done properly. All types of stress, including joblessness, family death, serious illness, or certain painful events, are a natural part of life. If one is feeling down or anxious, it’s quite normal.
People of all ages and all walks of life feel stressed, and it affects their lives in various ways. Stress is fairly dependent upon certain individual factors, like:
- Health
- Mutual relationships
- The degree of dependence on others
- Commitments
- Responsibilities
- The nature of the support we receive from friends and family
- Serious events experienced in life
Symptoms of stress
Symptoms like anxiety or tension, anger or concentration problems, disturbed sleep, headache, depression, lack of appetite, or increased appetite are commonly related to stress in life. Various other symptoms include:
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Stomach pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Teeth grinding
- Excessive sleeping
- Panic attacks
- Social isolation
- Obsessive or compulsive behaviors
- Sweaty hands or feet
- Headaches
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Heartburn
- Feeling overwhelmed
The conditions in which stress may increase the severity of symptoms include multiple sclerosis, chronic pains, fibromyalgia, depression, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases.
Stress management
Living with high levels of stress puts your life at risk because stress plays havoc on your physical health and emotional equilibrium. It reduces your ability to function effectively, think clearly and lead a joyful life. You will feel that you are helpless in dealing with your stress. Only effective stress management can help you lead a healthier, happier, more comfortable, balanced life with relationships, relaxation with time for work, and fun.
Stress management includes a set of programs and techniques aimed at helping people deal more effectively with their stressed lives by minimizing the factors leading to stress and reducing its worst effects.
Tips for stress management
Identify your stress sources
Stress management helps identify the causes of stress in life. It may include your family, work, and all other unwanted changes in your lifestyle.
A person should enlist all the reasons and causes that prove stressors in their lives so that they can identify and deal with them effectively.
One should keep track of the factors leading to stress for better management.
Exercise
Taking a light exercise is probably the best and easiest way to reduce stress, as it is a key method to compensate for those who feel stressed. Taking physical exercise helps to enhance overall fitness and manage emotional stress and tensions. It is also helpful for relaxation and improves sleep. Exercise is a healthy way to increase one’s ability to deal with stress and tension in one’s future life.
Better stress management leads to improvement in the sleep cycle, which helps renew the brain and body. However, you should not exercise close to bedtime as it may disturb sleep.
Connect to others
In order to avoid stress, spend time with family members and friends where you feel comfortable and safe. Talking to people about stressful situations may reduce and minimize your tension. Talking and sharing views with others will also strengthen the bond of your relationship.
Self-care
Make use of your leisure time, take a rest and relax in your daily routine. Take a break from all obligations and responsibilities and recharge your energy.
Do some fun daily. Spend your leisure time talking with your parents, family members and playing with kids. Playing the piano and singing songs will make you happy and reduce stress.
A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself will help a lot to fight stress and remove tension in your life.
Healthy lifestyle
Focus on a healthy and well-nourished body to reduce stress and avoid illness. Always be mindful to take the time to eat nutrient-rich food to maintain a strong and healthy life. Never miss your breakfast so that your energy is kept up and your mind is clear with balanced and nutritious food all day long.
Minimize the consumption of sugar and caffeine. The use of too much caffeine and sugar can negatively affect your mood and energy level., Reduce the number of soft drinks, chocolates, coffee, and sugar snacks in your daily diet to enhance relaxation and improve your sleep.
The use of alcohol, drugs, and smoking is harmful to health. Alcohol and drugs may provide you with an easy escape from stress, but it is just temporary relief. Long-term stress management can conquer that strain.
Stress increases when you’re tired and worried, so always get a sound and undisturbed sleep daily. It will help fuel your mind and strengthen your body.
Consider counseling
Many different types of mental health professionals offer stress-management counseling. These counseling sessions allow you to work directly with a qualified therapist. They prove to be beneficial to reduce stress symptoms and improve overall health and behavior. Although it is not a long-term commitment, a stress therapist can help you identify the problem areas in your daily life. Consult a sincere and supportive health professional to get rid of stress and strain.