We all talk about stress but most of us are not clear about what it exactly is. Stress is the strain caused emotionally and physically, in response to pressure from the outside world. We experience reactions of irritation, tension, lack of concentration and fast heartbeat once in a while. This is caused due to some stressful situation and is quite common in our everyday lives.
Stress becomes a problem when it gets out of hand and we are not sure how to deal with a particular situation. Situations and events that cause stress vary from person to person. The things that cause stress to you may not worry your neighbor.
The reaction to stress can affect the physical and mental health, affect relationships and take people away from their social obligations. Stress can manifest itself in the form of dizzy spells, dry mouth, pounding heart, upset stomach, difficulty breathing, sweating palms, sleeplessness, nervousness, muscle cramps, anxiety attacks and frequent urination. This is when it needs to be considered a problem and addressed.
Do you want to end up being depressed, sitting in the corner of a room in a chair? Most people feeling depressed, wallow in self pity that life is not treating them well. Let me tell you, researchers have proved time and again that stress is manageable and can be dealt with effectively.
There are several ways stress can be managed. When you understand what stress is, you will be able to notice early signs. It is important to figure out the reason for the stress and develop stress reduction techniques that help you.
Before I go ahead with techniques of relieving stress, the best stress reliever is to think positive. Keep negative thoughts at bay and let positive thoughts invade your mind and influence your thinking. Consider negativity as the enemy and positivity as the first step to relieving stress.
Identification of the problem is the first thing that needs to be done. Understand your feelings about the stressful events in your life. Figure out the different events that produce stress, such as your job, a divorce, coping with a death, coping with a bad marriage, long-term illness, concern about children, financial worries and rude people and so on.
Once the problem is nailed, think about what you should do to remove the stress factor. See if you need marriage counseling or if you need to quit your job or whatever the issue at hand is. Look at what changes you are going to make in order to remove the pressure off of yourself. Also look at long-term solutions.
Do you have any friends? Spend time with true friends and share your feelings with them. Ask them for advice and even if you do not, just sharing will make you feel a lot better. According to a study, middle aged men who are under severe stress and who did not have any emotional support were five times more likely to die sooner than those who had the same amount of stress but had close ties. This certainly is not meant to sound scary; it is only to make you understand the importance of close company.
“An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.” You can do several things to reduce stress and to activate the thinking process. Most people agree that physical activity acts as a stress buster. Go for a walk and breathe in fresh oxygen into your lungs or do some light exercise. You will feel alive, energetic and better able to think of solutions. If you feel the need to get away from it all, you may even go on a vacation to a place you have always wanted to.
Whatever techniques you choose to use to manage stress, it is very important for you to understand that alleviating stress is in your hands. Use short-term techniques like taking your mind off of your problems, and when you feel better, think of long-term solutions and look for ways to avoid stress from building up again in the future.
Finally, remember that stress will not go away on its own. The problem that is causing this stress needs to be addressed. Do not fear taking decisions. Stop putting things off and learn to face them and solve them.
No human can have a stress free life. Do not ever think that you are the only one with problems. Your life is in your hands to do as you please, live it happily.
