Stress – The Hidden Enemy!

In today’s life, it has become tough to cope up with tight schedules, traffic jams, noise pollutions, social pressures, workplace rivalry, relationships, and anxieties etc. Life has become hectic every body seems to have problems in managing time or coping up with the life, making both ends meets, striving to cope with stress filled life or struggling to improve it, small day to day life problems add a lot. Plus every person has worries to what they could possibly fret over as we may see people with secure jobs and a steady income. Stress is inevitably a factor to the truth that is regardless of now wonderful someone’s life may seem to outsiders. In such situations we usually get stressed up, sometimes we become hyper active and sometimes we fall victim to laziness. Sometimes we even feel like a loser if we haven’t achieved a task on time. It’s all stress making us react in different ways.

Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. Stress is a normal part of life. Without stress, life would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge and opportunity to life. Stress is with us all the time. It comes from mental or emotional activity, as well as physical activity. It is unique and personal to each of us. A small amount of stress is normal and there’s little to do to avoid it. However, too much stress can seriously affect your physical and mental well-being. A major challenge in today’s stress-filled world is to make the stress in your life work for you instead of against you.

The body reacts to stress with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Many events that happen to you and around you and many things that you do yourself to put stress on your body. You can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts.
Stress is one of the main contributing factors to heart disease and many individuals do not realize this. With the result that one of the largest effects of stress on the body being seen in heart health, the more we need to be done to erase that stress. A person can be the picture of health, but if they are constantly worrying there is a good chance they may suffer a heart attack at some point.

Not only your heart is the part of your body that you need to be aware of when it comes to feeling stressed. Another here is in sleep pattern which stress take effects on the body. People who worry a great deal often can’t sleep and one of the main effects of stress on the body is depression. A depressed person often has disrupted rest patterns. Finding a way to cope with the stress can mean a full night’s sleep which helps in numerous ways during the day including increased concentration and positive mood shifts.

Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems.
Immune system problems have also been linked to emotional concerns. If a person is a constant worrier they may be prone to immune problems. Dealing with it can come in many different forms and it depends largely on the source of the problem and the individual. This can actually result in them being more susceptible to things like colds and the flu. When we really start to see how far reaching the effects of stress on the body are it’s easy to see why it’s so important to try and curb the levels of stress.

In order to relieve some stress, have a pet. To help bring stress levels way down. Another way to bring stress down is listening to calming music, while sitting or laying in a dark room. Taking a drive or removing yourself from a stressful situation is also helpful. Having a “stress buddy”, someone to talk to about common stress, also helps a lot. Most importantly though staying calm in an un-calm situation is helpful. Facing the issue head-on and taking control of it guarantees that any effects of stress on the body will soon be a thing of the past.

Disasters of Stress:

Because the stress response couples physiological and emotional responses, it seems probable that stress can translate frustration into physical illness, but the precise mechanisms by which this occurs are not known. In some situations, as with tension headaches or upset stomachs, the connections appear fairly clear. On the other hand, both headaches and bellyaches can occur with no emotional provocation whatsoever.

The chain of causation is even less clear when it comes to more chronic and serious conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer. The list of diseases linked to stress is almost endless, and includes asthma, allergies, arthritis, ulcers and migraine, headaches, among many others.

On the whole, it seems most likely that stress plays a specific role in disease by throwing off the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

How to Cope with Stress:

When stress occurs, it is important to recognize and deal with it. Here are some suggestions for ways to handle stress. As you begin to understand more about how stress affects you as an individual, you will come up with your own ideas on how to ease the tension.

1. Stay physically active. When you are nervous, angry or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis or working in your garden, are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve that “up tight” feeling, relax you, and turn the frowns into smiles. Remember, your body and your mind work together. When I get stressed up I start cleaning up my house it gives me relaxation because extra amount of energy is released this way. You can also try it!

2. Talk to someone about it. It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher or anyone whom you thing can help you see your problem in a different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist. Knowing when to ask for help may help to avoid more serious problems later.

3. Know your limits. If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don’t fight the situation. Learn to accept what is for now, until such time when you can change it.

4. Be positive about yourself. You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. If you are irritable and tense from lack of sleep, or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations. Take care of yourself and be positive.

5. Make time for fun. Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.

6. Participate in other activities. One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it’s all happening. Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, get involved. Help yourself by helping other people. Get involved in the world and the people around you, and you will find they will be attracted to you. You’re on your way to making new friends and enjoying new activities.

7. One task at a time. Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming, and as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do and do them one at a time, checking them off as they’re completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.

8. Others can also be right at times. Do other people upset you – particularly when they don’t do things your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; it’s better than fighting and always being “right.” A little give and take on both sides will reduce the strain and make you both feel more comfortable.

9. It’s OK to shed some tear. A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might even prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they also release tension.

10. Avoid self-medication. Although you can use medicines to relieve stress temporarily, but they do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Drugs, in fact, may be habit-forming and create more stress than they relieve. They should be taken only on the advice of your doctor.

The best strategy for avoiding stress is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. For a while, tune out your worries about time, productivity, and “doing it right.” You will find satisfaction in just being, without striving. Find activities that give you pleasure and that are good for your mental and physical well-being. Forget about always winning and focus on relaxation, enjoyment, and health. Be good to yourself.