Deal With Stress

What is Stress?

Stress is a term that refers to the human body's response to a threat, be it physical or emotional. The most primitive basis of stress comes in the example of where you are in life-threatening danger from some wild animal. The initial response is of alarm, your body produces adrenaline, and all your senses of sight, sound and smell are heightened. You begin to sweat and your heart rate will raise in anticipation of action. This all happens instantly and automatically to give you the best chance of surival in your fight or flight.

Stress in your daily life will most probably be an emotional threat, it might be:

1. A task that is required of you exceeds your knowledge, skills or resources you have
2. You are running out of time to complete an assignment with a deadline
3. You have family or spouse problems

Whatever your emotional threat may be, the body's reaction is the same as if it were a physical danger. A certain amount of stress can be of benefit in helping a person perform better and reach higher goals because their senses and cognitive function are heightened. However it is when this stimuli on the body occurs for extended periods of time that there will be a detrimental longer term effect.

So What Are The Symptoms Of Prolonged Stress?

If you are put under stress for long periods without relief, your body will adapt to try to cope with the extra demands placed on it. This takes extra effort which will eventually lead to exhaustion. Other symptoms may include:

1. Ulcers
2. Depression
3. Digestive System Malfunction
4. Breathing Problems
5. Lowered Immunity System
6. Short Temper
7. Excess Sweating

Sounds pretty bad right? The good news is that the stresses you are subject to through daily life can be managed as long as you can see what is happening to you.

How Do I Manage My Stress Levels?

Here are some techniques that you can apply to help you deal with the stress in your life.

Time Management - There is no set right or wrong way to manage your time, but it generally involves planning, delegating and prioritising. If you can keep the quantity of tasks and demands on yourself to manageable levels and make yourself have an achievable timeframe to getting them done, your stress will naturally be reduced.

Having good Time Management will help you to become proactive to the onset of stress.

Relaxation Techniques - This may be any activity that makes you calmer. You need to try and relax your muscles, slow your heart rate and breathing rate in order to decrease your anxiety and tension. Techniques here may include:

1. Body Massage
2. Deep Breathing and Meditation
3. Light Exercise such as Walking, Yoga, Tai Chi

In summary, stress sometimes cannot be avoided in your daily life, and certain levels of it can aid you in better performance. Problems begin to occur when you keep pushing yourself further and further, and you don't recognise or acknowledge that you are stressed.

Realising you are stressed is the first step to reducing it and ultimately preventing it. Maybe your friend or colleague cannot see themselves having the effects of stress and need a little support to help them recognise it. Techniques to reduce stress levels are easy, you just need to take the time to implement them.