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Stress Management – an Essential Element in Our Daily Lives

Monday, 16 June 2008

In home, workplace or even during watching a game show on the TV, we are subjected to stress. Some are negligible in magnitude causing no significant inconvenience, while the others could be causing severe troubles or problems leading to physical ailment. This is due to the fact that we face different challenges in our day to day life, and there is always an anxiety about desired result against efforts given.

Apparently, the word 'stress' may usually seem negative to us. But psychologists and stress management specialists have deduced that stress in small doses can be helpful in gaining desired results.

With the advent of technology, increasing economic activities, social risks, uncertainties, unemployment and many other reasons, our daily life too is becoming more and more complex. All these make us more anxious. Anxiety is the primary cause of stress. It has become very pertinent in our today’s busy and stressful life to find ways to relieve stress.

Specialists say that a complete stress relief is impossible. But there are systematic approaches that help us controlling stress. Many anxiety treatment or stress reducer tools have indeed been found effective to limit stress level to an optimum low.

The simplest definition of stress explains it as a psychological and physiological response to events and happenings around us where our mental balance is challenged.

Stress has a very wide spectrum of signs and symptoms:

Cognitive symptoms of stress include (and are not limited to) indecisiveness, memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, trouble thinking clearly, seeing only the negative, anxious or racing thoughts, fearful anticipation and loss of objectivity.

Physical symptoms of stress are usually frequent colds, skin breakouts, headaches or backaches, diarrhea or constipation, muscle tension and stiffness, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, weight gain or loss and insomnia.

Emotional symptoms of stress are revealed through inability to relax, sense of loneliness and isolation, agitation, depression or general unhappiness, short temper, feeling overwhelmed, irritability, impatience, feeling tense and “on edge”, restlessness and moodiness.

Behavioral symptoms of stress are usually teeth grinding or jaw clenching, sleeping too much or too little, eating more or less, picking fights with others, overreacting to unexpected problems, procrastination, neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax, overdoing activities like exercising, isolating from others, nervous habits like nail biting, pacing etc.

Like the symptoms, the causes of stress or "stressors" as they are commonly known, could be hundreds.

Fact is, stress is inevitable and stress relief can never be achieved in its absolute. However there are many techniques for controlling stress. The techniques if followed religiously serve as effective stress reducers. Anger management and anxiety treatment too, are achieved with successful application of these techniques.

Common ways to manage stress:

1. Learn your own limits and say no to jobs beyond your capabilities.

2. Avoid associations that cause stress – avoid people who are branded stressors.

3. Have enough of sleep.

4. Avoid discussion of hot topics like religion, politics or any other subject that usually agitates you.

5. Organize your work and prepare a to-do list judiciously with priorities set. This will help you in time management.

6. Try to be more assertive and spirited. Deal with problems straight forward.

7. Try to inculcate a compromising attitude. Learn to forgive

8. Be expressive in your feelings rather than holding them up inside. Share them with your dear ones.

9. Adjust to your own standards; don’t try to be a perfectionist.

10. Focus on the positive and try to look at the big picture.

These are however, very basic ways to relieve stress to a good extent. Stress relief medicines are also available although they do not guarantee absolute anxiety treatment or controlling of stress. The best stress reducer is possibly avoiding as far as possible the cause of stress itself.