Within this essay, I will discuss Stress and Stress Management Techniques. Stress is a force that tends to strain or deform mental emotion or physical tension. Stress can be an unwanted feeling with deep emotions and physiological arousal which can be experienced in certain situations. When we look at different definitions of stress it can be seen in many ways by different people under different conditions. There are many forms of stress Acute, Episodic, chronic, and many more. Acute stress affects everyone. It’s your body reacting to new and challenging situations. The thrill of a fast ride or a near incident involving traffic both scenarios will result in similar reactions a feeling of fear, followed swiftly by a feeling of relief. Episodic stress it’s acute stress which may be experienced in situations where you feel anxious and It’s stress when you feel you're going from one crisis to another. Chronic stress is a form of long-term stress with high levels of pressure which can hurt your long-term health. Chronic stress can have a physical impact on the body leading to headaches and stomach troubles. All these forms of stress affect our physical and mental states and can lead to powerful emotions.
Stress is a situation that triggers a particular biological response. When you perceive a threat or a major challenge, chemicals and hormones surge throughout your body. Healthline 2020
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It’s important to understand the signs and symptoms of stress which is sometimes easier said than done. Many big events can cause stress such as house moves, changes of jobs relationships, and family issues. These things are easy to pinpoint as major stress symptoms. A house move can be very stressful for several reasons. An individual is leaving their home and are under pressure to make the right decisions- after all where an individual lives and their surroundings can also have an impact on their mental health. When moving home an individual has to part with large sums of money and often they need to deal with legal issues such as land surveys and mortgages. If a person has children, they can often feel under pressure to keep their family happy and healthy. A change of employment can also be a time of stress which can cause a range of emotions such as excitement about starting a new challenge but also anxiety about financial arrangements and working with new people. It could be that the new role involves performance-related pay or the wage is heavily reliant on earning commission – these jobs can cause stress through the worry that the individual is not performing well enough or that perhaps are not earning enough.
Beginning a new job is widely considered to be one of the top ten life-changing events. Starting a new company has a way of significantly altering your day-to-day life. Winter, W ( 2018)
Stress occurs when your body reacts to stimulus, and as you can see, stress can take many forms such as difficulties in the workplace to challenges in your home life. All these forms are Stress and a normal part of everyday life.
Stress is something we all deal with daily, and it can have devastating effects on both physical and mental health when left unchecked. Gray, F ( 2014)
The ability to recognize signs and symptoms of stress will vary from person to person. We all have different stressors. However, some signs of stress can be physical such as insomnia, loss of appetite, sweating, and shaking. These physical symptoms are triggered through stress hormones within the body and are known as the fight or flight response. The fight or flight is your body preparing for an emergency response a hormone called adrenaline and noradrenaline raise your blood pressure and increase the heart rate which can cause you to perspire. This is a very strong stress factor the hormone can also reduce blood flow to the skin and affect stomach activity which can be unpleasant. Also, the hormone Cortisol which is another stress hormone releases sugar and fat into your system which boosts energy levels. Through this you could be putting yourself in danger of a stroke or heart attack your breathing could become quicker experience headaches, muscle tension, nausea, and indigestion. All of these changes are your body preparing to fight or flight after the moment has passed your body will start to settle down and hormone levels reduce to some form of normality. However, this is not always the case if your body constantly feels under pressure those hormones stay in your system leading to stress.
If you're stuck in a busy office or an overcrowded train, you can’t fight or run away, so you can’t use up the chemicals and the changes they produce can be damaging to your health. Manage and reduce stress Mental Health Foundation
When dealing with Stress a very important factor is Stress management techniques. Stress management techniques help you to manage your situation. There are many ways to manage stress if you can find the causes or triggers. The more you can work with managing your stress levels, you reduce the risk of stress-related diseases plus you will feel better in general leading to a lot healthier and happier life. Changing basic things can help you manage stress such as eating a healthy diet, getting a good night's sleep, regular exercise regularly, keeping alcohol and caffeine to a minimum, maintaining a well-connected social support network, and giving yourself a bit of time for relaxation and self-care.
If you can’t manage your stress or if it’s accompanied by anxiety or depression see your doctor right away. These conditions can be managed with treatment as long as you seek help. You might also consider consulting with a therapist or other mental health professional. Healthline 2020
Another form of stress management is conquering anxiety. Anxiety can lead to major depression that’s why by understanding what causes anxiety we can then seek the correct help.
Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying, The Speakmans, N, E, (2019)
Another form of stress management is a practice called 4 A’s. Which are Avoid, Alter,Adapt, or Accept. When you find yourself in situations such as work gatherings or family events and you feel your stress level rising you either change the situation or change your reaction. To help with the situation you find yourself in it’s helpful to have the 4 A’s as a support.
It’s not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed, but you may be surprised by the number of stressors in your life that you eliminate. HelpGuide 1999-2020
Avoiding unnecessary stress can help you with stress management as can learning to say no and feeling comfortable and confident saying no. If there is a certain person in your life such as a family member or friend you can control how much time you spend around that individual. Take control of your destiny and the environment around you by not placing yourself in situations that make you feel uncomfortable. For example, if you find it stressful to find yourself stuck in heavy traffic, set off earlier or go a longer way round. If you need certain items from the shop and don’t want to go at busy times look at alternatives to online shopping or going in on quiet times. These are just some stress management techniques, however there are many more. By exploring stress management techniques and finding what works for you, the more managing stress becomes sustainable. To evaluate Stress management techniques a lot of it comes down to the individual and their circumstances. There are many techniques and the more you research the more you will find. When seeking help it’s always a powerful achievement to want to keep expressing yourself finding the right help getting on the right track and still wanting to become a stronger individual.
Bibliography
- Feilding Gray, 2012, Stress Management Techniques on how to deal with stress,
- How to manage and reduce stress, Mental Health Foundation, online 2020
- Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, October 2019, HelpGuide your trusted guide to mental health and wellness, Robert Segal
- Nik and Eva Speakman, 2019, The Speakmans Conquering Anxiety, Orion Spring
- Timothy J. Legg, February 2020, Healthline Everything you need to know about stress, online
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