Stress is a natural feeling of not being able to cope with specific demands and events. These demands can come from work, relationships, financial pressures, and other situations, but anything that poses a real or perceived challenge or threat to a person’s well-being can cause stress.
Stress can become a chronic condition if a person does not take steps to manage it. If left untreated, stress can have a significant impact on our lives, affecting our work, social life, relationships, and health
Many of our issues are caused because we are pushing ourselves faster than ever before, expecting to do more in shorter amounts of time. Technology addiction has significantly increased in the last twenty years especially for the younger generations. Our society is the most disassociated and isolated that has ever been and as a result we don’t have the social support network to help to cope with stressful situations. We are social animals and it’s natural for us to take care of ourselves and help to take care of others and that creates a ripple effect on our society.
We are all stressed, so what is the cost of ignoring our stress and our mental health? It can lead to several complications such as:
- chronic and complex diseases like type 2 diabetes
- heart disease
- several cancers
- mental health problems, costing people their lives way ahead of time.
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- lower immunity against diseases
- muscular aches
- sleeping difficulties
- stomach upset
- erectile dysfunction (impotence) and loss of libido
Stress affects individuals in different ways. Some experiences that people generally consider to be positive can lead to stress, such as having a baby, going on vacation, moving to a better home, and getting a promotion at work. The reason for this is that they typically involve a significant change, extra effort, new responsibilities, and a need for adaptation. They also often require a person to take steps into the unknown.
There are three types of stressors:
• routine stress, such as childcare, homework, financial responsibilities, job issues, family or relationships problems, driving, fear of accidents, fear of crime, problems with neighbours, noise, pollution, overcrowding, uncertainty about the future, …
• sudden, disruptive changes, such as death of a loved one, job loss, retirement, illness, moving home, divorce, abortion or miscarriage, pregnancy, having a baby, …
• traumatic stress, due to extreme trauma such as a severe accident, an assault, an environmental disaster, war, abuse … Doctors will diagnose this as PTSD.
What can you do to help manage or prevent stress or feelings of being overwhelmed?
- Reducing the intake of alcohol, drugs, and caffeine: These substances will not help prevent stress, and they can make it worse.
- Nutrition: A healthful, balanced diet eliminating refined sugars.
- Priority management: It may help to spend a little time organizing a daily to-do list and focusing on time sensitive tasks. You can then focus on what you have accomplished for the day, rather than on the tasks you have yet to complete.
- Time management: you should set aside some time to organize your schedule, relax, and pursue your own interests and hobbies.
- Breathing and relaxation: Meditation, massage, and yoga can help. Breathing and relaxation techniques can slow down the heart rate and promote relaxation.
- Talking: Sharing feelings and concerns with family, friends, and work colleagues may help you “let off steam” and reduce feelings of isolation.
- Self-awareness: A person can be so anxious about the problem causing the stress that they do not notice the effects on their body, mind or emotions. It’s important to know if you are coping with the problem or you should seek professional help.
- Hobbies: Most people have an activity that helps them relax, such as reading a book, going for a walk, listening to music, or spending time with a friend, loved one, or pet. Joining a gym also helps some people relax.
- Developing social networks of support, for example, by talking to neighbours and others in the local community or joining a social club, charity, or religious organization.
- Above all, slow down; stop rushing from A to B and start enjoying the life that is happening for you, not to you.
People who find that stress is affecting their daily life should seek professional help. A persistently negative response to challenges can have an adverse effect on health and happiness.
A doctor or psychiatric specialist can often help. Doctors will not usually prescribe medications for coping with stress, unless they are treating an underlying illness, such as depression or an anxiety disorder. In such cases, they may prescribe an antidepressant. However, there is a risk that the medication will only mask the stress, rather than help the person deal with it. Antidepressants can also have adverse effects, and they may worsen some complications of stress.
I help people to manage, cope or prevent stress through stress management training by:
• removing or changing the source of stress
• altering how a person views a stressful event
• lowering the effects that stress might have on the body
• learning alternative ways of coping
This is a testimonial of one my clients after having just one session:
It’s been a week since my session with you and I just wanted to drop you a line and say ‘thank you’ and let you know how I’m getting on.
I’ve been feeling much more calm and positive since the session. I can’t say I’m fully “free” of some of the things we discussed but my thoughts are definitely less intrusive and much more in perspective