Preventing Stress
Stress is a element of life, and you can’t forever shun it. But you can struggle to shun situations that can basis it, and you can manage how you react to it. Stress is an obligatory truth of life. But stress isn’t forever a bad thing. It’s an innate, physical response that can prompt our fight-or-flight response. Stress can increase our consciousness in complicated or dangerous situations, allowing us to take action quickly in the moment. Without it, humans wouldn’t have survived this long.
But if stress is steady over time, it can be negative to your health. So, stress obstacle and management is essential, and will help you fit in the many things going on in your life. The ambition of prevent stress isn’t to totally get rid of stress, but to eliminate preventable stress and help you cope with inescapable stress.
What is stress?
Stress is your body’s reaction to any demand, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Many things can trigger stress and can be affirmative or depressing. In a hazardous condition, stress will trigger your fight-or-flight reaction and reason the following symptoms:
- increased heart rate
- faster breathing
- tensed muscles
This stress allows you to make split-second decisions and is what helped cavemen either face a threat or flee.
Your body is only destined to grip stress in small bursts. Chronic stress can lead to serious problems, lowering your immune system and interfering with the proper functioning of your body’s systems. A lowered immune system means you are more prone to colds and infections. Over time, constant strain can also lead to:
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- depression
- anxiety
Stress in the Workplace
While some workplace stress is usual, extreme stress can hamper with your efficiency and performance, and brunt your physical and emotional health. Often, your capability to deal with stress can signify the disparity between success and failure in any type of work.
When stress exceeds your relieve zone, it stops being supportive and can start causing foremost spoil to your mind and body as well as your job pleasure. But no matter what you do for a living, or how stressful your job is, there are prosperity of things you can do to decrease your overall stress levels and recover a sense of control at work.
Stress at work warning signs
When you feel overwhelmed at work, you lose confidence and may become angry, irritable, or withdrawn. Other signs and symptoms of excessive stress at work include:
Feeling anxious, irritable or depressed, Apathy, loss of interest in work, Problems sleeping, Fatigue, Trouble concentrating, Muscle tension or headaches, Using alcohol or drugs to cope etc.
Common causes of excessive workplace stress
- Fear of being laid off
- More overtime due to staff cutbacks
- Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction
- Pressure to work at optimum levels—all the time!
When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, these strategies will help you cope:
Find a balance between personal, work, and family needs. This isn’t easy. Start by looking at how you spend your time. Maybe there are things that you don’t need to do at all.
Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.
Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand.
Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.
Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.
Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Check out the fitness tips below.
Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.
Adopt healthy habits. Eat a healthy diet, limit how much alcohol you drink, and don’t smoke. Staying healthy is your best defense against stress.
In Summary
Stress is a normal part of life for everyone. But too much stress can have serious consequences for your health. Some stress is good and can trigger your fight-or-flight mechanism to help you handle emergencies. Everyone responds to stress differently so it’s important to know what stresses you out and how to handle it.