Stress Management: What Is It, And How To Use It

 Despite all the conveniences available to us in this technologically advanced age, stress is still part of the overall system of our lives. Luckily, stress management provides comfort and release from these problems that tends to affect our physical, mental and emotional health.

What is Stress Management?

Stress management includes tools, procedures and methods that allow us to take control of our problems and make sure that they don't affect our daily routine. Problems that leads to stress that are specific in nature have different stress management techniques that can be applied to keep you in balance and harmony.

Breathing exercises helps big time!

Our body tends to react during times of stress; irregular breathing, sweating, aches and pains, slow metabolism and so on. Since these are all physical in nature, we have to deal with it in a physical way. One method is through breathing exercises. Simply speaking, these exercises control the flow and distribution of oxygen to different parts of your body.

One way to do this is to count your breathing. Breathe slowly and deep, relax your stomach as you do so. Try to keep a rhythm and follow it throughout the duration of the exercise. With enough practice, you can control your breathing instantly during times of stress which can help you relax and alleviate some of the negative effects on your body.

Relax your mind with meditation

Meditation is great way to achieve stress management, which deals more on the mental than in the physical. This is where the old adage "Mind Over Body" kicks in. Meditation allows your mind to relax and focus on a single thought and let others drift away to nothing.

The art of meditation have been used for centuries that started off as an offset of pagan religion. Nowadays, many people practice this method for different areas in their life; coping with work, focusing on your tasks, or simply to relax your mind to keep yourself in balance.

This can be quite hard at first but can be improved through practice. First of all, try to look for a quiet place where you will have the least amount of distraction. Then you need to relax your body from your toes to your head. When you feel heavy then you are already relaxed (this will change to a light feeling when practiced often), you can now concentrate on your mind.

Try to focus on a single thought. You might notice that you will be distracted by stray thoughts that seeps into your mind during the course of the exercise. When this happen, try to imagine you are watching movie. Observe these thoughts as if it was nothing and let it drift away to the next one. After a while, all these stray scenes will cease, then you have achieved meditation.

Seek professional help

A psychiatrist can be of great help during times of stress. The specialist will help you identify your problems and in turn find possible solutions without letting fear and worry get hold of your mind. They can help find the trouble areas and help you find solutions which you might be unable to realize on your own.

Dealing with stress can be stressful also. But with a relaxed mind and the proper techniques, you can take control of your life and not let stress control you.

Personal Stress Management: Get Rid Of Stress In Your Own Way

 It is always difficult to recognize the signs and symptoms when you are in the throes of stress. Many people misunderstand the true definition of stress and would resort to medications without even trying to find out what started it in the first place. Being hasty to get rid of stress will only lead to temporary results and will return once the effect of the medication has run its course.

Personal stress management involves making your own routines that will allow you cope with problems and avoiding a possible occurrence of stress in your daily life. Here are some tips on how to get rid of stress in your own personal way.

Understanding is the key to enlightenment

The first step in personal stress management is to know what stress really is and how it can affect your life. For starters, stress is something or events in your life that will affect your emotional, mental and physical wellbeing in a negative way. Most often, stress starts off with the mind, branches off and affects your emotions, and if left uncontrolled will then begins to take its toll on your body.

Try to take some time off to reflect on what problems in your life stresses you out. You can write a diary and state all your problems there then try to analyze it one-by-one. If you can narrow the cause of your stress then you can easily find ways in getting rid of it. Talking with a close friend or a family member about your problems is also a great way to deal with it. Since stress is said to be bottled up emotions, you better find ways to release it before it blows up inside you, which is never pretty good.

Help yourself

Now that you found out how stress affects your life, all that you need to do is to get rid of it. Resorting to medications will only lead to temporary results, you need to choose a more permanent approach, and that is your mind. Stress usually rears its ugly head when we start to think about it. If we let your problems gain control over you then you will see the effects almost immediately.

You need to relax and face stress head on. Identify what causes it and find a solution to it. You may use music therapy to help you relax, or meditation to clear your mind for a fresh start.                                              Aromatherapy can also help in relaxing your mind. Certain scents like lavender and jasmine are proven to have a calming effect and can help you keep a clear head.

Start small

Problems are usually a prelude to stress. The more the problems pile up, the more stressed you will eventually become. If a certain problem comes into your life, whether career or personal, try to take care of it as soon as possible. Don’t let your work pile up or they may become too much to handle later on.

The secret to success in personal stress management is to identify the causes of stress in your life. Find a self-made routine that can help you deal with it and cope with future problems that will surely stress out.

What Stress Can Do To Your Body

Unknown to you but stress can actually do more damage to your body than you think. Most people take advantage of their body’s limit and push it to the extreme just to get the job done, thinking that their body will adapt to the stress they impose upon it.

The truth is that, our body has a certain capacity in which it can function, exceed that capacity and you will end up in the warm embrace of the hospital bed waiting for your body to recover. Stress can affect you in many ways – physical, mental and emotional functions are disrupted making you unable to function properly whether socially, personally or career work. Stress causes more harm than good to your general health.

Effects of stress on your body

There is a certain degree in which stress can affect your body. Headaches and body pain are part of the issues a stressed person will complain of. If left unchecked, this will lead to migraine and muscle tension that will eventually lead to stiffness.

Major changes will affect the biochemical functions of your body. This could be diarrhea, constipation, nausea and dizziness. You will find it hard to sleep at nights even if you feel week and needs rest. People usually resort to medications to counter this effect, but this will only give temporary remedy.

To those who suffer from a weak heart, most often they will complain of chest pains and rapid heartbeat – the usual signs and symptoms that will eventually lead to stroke or cardiac arrest.  Note however that different physical manifestations of stress can be seen for different people, it all depends on your body’s capacity.

Behavioral problems related to stress

Aside physical manifestations of stress on your body, behavioral changes may also be noticed while under the throes of stress. Changes in sleeping patterns, lack of sleep or inability to sleep during normal slumber hours is usually the initial reactions to stress. These are usually caused by heightened emotional and mental functions which is more of the negative than positive.

Self-pity and isolation is caused by the depressed mental state of the person when certain problems crop up in their everyday life. Irritability and anger will set in when the person is bereft of his or her natural ability to rationalize which is usually the case when stressed or being burdened by problems.

How to cope

There are different techniques that you can employ to avoid these manifestations of stress in your life. The first technique, and the most important one, is learning how to relax when stress pays you a visit. You can employ techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy, or music therapy to induce a state of relaxation to your mind. Once you have achieved this step, you can proceed on how to deal with stress that affects your body.

Since most of your physiological functions are unbalanced due to stress, you can start by pampering your body through various massages offered by health spas within your neighborhood. Loosen those tight muscles to relieve assorted aches and pains and increase your flexibility.

Physical exercise can also help develop cardiovascular functions and strengthen your heart to avoid stroke or rapid heart rate. You also need to keep a close look out on your diet, make sure you avoid taking in junk foods and fast foods that will elevate harmful chemicals in your body. Try to stick with fruits and vegetables and take in supplements to help rejuvenate your body.

Self-Improvement For Stress Management

Stress is a part of our daily life whether we like it or not. No matter how we try to get rid of it, it will always come back and haunt you every single day of your life. Stress can be expected as you go through your daily routine, or just suddenly come as a result of one issue or the other. 

Problems, big or small, can affect us emotionally, mentally and physically. Even if we keep smiling on the outside, stress usually troubles us from within. Leaving us in doubt, desperate, anxious, or even irritable if it gets out of control. The best way to deal with stress is to not let it get a hold in your life. You should control it before it even begins to grow and how well you succeed depends on you.

Body Self-Improvement Techniques

Taking care of your body is the initial step to self-improvement. We should be sensitive to what our body needs by knowing how stress affects us physically and how to adapt to it. Here are some techniques that you can use to improve your body and getting stress out of your system.

1. Give Your Body a Break. 

It is very important to know the limits of our body especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Our body can do so much and will deteriorate rapidly when we exceed our capacity. If you feel some aches and pains while working, then you better take some time off and relax before it turns to something serious.

2. Relax and Enjoy. 

To help your body relieve stress, you need to engage in some activities that will push it along the road to recovery. A massage is perfect for energizing your body while getting rid of those tight muscles that will eventually lead to pain and limit your body flexibility. Pamper yourself by visiting a health therapist at least once week, a few hours with professional hands can do wonders.

3. Exercise and Sweat It Out. 
Indulging in physical exercise is a great way to get rid of stress while keeping your body in top shape. Not many can allocate the time and effort for a physical exercise, but if you really want a stress free life then you better accommodate exercise into your daily activity. Daily 1 hour exercise can do wonders to your cardiovascular functions and keep your heart in proper working order.

Self-Improvement For a Stress Free Life

The tips above borders on the physical side of releasing stress, but your mind is still vulnerable to stress attacks. Physical exercise can provide an outlet for emotional problems like anxiety, fear and depression. But your mind is something else.

Before you can dispel any stress from your life, you need to improve your coping mechanism first, and it all starts in your mind. Even if we feel the physical and emotional backlash of the problems  we face, it will always start with how you think and how you devise ways in dealing with it.

Before you can apply the tips above, you have to condition your mind by focusing on the need to improve yourself in getting rid of stress.

Dangers Of Stress -The Symptoms You Can Look For

If you are under an enormous amount of pressure either from work, school or family life at home or all of the above plus anything else, then you really do need to know the dangers of stress and learn how to deal with it as soon as possible.

Increased levels of stress can cause serious health issues. You should look out for the following symptoms:

-          Headaches

-          Increased or abnormal heart rate

-          Tension in the shoulders and neck

-          Digestion problems

-          Problems like nausea, heartburn, constipation and/or diarrhea.

You may also realize that you get sick more often. This is caused by prolonged exposure to stressful situations which deplete your immune system and leave you with nothing to fight off even the most common germs that bombard us every single day.

Prolonged exposure to stressful situations can also lead to high blood pressure which can lead to heart attack and may also lead to stroke and sudden death.

If you have been under an increased amount of stress lately and have noticed any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

It is an established fact that stress and stressful situations are dangerous and bad to our health. We should look for ways to better manage and relieve stress to eliminate the possibility of it causing future health problems.

There are numerous techniques to reduce the amount of tension you feel in your life, which include but not limited to relaxing in a nice, hot bath or taking a walk.

Just being out in nature is said to be a huge stress reliever. If you have access to a nature preserve or a forest reserve, take the family on a nature walk, or go alone. Breathing the fresh air and watching the birds and animals all around you will make you feel a lot better. 

Other forms of exercise will benefit you, as well. Join a local gym and go work out all of your frustrations on the weight machines or treadmill. Do whatever you can to alleviate all the stressful situations in your life and you will not have to worry about the dangers of stress affecting your overall health in the long run.

Exiting Stress Relieving Activities That Works

Working requires long hours of concentration and total dedication. You may feel compelled to finish work to meet up with the deadline and meet client satisfaction. All these factors can be very stressful but they are inevitable since they motive people to strive harder and to achieve positive results faster.

Even at home stress is present. Your child may be failing in her studies, or you are getting late with your rent and bills. Thinking about all these can be very stressful. If you cannot prioritize what is important, you may be stressed every single day. Sometimes, you have no choice but to take yourself out from any stressful situation and take break away from everything. Engaging in the following activities can help in stress relief. 

Hobbies You Enjoy The Most

Hobbies and pastimes are very good stress relievers. You can take your mind away from problems by concentrating on things that are enjoyable and fun. There are several activities that you can enjoy depending on what suits you best.
If you are into singing, go out with your friends and enjoy sing-a-long and karaoke bars. Even singing inside your bathroom is not a bad idea. You can enjoy singing almost anywhere as long as you are not bothering anyone.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to hobbies. Other people like to tinker on things when they feel stressed. Find the things that you like doing the most and use it to keep yourself away from stress. Hobbies do not need long hours of attention and they can be done anywhere and are usually cheap.

Going Outdoors or Indoors

Sports are not only good for stress but also to your body. They require both physical and mental ability. If you feel that you need to break away from all your stressors, invite a friend or group of friends to have a friendly outdoor game. There are many activities that you can engage yourself into. There is basketball, volleyball, badminton, football etc, these are all team sports. All of these activities do not require long attention and is a sure way to change your focus. Sweating releases the tension in the body and provides a lasting relief.

There are also many indoor sports that you can try. Table tennis only takes up a small amount of space and can be played by many. Board games like Scrabble, word factory and bridge are also sports. The only difference is they require you to use your brain. Keep those brain cells alive by getting your hands on board games.

Take A Break

Long hours of work can get you stressed. Having a vacation and breaking yourself away from your work is very necessary. If you think you deserve the break, ask for a vacation leave and go to somewhere where there are things not related to your work. A change of scenery can keep you from getting all stressed up.

Vacations offer a lot of things that you can try. There is fishing, you can go to picnics, take casino trips, the zoo, rock climbing and even partying. You can take your vacation anywhere and they can always relieve you of your stress.

Take these necessary steps to relieve your stress and live happy and healthy there after.

Stress: Inevitable But Treatable

 

Lifestyle nowadays is very stressful. Stress nowadays is not only overwhelming but has posed a serious effect on people’s health. Almost everyone knows how it feels like to be stressed, stomachaches, headaches, and sweaty palms are all symptoms of this condition. These are normal body reactions to threats, changes in routines, or challenges. Chronic or prolonged stress caused by work, relationship problems, or financial concerns may hamper emotional balance and increase the risk of chronic illness. Ongoing stress may increase the chances of developing certain ailments. In addition, chronic stress may weaken the immune system and make it more susceptible to many forms of infections. Stress however, is an inevitable part of life and may cause one to be physically and emotionally drained. 

Here are additional signs that indicate that one might be stressed out:

- Feeling down, edgy, tired

- Laughing or crying without any cause or reason

- Blaming others for bad things that happened

- Wanting to be alone at all times /withdrawal

- Not being able to see the positive side of certain situations

- Not enjoying activities that he or she used to enjoy

- Getting angry at people or activities

- Feelings like he or she has too many things to do

Many stressed individuals try to self-medicate to get rid of stress. Some engage in other activities. However, most of them use the wrong method for stress relief. They tend to overeat, drink too much alcohol or coffee, or use illegal drugs. These habits may bring temporary relief but fail to alleviate stress in any meaningful way. In the long run individuals who engage in these activities only heighten physical and emotional stress.

Exercise and nutritious diets have been proved to be safe and effective ways to improve mental and physical health. Many medical studies point out that exercise, especially aerobic exercise like jogging, brisk walking, and jumping rope as one of the best methods for stress relief. This is possible because these activities promote the production of endogenous morphines or endorphins. These are substances produced by the brain that work as the body's natural pain-killers. It is said that endorphins are capable of elevating one's mood, self-esteem, and mental functioning. 

Exercise should be done properly and in moderation to achieve health improvements and wellness. Strength training like push-ups,  pull-ups, etc  coupled with 30 minutes of jogging or brisk walking can keep your body toned and improve metabolism. These regimens can be done with little or no equipment at all. Many health experts claim that the key to improved health is not intensity or using sophisticated equipments but continuous physical activity. Exercising properly can make one feel better, have more energy, and become less prone to stress. Before engaging in physical activities and making adjustments in food regimens, individuals are encouraged to seek the advice of health experts. They may prepare a workout routine that is recommended for individuals based on their specific health conditions and fitness goals and levels.

If exercise and diet adjustments do not work, stressed individuals may use medications for stress relief. However, before taking any medication they should consult a doctor to clarify drug interactions and side effects that may occur while under medication. Understanding stress is essential for treatment and improvements in one's health.