Oh..My God I don’t know how can I overcome this Problem …told my friend Sahana..She is frequently telling me that she is unable to concentrate on studies, any work, and she is not interested in anything. Moreover she missed her sound sleep. At that time as a friend I consoled her by saying that all is well when you stop worrying about your future. Further I keep on telling her that Sahana lives in the Present. Unnecessarily don’t be afraid of happenings in future.
As Swami Sukhbodhananda said
“PAST is a Misery,
FUTURE is a Mystery,
PRESENT is a GIFT,
That is why we call it as a PRESENT”
Of course…I started to energise my friend through positive talks, by sowing the seeds of positive thoughts and only positivity. I gave my time, I used to give food prepared by me, I used to share only happy moments and I was an ear to her pain and sorrows. Some individuals are mild – they can’t face difficulties. Some others are daring enough. So, how we tackle the situations, how we respond to happenings in our daily life matters a lot.
Everyone, adults, teens, and even children, experiences stress. Stress is a reaction to a situation where a person feels threatened or anxious. Stress can be positive (e.g. preparing for a wedding) or negative (e.g. dealing with a natural disaster). Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the right care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms.
After a traumatic event, people may have strong and lingering reactions. These events may include personal or environmental disasters, or threats with an assault. The symptoms may be physical or emotional. Common reactions to a stressful event can include:
- disbelief, shock, and numbness
- feeling sad, frustrated, and helpless
- difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- headaches, back pains, and stomach problems
- smoking or use of alcohol or drugs
Types of stress
- Acute stress. Acute stress is the most common type of stress.
- Episodic acute stress. When acute stress happens frequently, it’s called episodic acute stress.
- Chronic stress. If acute stress isn’t resolved and begins to increase or lasts for long periods of time, it becomes chronic stress.
Why is it so important to manage stress?
If you’re living with high levels of stress, your well-being is disturbed. You lose health balance as well as healthy balance. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your physical health. It lowers your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.
Here are some healthy ways you can deal with stress:
Feeling emotional and nervous or having trouble sleeping and eating can all be normal reactions to stress. Here are some healthy ways you can deal with stress:
- Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, well-balanced, nutritious food.
- Talk to others. Share your problems and how you are feeling and coping with a parent, friend or anyone who is caring about you, close to your heart, counsellor, doctor etc
- Avoid drugs and alcohol.
- Take a break from listening or watching the news.
- Go for a walk, play sports or get involved in some hobbies.
Helping Youth Cope with Stress
Children and adolescents often struggle with how to cope with stress. Youth can be particularly overwhelmed when their stress is connected to a traumatic event—like a natural disaster, family loss, school shootings, or community violence. Parents and educators can take steps to provide stability and support that help young people feel better.
Effects of Too Much Stress
“If constantly under stress, most of us will eventually start to function less well,” says Malaika Stoll, M.D., chief medical officer of Sutter Select. Multiple studies link chronic stress to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, weight gain, memory loss and even premature death, so “it’s important to recognize the warning signals,” she says.
Consult your doctor to cope with stress if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Prolonged periods of poor sleep
- Regular, severe headaches
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Feelings of isolation, withdrawal or worthlessness
- Constant anger and irritability
- Loss of interest in activities
- Constant worrying or obsessive thinking
- Excessive alcohol or drug use
- Inability to concentrate
10 Ways to Cope with Chronic Stress
We should not forget to close our eyes and have to take a deep breath when we feel tensed.”It’s key to recognize stressful situations as they occur because it allows you to focus on managing how you react.
Use these tips to prevent or reduce chronic stress.
1. Work – Life Balance:
Try to balance office work, profession or your business and your “me time”. For everyone, me time is essential. Me time is for your enjoyment. You may spend that time for your hobby, fun, either alone or with others.
2. Regular Exercise:
Regular exercise or some work out will improve your health and it increases blood circulation, helping to flush out stress hormones. Even a daily 20-minute walk makes you feel better.
3. Eat Healthy Food, Limit Alcohol:
Eat balanced food with veggies and avoid processed foods and sugar, and drink more water. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine may temporarily relieve stress but have negative health impacts and can make stress worse in the long run.
4. Get connected with Supportive People:
Talking face to face with another person releases hormones that reduce stress.
5. Engage yourself:
Engage yourself in activities which you like most for eg: gardening, singing, listening to music, playing instruments etc. Engage in activities that bring you pleasure and joy; research shows that reduce stress by almost half and lower your heart rate, too.
6. Practice Meditation, Yoga:
Relaxation techniques activate a state of restfulness that counterbalances your body’s fight-or-flight hormones. Consider taking a mindfulness-based stress reduction course to learn effective, lasting tools. Daily practice of meditation and yoga for an hour also gives good results.
7. Sleep Well:
At least 7 – 8 hours of good sleep keeps you healthy, feel fresh and active. If you are not getting good sleep. At an initial point of time can practice pranayam, meditation or exercise .If it does not yield any positive result, it is better to consult a medical practitioner.
8. Bond with Your Pet:
Clinical studies show that spending even a short time with a companion animal can cut anxiety levels almost in half. So, this can be tried if you are a pet lover.
9. Take a Vacation:
Getting away from your routine can reset your stress tolerance by increasing your mental and emotional outlook, which makes you a happier, more productive person upon return. Leave your electronic gadgets such as cell phones and laptops at home! If possible!!
10. See a Counsellor, Coach or Therapist:
If negative thoughts overwhelm your ability to make positive changes, it’s the high time to seek professional help. Make an appointment today—your health and life are worth it.
Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. So, manage your time with very well planning. Below mentioned are some of the tips to achieve a healthier work-life balance.
- Don’t over – commit yourself
- Prioritize tasks
- Break projects into small steps
- Delegate responsibility
The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun. So, try to avoid stress if not possible, you have to minimise the level of stress in order to lead a happy and peaceful life.
