Stress Management

Introduction

It is important to know how to manage stress. Stress comes in when pressure in the mind more than it can comprehend. Stress may involve physical effects because the body releases hormones in response to anxiousness. The short-term effects of stress may include headaches, fatigue, behavioral changes, and the releases the Fight or flight hormone. Long-term effects of stress include ulcers, weight loss, and stomach upsets, reduced sex drive, chest pain among others. No matter how sad or bad the situation may be, there is always a way out. Thus, it is important to learn how to control stress. People should know the best method of managing stress that works for them.

Advantages of Managing stress

Managing stress can help one to lead a comfortable life. Stress brings discomfort as one is anxious about what will happen. Stress takes away happiness and makes one be sad and mood-less. They cannot be comfortable and cannot enjoy doing what makes them happy. According to medical research, stress can cause diseases especially when one is stressed for a long time. Common diseases associated with stress include ulcers and muscle aches. When one learns how to manage stress, they can lead a disease-free life. The skills make the life more comfortable irrespective of the situation they may be in. This paper will discuss various methods of managing stress.

1. Identify the cause of Stress

This is the first step of stress management. It is important to find out the source stress so that you can be able to know what exactly is affecting you (Biegel, 2017). There are many sources of stress among different people. This includes the type of job they do, workmates, friends, marriage partners, diseases among many others. One should be able to know what makes them sad and uncomfortable. One should be able to tell for how long a particular situation makes them uncomfortable. If it is a disease, one may be required to start medication immediately. If it is fiends are the cause of stress, one may be required to change them. One may also be required to address things that do not please them in case stress is coming from a workmate or a marriage partner. Identifying the causes of stress is a good start towards learning to manage stress.

2. Find the best coping strategy and avoid the ill ones

After identifying the sources of stress, one should come up with the best strategies to handle that situation. It is good for one to consider politeness when addressing the issue. There are people who after finding out the cause of stress do not prefer to address the situation and instead use ill methods of handling the situation example becoming drunkards. One should consider good methods and healthy methods of addressing the issue because some of the measures that many people immediately employ cannot better the situation or it may make the situations worst. Smoking, over drinking, oversleeping and drug use in most cases do not work out.

3. Try the 3 A's Stress Management Technique

The 3 A's include avoids, alter, accept and adapt. It involves avoiding what gives one stress. This can be made possible by setting principles that one should strictly follow. One should learn to say no'things that in turn will bring stress to them (Bryan & Mancini, 2016). This may require one to overcome peer pressures that require them to behave in a certain way. It also involves avoiding people and workmates that stress you. This can be a good strategy to ensure you do not get annoyed and stressed at the end. You also require one to come up with a list of does and don'ts. Altering the situation to be the way you like to be can also be a good way of dealing with stress. One may be required to speak out what makes them uncomfortable.

This strategy may require one may be required to adapt to the stressor. There are some instances where one is required to swallow their pride and put up in a certain situation. This includes finding ways to survive if the people stressing you have to face them daily in case it is your workmates. One cannot change his or her boss and have to take orders from them. One may also be required to accept some situations like diseases. When one loses their loved one, there is no much that they can do but to accept and move on. This also entails forgiving for the wrongs things that have been done against them. In most cases, they may need a close person to share their feelings and worries with.

4. Keep Moving

One may be required to do some exercises as a form of distraction before they can handle the issue stressing them. One may be required to take a walk, listen to music, play the game as a form of distraction. One may be required to use stairs instead of the elevator to reduce the time the thinking time. One may also have a chat with their friend on the different issue to be less anxious.

5. Connect with others

This involves sharing the situation with different people that may be undergoing the same situation as you. This makes one feel that they are not alone and the situation they are going through is normal and experienced by other people (Keena & Stanley, 2014). A pregnant woman may need to share with other women of their experiences. This makes one feel ease, and in turn, their stress reduces. When one is stressed, it is a good idea to share with friends.

6. Create time for leisure

Leisure time is critical and can help to reduce the pressures from work. One should ensure that they create free time to relax and focus on the thing that makes them happy. Leisure is important, and it gives one a rest from the daily work stresses. Weekends are the best time when you are not too busy. According to research a change of activity may be as important as a rest. One may join his friends on the pitch to play soccer or any other game that makes them happy. For those that love music, this can be the best time to listen to their music as they relax.

7. Manage time well

Poor time management can also be a source of stress. One may be required to come up with a schedule to help them manage their time well. Poor time management may make someone to be mixed up and do poor quality. It is always important to do the first things first to avoid working with deadlines. For students, it is also good to do the urgent assignments first to avoid stress. Failure to plan and organize time well can be a source of stress. A good time management helps to reduce quarrels with the bosses and teachers due to late submission of work. When one can manage their time well, they can enjoy working because they are not pushed by their bosses and teachers. One may get enough time to do a particular task well, and thus there is a high chance that the work they do will be satisfactory.

8. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

It is important to lead a healthy lifestyle to be able to have a stress free life. It is good to be organized and do the right thing at the right time. Enough sleep helps one to be able to work well and easily comprehend the tasks they are doing. One should reduce intake of alcohol especially during the weekdays so that they can be able to concentrate the work they are doing. It is also important to avoid using stimulants because their high mood is short lived.

Conclusion

Stress is common to human beings, and everyone goes through stress at various stages of their life. The level of stress differs with the situation in which people are in. It is good to learn stress management tactics to be able to overcome stress whenever we are stressed. Different tactics work with different people thus it is important to find the best methods for you. The 4 A's have been found helpful to many people and is one of the best ways to manage stress.

References

Biegel, G. M. (2017). The stress reduction workbook for teens: Mindfulness skills to help you deal with stress. New Harbinger Publications.

Boss, P., Bryant, C. M., & Mancini, J. A. (2016). Family stress management: A contextual approach. Sage Publications.

Chawla, L., Keena, K., Pevec, I., & Stanley, E. (2014). Green schoolyards as havens from stress and resources for resilience in childhood and adolescence. Health & place, 28, 1-13.

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