Did you know, that when you’re stressed out your body reacts in a certain way(stress response)?

This is what happens to your body, breathing becomes faster and deeper. Not only that, but also your pulse races hands sweat and muscles become tense and tighten to prepare the body for action.

An example of the effect of stress on your body can be, throat muscles contracting making swallowing difficult. In the same way, the pupils dilate and other body functions are suspended to conserve energy.

All these changes happen when we are faced with something we perceive to be a stressor. Once the stressor has been dealt with, the body returns to normalcy.

However, in case the stressor is not dealt with, the body continues to work on a stimulated level. After some time, the body becomes exhausted and more susceptible to illness and accidents.

While this may be true that some stressors are good, because they boost productivity, on the other hand at times your body might not be able to distinguish between positive and negative stress.

 As a result of the above, this can compromise your way of thinking and affects how you feel and what you do (actions), the sad reality of life is that stress is inevitable.

You may not be able to control some of the stressors, however, you can control the effect of stress by not allowing them to take charge of your happiness.

The word stress can be defined in many ways and it can mean different things to different people.  To some people, for instance, it can mean an event that causes tension.

Whereas to others, stress can be defined as the body and mind’s reaction to everyday demands. Stress requires the body to adjust so it can return to a normal state.

There are two kinds of stress, that can be experienced by every human being.

1.  Distress– this is a type of stress which is negative. This can happen when you’re having too much stress/ experiencing a distressful situation not knowing how to cope.
2. Eustress – it is a positive stress which can help you achieve your goals and boost productivity.  Such as waking up early to go to school or your place of work on time.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE STRESS AND WHAT IS STRESS?

There are various reasons why some people respond to stressors differently. This is because some people break down quickly while others’ endurance is seemingly endless for some time.

Among the contributing factors could be the person’s age, social status, income state of health diet sleep habits, cultural background, and previous experiences.

A stressor is anything/stimulus that triggers a human being to produce a stress response/ respond physically and psychologically. It can be people, objects places, or events.

Many illnesses and conditions have been linked to stress. A tired feeling lowers the level of your energy and your level of activity. This affects your ability to successfully manage stress and the general feeling of well-being.

Remember fatigue is your body’s way of warning you that all is not well, you risk further health problems by merely covering up the symptoms.

Here are some of the unhealthy ways you could be used to deal with stressful situations

At times everyone uses some form/sort of defensive mechanisms, which are psychologically automatic as strategies to deal with stressful situations.

The following are some of the psychological defense that is commonly used by different people while under distress: Which one applies to you?

1. Denial, is a psychological defence which is automatic and can also be defined as the refusal to accept reality.
2. Projection – an attempt to protect your self-esteem by blaming unpleasant feelings and actions on others.
3. Repression, this is deliberately blocking your thoughts about unpleasant things, or forgetting on purpose.
4. Displacement, expressing feelings towards someone or something associated with the source of the feelings.
5. Rationalization, is an attempt to justify your actions with an excuse rather than admitting failure or mistake.                                                                                                                                                Note, Defense mechanisms can contribute to emotional health by providing relief from anxiety and, helping someone cope with the stressors. However, too much dependence on them.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON YOUR OVERALL STATE OF WELL-BEING?

Stress can hurt your health, and situations cause anxiety, apart from this frustrations and tension can also trigger the development of physical ailments which can be referred to as psychosomatic.

This is an illness that involves both the mind and body connection. It is also a term that can be used to describe illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension asthma, ulcers, addiction, and migraine headaches are related to stress.

Stress is reported to be one of the contributing factors to the above-stated illnesses. Nevertheless, it is hard to identify as the sole contributor to all of the illnesses.

There is increasing research and scientific evidence that points out that emotions cause physical reactions. If not well managed, overtime may be damaging to the body.

Importantly to note, statistics show that 90 per cent of illnesses are psychologically related. Stress can have more than just a physical effect on your body. Stress has been linked to accidents alcoholism and injuries.

If you feel helpless or stressed out, you may not think clearly as usual. This might make you take more risks and be less careful with your health.

Therefore, when you feel stressed up, you may not feel like being with others or may be impatient with friends and family. In addition, to the above,  if these effects of stress continue over time your relationships might suffer.

Remember, don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. For this reason, nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle, you can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health

If You are Feeling Down or Blue and Wondering What To Do to Cope and Maintain Perspective. Here are Useful Tips That You Can Use To Manage Daily Living Stress.

• Identify your sources of stress, and examine your method of coping.
• Make conscious choices that help you to control the amount of stress you may experience
• Planning is a major key to managing stress effectively, people who handle stress plan well. Create a to-do list.
• Rechannel your energy, transferring it in another way to manage stress. If you find that a situation or an activity is causing you to become tense, you might transfer your energy to other activities for example walking or just taking a break.
• Accept the inevitable and keep an open mind.
• Develop and use coping mechanisms and relaxation techniques that you can use to diffuse intrusive thoughts that build up excess stress.
• Practice time management skills, time is a major factor in relieving stress. People who manage their time well.
• Learn to anticipate the unexpected. Have realistic expectations!
• Try writing down all of your feelings in a journal, and keep a record of stressful situations at home school or work and how you and others responded to those situations.
• Building a strong support system is perhaps one of the most effective/strategies for managing stress.
• Setting priorities, doing one thing at a time, and trying to do many things at one time is not good way of reducing stress. Be aware of your needs anxieties and goals
• Self-care – take care of basics eat healthy, exercise regularly and have enough sleep. Practising good health habits daily helps you cope with stress.
• Laughing, another way to deal with stress is to laugh, it helps to help to relieve stress. By laughing you release stress that builds up when things go wrong.
• Seek therapy /help from a professional counsellor.
• Remember that everyone has a bad time and feels depressed now and then.
• Remind yourself that you are not alone
•  Tell yourself that this too shall pass
• Avoid indulging in mind and mood-altering substances for short-term relief such as alcohol and other drugs even if caffeine aggravates your problem.
• You more than anyone else, control the way you feel. Change the way you think about yourself and the situation you are in.
• When you don’t want to do something or have much to do, know when it is appropriate to say no. Be assertive
• It isn’t what happens to you that counts as much as how you view what happens to you.
• Last but not least, learn to make healthy decisions/choices that can help you do the tasks you must do to achieve goals. “SMART GOALS”

Conclusion

All of us manage stress either in a healthful or unhealthful way. How you respond to a stressor might affect your physical, mental and social health.

Your response to a stressor depends on how much control you think you’ve over a situation. Not all stress is bad. A certain amount of stress is necessary for life.

Moderate amounts of stress can help boost your productivity. However, should you feel like you are helpless, and that stress is overwhelming you Take action and seek immediate help.

Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems.

The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head-on.

Finally, what are some of the stressors you face during your day and, how would you tell when the stressor is positive or negative?

If you are wondering how you can overcome a stressful situation that is draining your energy and you do not know how to cope with it.

We can help Call us today!

Author: Samuel Mburu,

Senior Accredited Counsellor