Every day you can meet many sources of stress: work, children, traffic jams, conflicts, lack of time. Stress (it can be physical and mental) is the reaction to our social environment, which is permanently changing. Some of these changes are not welcome by your mind and body. When stress is too much and it affects one deeply and/or negatively, we are talking about distress. If we deal with something positive, like physical or mental functions enhancement (for example, strength training), there is eustress. This story is about the first type of stress, distress, and how to manage stress.
Stress is a Norm
The modern world dictates, that stress is a normal part of our life. But it can lead to psychological and physical exhaustion. Such feelings as anxiety, depression, frustration, despair are all symptoms of stress. Headaches, conflicts, deceptions, irritations, hostility, bad sleep, heavy drinking, uncontrolled behavior – are they all a norm? And this is apart from the effect on appearance.
Stress at Work and Burnout
Chronic stress at work can lead to a burnout, which is emotional exhaustion, a continuous condition of diminished interest, cynicism, depersonalization. If you work really hard with too little recovery, you probably mention some disinterest in what is going on around you? You have less feelings, you react less emotionally to funny stories people tell you or terrible situations you experience. You appear hard-hearted and the first person it surprises is you.
Overcome Your Stress
So, it is time to do something with it, because a stressed body is unable to maintain normal functions. A stressed mind cannot perform all the duties, which are required of it in everyday life. If you are stressed, how do you work? Do you think you could do your best? Scientists believe, that stress increases breast cancer risk. I believe, that stress increases all risks including family scandal, coronary disease and job loss.
Tips for Stress Management
Modern life, especially megalopolis life requires much of modern women. And the main prize for it is stress. Learn how to cope with stress. Here are the main techniques of stress management:
- Meditation,
- Sex,
- Stress balls,
- Exercise,
- Conflict resolution,
- Cognitive therapy,
- Self-reflection,
- Autogenic training,
- Respiratory gymnastics,
- Relaxation,
- Time management.
In general the following steps are the most important in the stress management:
- Find your stressors and recognize your reaction to them.
- Chose reactions you would like to change or eliminate.
- Reduce the intensity of your emotional reaction to the stressors.
- Control your physical reaction to the stressors (for example, respiratory gymnastics helps to do it).
- Maintain your physical and emotional reserves (maintain good weight and have regular rest).
Tips for Stress Management at Work
Concerning chronic stress and its consequences for health, women belong to the high-risk group. That is why we should pay attention to and try to avoid stress at work.
ask your chef to provide you with clear job description and instructions;- manage your time properly, take a little more time for the task performance, than you really need;
- be sure to take little breaks, during which you just close your eyes for a few minutes and think of something pleasant, like seaside;
- do your work so that you feel proud you did this;
- take the full control of your task performance;
- be friendly with others;
- try to create the environment which would calm you, have a photo of your pet or a tiny soft toy at your work place;
- do not be afraid to say no, if someone asks you to do things you cannot cope with, or have no time for, or if it is just not your responsibility;
- minimize communication with people you do not like.
The most important thing here is to be able to relax. Yes, your stressful work is very important, yes, you need to earn, but if it affects your health, then NO. Some people work hard the first part of their life and make good money, but the other part of their life they spend this money on clinics, doctors and medicines. Please, do not let yourself become so. Do not be a workaholic.
Other Stress Management Tips
Improve your mood and manage stress by the following actions:
reward yourself for your little victories;- take an aroma bath;
- walk your dog or buy a mouse;
- try something new, like a new sport or sex in the balcony;
- travel, a little exotic is always good;
- go shopping;
- make a professional photo-session with yourself;
- go to a date, your partner may be even your husband;
- buy something for your home, like new wine glasses or furnishing.
Chewing Gum Reduces Stress
In conclusion there is a tip you could follow right now – take a gum. Regular chewing of chewing gum helps overcome stressing. Chewing gums are included to a basal ration of the US Army. Further, during the Second World War the gum consumption was six time more than that at the peacetime.
This is normal, if we sometimes experience stress. If you know how to manage stress and follow these tips, you are armed against conflicts, diseases and burnouts.
