http://9jaflave..com/2013/09/health-series-1-managing-stress.html

What is Stress?
Stress has been described as the silent killer of modern man. What some consider as stress may not be so to others. Stress is not a disease in itself; but could make you susceptible to disease.

Stress is any situation that makes a person or a group of people to be ill-at-ease or to feel uncomfortable- physically, mentally, emotionally, socially- and with potentially adverse consequences.

Stress is a double edged-sword. Non-exposure to stress would make us incapable of dealing with the hassles of daily living when suddenly faced with a situation. On the other hand, continuous exposure to high stress wears down resistance and the ability to cope.

How much stress is too much?
That is a personal issue. We have varying coping abilities. This could be affected by age, gender, race, culture, heredity, health, fitness, personality (type A), past experiences, expectations, emotional support, etc.


Sources of Stress

Daily events
Studies have shown that much of the stress in our lives which predispose us to illness can be traced to daily events pertaining to our jobs, personal relationships, and everyday living circumstances.
This includes: living in a hostile environment, family problems, a noisy neighbourhood, commuting to work in heavy traffic, disliking one’s fellow workers, financial troubles (indebtedness, stock market crash) and, the insecurity of life and property.

Major life changes
This includes death of a spouse or family member, divorce, imprisonment, losing one’s job, and major personal disability or illness.
Also, positive events which place high demands on us or force us to adjust can be stressful. This includes getting married, buying a house, getting a degree, a new job or receiving a promotion.

Catastrophes
These are life threatening disasters, such as natural disasters (e.g. fire, earthquake, flood, hurricane), war, torture, road-traffic accident, violent physical attack and sexual assault.

Catastrophes often continue to affect their victims’ mental health long after the event has ended e.g. psychological trauma of rape or war. This could lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder in which the trauma is re-experienced at full emotional intensity through flashbacks and nightmares. People with PTSD often report a general feeling of emotional numbness, experience increased anxiety and vigilance, and avoid reminders of the trauma.

Common internal causes of stress- include the inability to accept uncertainty, pessimism, low self-esteem, unrealistic expectation and perfectionism; also, the type-A personality (highly motivated, with a strong zeal to achieve).

Health problems caused or worsened by stress include:
Pain- back pain, stiff neck, headache
Hypertension
Heart disease
Digestive problems- constipation, enteritis
Ulcers
Depression
Wasting or excessive weight loss
Obesity
Immune suppression
Skin conditions, such as eczema, acne
Some cancer cases
Sleep disorder


Burnout
This is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet life’s demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose interest or motivation at your role.

Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

In many cases, burnout stems from the job and anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout.


Stress management

This is everything we do to reduce, prevent and cope with perceived stress. The basic principle of stress management is the realization that you are in control of your life. This entails taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment, and the way you deal with problems.

Process of stress management

1. Identify the sources of stress:
This may not be obvious or clear-cut. It may be the interplay of internal and external sources of stress. For example, poor time management could present as excessive workload.

2. Examine your methods of coping with stress:
Are your methods of coping with stress healthy or unhealthy, helpful or counter-productive?
Unhealthy methods include- smoking, excessive alcohol, dependence on sedative drugs or sleeping pills, over-eating or under-eating, procrastination, over-sleeping, escapism (TV, computer, gambling), social withdrawal, transferred aggression (verbal, physical)

3. Stress Management Strategy (SMS)- Apply the 4 ‘A’s:

Avoid the stressor

Alter the stressor

Adapt to the stressor

Accept the stressor


Avoid unnecessary stress

Note that, not all stress can be avoided and some issues need to be tackled.

Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them; either in your personal or professional life. Do not make promises you cannot keep. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.

Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic gets you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online or send someone.

Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.


Alter the situation

If you cannot avoid unnecessary stress, you may have to alter it, by changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily activities.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up- If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.

Be willing to compromise- When you ask someone to change their behaviour, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you will have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.

Be proactive- Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Take initiative. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you have an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.

Manage your time better- Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. Plan ahead; analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. Drop tasks that are not truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.



Adapt to the stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, you can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Optimize the situation- Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some time alone.

Look at the big picture- Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Review your standards- Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

Self-appreciation- When stress is getting you down; take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.


Accept the things you cannot change

Some sources of stress must be accepted as they are e.g. the death of a loved one or the capital market crash.

Don’t try to control the uncontrollable- Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behaviour of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Learn from every situation- As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

Share your feelings- Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

Learn to forgive- Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.


4. Make time for fun and relaxation

This helps you to let off steam and puts you in a better position to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come. Nurturing yourself is a necessity not a luxury.


Set aside relaxation time- Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.

Connect with others- Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.

Do something you enjoy every day- Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy- stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

Keep your sense of humor- This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.


5. Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Improving your physical health helps build resistance and raise your threshold for stress.


Exercise regularly- Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.

Eat a healthy diet- Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.

Reduce caffeine and sugar- The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you will feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.

Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs- Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.

Get enough sleep- Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Source: 9jaFlave Health Advisory

http://9jaflave..com/2013/09/health-series-1-managing-stress.html

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