Managing Stress

Stress can be damaging--Different effects of too much Stress:

Normal amount of stress is good that is called U-Stress, which is helpful to arouse positive changes in human body to produce adequate amount of adrenaline in body to foster it to work hard and achieve some certain goals. But continuous stress can have adverse effects. The effects of stress on human health are trifold; stress affects physically, mentally and emotionally;

1. Physically: Stress has many physical impacts on human body like the heart pumps faster, causing blood pressure rise. Some people experience palpitations. Muscle tensions increases, leading to headaches, dizziness, jaw ache and even insomnia. Digestion slows causing “butterflies” in the stomach. Breathing is faster and less efficient which can lead to over-breathing (hyperventilation) and breathlessness. Fatigue, tiredness and lethargy can be associated troubles. Changes in the flow of blood to the skin can cause sweating, blushing or clammy hands and feet.
2. Mentally: A certain amount of stress can be mentally stimulating but too much can affect our thinking ability. The thought process can be jumbled up and confused, thinking becomes focused on worrying. You may become preoccupied with problems and worries and can feel state of indecisiveness. It becomes much harder to make decisions or find solutions to problems. Thinking negatively and fearing the worst upsurges tension and anxiety.
3. Emotionally: People respond to stress in many different ways. Common emotional effects are irritability, impatience, anger, frustration, fear, anxiety, self-doubt, panic, despondency, feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, hopelessness, unhappiness, emotional withdrawal and depression.

Managing Stress:

Think Positive: Positive mindedness is your key to success. Take control of your stress and anxiety by learning effective techniques to combat it. Relaxing bodily tension in order to reduce the physical sensations of stress is a good technique to start. If your body is free of tension, your mind tends to be relaxed. This helps you concentrate and study, take decisions and solve problems. When you are relaxed, you can view each task as a positive challenge, and use stress as a stimulus to help you carry it out, giving you a relaxing glow of achievement afterwards.

Look after Yourself: Be kind to yourself. Give yourself “me time” in which you can choose what you want to do. Take proper rest. Try a relaxation technique, massage or yoga, aerobics. Have a long hot bath. Spend time with friends. Eat healthy and dine out at your favorite place. Drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself. Go out for a walk in fresh air into the woods or on the hills, sea-side or any beautiful open place, Take break from work and enjoy leisure time to combat stress.

Confront The Problem: Try to stand back and look at the problem carefully. Write down your strengths and weaknesses on paper then jot down the solutions. Break it down into manageable parts. Talk it through with someone else to whom you trust, brainstorm the right solutions, or get help if you need it. Avoidance will not remove the problem and can often make it even worse. Leaving everything to the last minute is a major source of stress to students. Think about why you are finding it hard to get started – uncertainty about how to do the assignment, fear of being critically evaluated, or fear of failing? Starting a piece of work effectively reduces stress levels as it frees your mind, putting the thoughts of failure back into perspective.

Be Socially Connected: Good social connections are mandatory, self-isolation can be very harmful. Sometimes socialization can lead to some misunderstandings with some specific person, resolving these issues are very important for a healthy social life, you can consult your counsellor or some confidant, trustworthy person to express your feelings, regain a sense of proportion and identify a way of resolving differences.

Find Some Distraction, Plan Excursion: Sports and physical activity helps you to relax physically and also releases endorphins in the body which produce a real feeling of well being. Walk, cycle, swim, join the Sports center, or a sports team. Joining a club or society, maintaining an existing hobby or learning something new, talking to other people – can all help you to take a mental and physical break.

Express Yourself: Talk about it, write about it, jot down the things on paper. Expressing your feelings can help to relieve stress. Acknowledging a problem to yourself and others can be the first step in dealing with it. Sometimes having a good cry can release emotional pressure and calm your feelings of anxiety. Do meditate, connect with Allah, make Duas and keep up your hope.

Reducing Stress by Deep Breathing: Indeed, a wonderful stress-coping technique used by experts the world over, sometimes you are stressed only because your lungs and brain are not getting enough Oxygen. Take deep breaths for 8-12 times a minute, practice it until it becomes a habit, it will reduce unnecessary physical tension and stress.