Stress is a physical and psychological response to the pressures of everyday living. According to an expert stress is “wear and tear”. Our body experiences as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effect on us and can generate positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help oblige us to action; it can result in a new awareness and thrilling new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feeling of distrust, rejection, anger and depression etc, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure and stroke etc.
Normally we think that stress is caused by the external events and the dynamics of the environment. But we need to emphasis the fact that the Stress is caused by our reaction to the external environment. The manner in which we perceive and comprehend the changes or the particular event creates same event can bring happiness and cause Stress in two different people depending upon how they react to it.
We cannot escape stress but we can learn to cope with stress, so that it makes our lives interesting without overwhelming us.
Types of Stress (Hans Selye)
1. Negative Stress or Distress – (Stems from acute anxiety or pressure and can take a harsh toll on the mind or body). Stress becomes negative when we say “gear up” and won’t or can’t – relax after meeting the challenge. In today’s world, where many situations can push our buttons, it is no wonder some people think of stress as a way of life. Unfortunately, when stress becomes constant ongoing cycle, health and well-being can suffer. Negative stress has been linked with many physical ailments – from tension headaches to heart attacks.
2. Positive Stress or Estress – (Result from the striving and challenges that are the spice of life). In its positive aspect, stress helps us to concentrate, focus, and performs, and can often help us to reach peak efficiency. Many people, in fact, do their best work when under pressure. Then, when the challenge has been met, they take the time to relax and enjoy their achievements. This relaxation response allows them to build up the physical and emotional reserves to meet the next challenge. It is one of the key elements of positive stress.
Positive stress adds anticipation and enthusiasm to life, and we all flourish under a certain amount of stress. Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, frustrations and sorrows add depth and enrichment to our lives. Our goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it and how to use it to help us.
Some sources of Stress
1. Conflicts situations
2. Life changes
3. Work
4. Every day chores
Reactions to stress: There is a wide variety of stress reactions and their effects range from beneficial to harmful.
a. Psychological Reactions
o Short term reactions may be emotional or cognitive like anxiety (worry, nervousness unease) and difficulty in thinking or concentration.
o Long term reaction may affect mental health; contribute to the severity of mental illness.
b. Behavioral Reactions
o Short term – Nervous habits like trembling, smoke or drink more, escapism.
o Long term – Alcoholism, chronic employment.
c. Physical Reaction – Health problems like ulcer, migraine headache.
Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of its effect on our lives is not adequate for reducing its harmful effects. Just as there are many sources of stress, there are many possibilities for its management. However, all require work toward change: changing the source of stress and or changing your reaction to it. Effective time management is just one of many ways to keep from succumbing to stress overload.
Here are some points of stress management that we might want to experiment with to see what works best for our particular situation.
1. Associate with people whom you enjoy and who support you.
2. Learn and practice relaxation or meditation skills.
3. Engage in a vigorous physical exercise that is convenient and pleasurable. Sometimes it helps to get a friend to exercise with you.
4. Don't let one thing dominate you, such as school work, relationships, jobs, sports, etc.
5. View life as challenges to seek, not obstacles to avoid.
6. Take responsibility for your life and your feelings, but never blame yourself.
7. Maintain a reasonable diet and sane sleep habits.
8. Avoid the use of sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and other drugs to control stress.
9. Protect your personal freedoms and space. Do what you want and feel, but respect the rights of others. Don't tell others what to do, but if they intrude, let them know.
10. Find a time and place each day where you can have complete privacy. Take time off from others and pressures. Short time-outs during the day can help improve efficient functioning the rest of the day.
11. Don't drift along in troublesome and stressful situations or relationships. Take action to change rather than trying to avoid the problem. Taking chances is the key to emotional well-being.
12. Surround yourself with cues from positive thoughts and relaxation.
13. Review your obligations from time to time and make sure they are still good for you. If they're not, let them go.
14. Open yourself to new experiences. Try new things, new foods, and new places.
15. When worries start to build up, talk to someone.
It is imperative that stress is not necessarily “BAD”. We can learn to cope if we try. Albert Ellis (1978) sums up perhaps the most positive way to deal with stress as follow..
“I feel determined to strive to use whatever power I have to change the unpleasant stresses of life that I can change, to dislike but realistically accept those that I cannot change and to have the wisdom to know the difference between the two”.
N. Longshio Yanthan
Reference: Internet and Shalom Rehabilitation Centre
