Show May 8th, 2017In this blog we will discuss stress, its causes, impact and some strategies for managing stress effectively. Managing stressStress is a normal part of life and nobody is immune to stressful situations and stress. Even if you could, you would not want to get rid of it altogether as we all need a certain amount of stress to energise and motivate us to take action. However, stress can become a problem when it is overwhelming and we’re exposed to it for a prolonged period of time. Coping with stress effectively is all about finding a balance and keeping it at manageable levels. What causes stress?As a means of survival, humans have evolved down through the ages in a way that they can recognise and react to any external threats posed to them. The fight-or-flight response, or acute stress response, is a reaction that occurs in response to a perceived threat to survival. Essentially, when we feel we are in danger, our mind tells our body to get ready to fight, flee or freeze. In the modern world, this can happen when we feel overwhelmed by what is being asked of us and feel under-resourced for coping with these demands. We can perceive this as being a threat to our physical or psychological well-being. Symptoms of stressPeople experience stress in lots of different ways and below is a list of just some of the symptoms you may experience when dealing with stress:
Learning more effective ways to manage stressWhen feeling stressed a natural, human reaction is to try to cope by doing things such as avoiding situations, worrying excessively, smoking and/or drinking too much, overeating or under eating. Unfortunately, while these strategies can give some short-term relief from stress or illusion of the same, they tend to make matters worse in the longer term. There are other strategies that can be more helpful, both in the short-term, and especially not cause more problems than they solve in the short-term. Since every individual has a unique response to stress there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing it. Below are our top tips for managing stress:
Some stress just can’t be ignored, and it’s never a good idea to avoid an issue that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
2. Change the situation or change your reaction to it
This point all comes down to the very foundation of stress management which is all about taking control of your situation. When trying to cope with stress it is helpful to take a step back and ask yourself can I either
and if I cannot make changes to improve my situation can I
3. Alter the situationIf you cannot limit stress of a particular situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things to reduce stress in your current situation & also to ensure the problem doesn’t present itself in the future.
4. Change Your Attitude
If it’s not possible to change the situation try changing how you approach it. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by altering your expectations and attitude.
5. Accept the things you cannot change
Some sources of stress are unavoidable and cannot be changed. In these cases the following strategies can be helpful:
So, the next time you are experiencing stress take a step back, assess the cause to see whether the situation is within your control or not. Then you will be able to choose an appropriate coping strategy whether that be changing the situation or changing your reaction to it. If you feel you need more help in terms of managing your stress and mental health there are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) courses out there which can help with this such as our own CBT programmes To find out more drop us an email. Which is the best method for stress management?10 Tips to Manage Stress. 1.Exercise.. 2.Relax Your Muscles.. 3.Deep Breathing.. 4.Eat Well.. 5.Slow Down.. 6.Take a Break.. 7.Make Time for Hobbies.. 8.Talk About Your Problems.. What are the 5 stress management techniques?5 tips to manage stress. Use guided meditation. Guided meditation is a great way to distract yourself from the stress of day-to-day life. ... . Practice deep breathing. ... . Maintain physical exercise and good nutrition. ... . Manage social media time. ... . Connect with others.. What is an effective method to manage stress and its effects?Try relaxation techniques
Relaxation techniques such as guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation can lower stress. These techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of your nervous system responsible for the relaxation response.
What stress management strategy are you employing when you try to view a stressful situation from a more positive perspective?Reframe problems - Try to view stressful situations from a different perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to relax and enjoy some alone time. Look at the bigger picture - Take perspective of the stressful situation.
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