Dangers Of Stress -The Symptoms You Can Look For

If you are under an enormous amount of pressure either from work, school or family life at home or all of the above plus anything else, then you really do need to know the dangers of stress and learn how to deal with it as soon as possible.

Increased levels of stress can cause serious health issues. You should look out for the following symptoms:

-          Headaches

-          Increased or abnormal heart rate

-          Tension in the shoulders and neck

-          Digestion problems

-          Problems like nausea, heartburn, constipation and/or diarrhea.

You may also realize that you get sick more often. This is caused by prolonged exposure to stressful situations which deplete your immune system and leave you with nothing to fight off even the most common germs that bombard us every single day.

Prolonged exposure to stressful situations can also lead to high blood pressure which can lead to heart attack and may also lead to stroke and sudden death.

If you have been under an increased amount of stress lately and have noticed any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

It is an established fact that stress and stressful situations are dangerous and bad to our health. We should look for ways to better manage and relieve stress to eliminate the possibility of it causing future health problems.

There are numerous techniques to reduce the amount of tension you feel in your life, which include but not limited to relaxing in a nice, hot bath or taking a walk.

Just being out in nature is said to be a huge stress reliever. If you have access to a nature preserve or a forest reserve, take the family on a nature walk, or go alone. Breathing the fresh air and watching the birds and animals all around you will make you feel a lot better. 

Other forms of exercise will benefit you, as well. Join a local gym and go work out all of your frustrations on the weight machines or treadmill. Do whatever you can to alleviate all the stressful situations in your life and you will not have to worry about the dangers of stress affecting your overall health in the long run.

Stress: Inevitable But Treatable

 

Lifestyle nowadays is very stressful. Stress nowadays is not only overwhelming but has posed a serious effect on people’s health. Almost everyone knows how it feels like to be stressed, stomachaches, headaches, and sweaty palms are all symptoms of this condition. These are normal body reactions to threats, changes in routines, or challenges. Chronic or prolonged stress caused by work, relationship problems, or financial concerns may hamper emotional balance and increase the risk of chronic illness. Ongoing stress may increase the chances of developing certain ailments. In addition, chronic stress may weaken the immune system and make it more susceptible to many forms of infections. Stress however, is an inevitable part of life and may cause one to be physically and emotionally drained. 

Here are additional signs that indicate that one might be stressed out:

- Feeling down, edgy, tired

- Laughing or crying without any cause or reason

- Blaming others for bad things that happened

- Wanting to be alone at all times /withdrawal

- Not being able to see the positive side of certain situations

- Not enjoying activities that he or she used to enjoy

- Getting angry at people or activities

- Feelings like he or she has too many things to do

Many stressed individuals try to self-medicate to get rid of stress. Some engage in other activities. However, most of them use the wrong method for stress relief. They tend to overeat, drink too much alcohol or coffee, or use illegal drugs. These habits may bring temporary relief but fail to alleviate stress in any meaningful way. In the long run individuals who engage in these activities only heighten physical and emotional stress.

Exercise and nutritious diets have been proved to be safe and effective ways to improve mental and physical health. Many medical studies point out that exercise, especially aerobic exercise like jogging, brisk walking, and jumping rope as one of the best methods for stress relief. This is possible because these activities promote the production of endogenous morphines or endorphins. These are substances produced by the brain that work as the body's natural pain-killers. It is said that endorphins are capable of elevating one's mood, self-esteem, and mental functioning. 

Exercise should be done properly and in moderation to achieve health improvements and wellness. Strength training like push-ups,  pull-ups, etc  coupled with 30 minutes of jogging or brisk walking can keep your body toned and improve metabolism. These regimens can be done with little or no equipment at all. Many health experts claim that the key to improved health is not intensity or using sophisticated equipments but continuous physical activity. Exercising properly can make one feel better, have more energy, and become less prone to stress. Before engaging in physical activities and making adjustments in food regimens, individuals are encouraged to seek the advice of health experts. They may prepare a workout routine that is recommended for individuals based on their specific health conditions and fitness goals and levels.

If exercise and diet adjustments do not work, stressed individuals may use medications for stress relief. However, before taking any medication they should consult a doctor to clarify drug interactions and side effects that may occur while under medication. Understanding stress is essential for treatment and improvements in one's health.

Strategies In Avoiding Stress Build Up

Stress, if allowed, can build up very fast. There are several effects of stress in many aspects of life. Stress can pose major health risks to individuals. Prevention is always better than cure. Learn to avoid stress build up through simple strategies that you could practice any time.

Have Fun
Having fun can provide a nice distraction from life's issues. Games such as football, hand ball and basket ball are all team sports and activities that offer the benefit of catching fun and socializing, can help take you away from your stressors. Find activities you enjoy most not just sports alone. Hobbies can play a very important role in the relaxation process.

Your Health
Stress can be very detrimental to health especially if you have a health condition as it tends to aggravate the issue. Taking good care of yourself by taking the right medication will be very 

helpful.

Healthy Eating
People with bad eating and dieting habits are prone to stress and health conditions. Eating healthy can help you beat stress, lose weight as well as help the body function properly. A simple balance meal with the combination of fruits, vegetables and foods rich in fiber with less saturated fat is enough to get you going. You can even find healthy recipes and meal plans online.

Regular Exercise.
One of the best ways to help cope with stress easily is by getting regular exercise and physical activities. Exercise enhances the production and release of endorphins that increase the body's natural feelings of well-being. This helps take away any stress feelings naturally.

Ask For Support
There is a saying that problem shared is problem solved, when you are stressed up always remember that there are people around you who can be of help and share your problem with them. Friends can raise you up when you are down. They can provide insights when you are confused and strength when you are week, and can be fun being with.
Family members can be of solid support since they already know you and can provide what you really want. If stress gets out of control, you can ask for the counsel of your psychiatrist.

Stress is a part of our daily life, so don't be too hard on yourself whenever there are issues as this may easily get you stressed up. Never see yourself as the cause of your being stressed up as this will only worsen the stress that you are already feeling. Do not build a wall around yourself whenever you are stressed and never feel helpless. Stress is an enemy that you can triumph upon with a little effort and the help of your loved ones.

Workplace Issues: One of the Causes of Stress

Work is sometimes referred to as “the sum of our existence.” Work is why we get up early in the morning and go home late at night. It is what consumes most of our energies. We need to have jobs, to avoid idleness, have sense of purpose, and to survive in today's world. Work utilizes our talents, supports our family's needs and wants. However, work is also where we tend to be stressed out, with related issues making us feel weak, and in some cases, it gives us some anxiety panic attacks.

It is mostly at the office we spend our waking hours. It is there that the potential for conflict is high. You get to meet difficult people, you have an “impossible” and difficult boss, and you might encounter someone trying to make a move on the same position you've been eying for the past six months. Temptations abound in the office.

The long hours, the threats of being laid-off and workplace bullying can cause harmful emotional and physical responses. These things can happen whenever there is a conflict between job demands and work relationship with other people. In retrospect, the high demands of a particular job and the knowledge that we don't have any control over the situation often leads to stress.

Stress produces strain, disrupts equilibrium, and it can be said to be the source of many number of emotional, physical, economic and social problems. The stress from our work could be from countless hours in overtime, cutbacks on our privileges, and the pressure to perform to an exacting standard. Prolonged workplace stress leads to absenteeism, sickness, dissatisfaction, make one irritable, rash with their decisions and reduced job efficiency.

The National Institute For Occupational Mental Health report cites the following about workplace stress:

1.         25% view their jobs as the number one causes of stress in their lives

2.         Three-fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago

3.         26% of workers said they were “felt burned out often” by their job

4.         Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial problems

SYMPTOMS OF WORKPLACE STRESS

-           Aching muscles

-           Restless sleep

-           Fatigue

-           Loss of appetite

-           Irritability

-           Low morale

-           Headache

-           Upset stomach

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Follow the tips below to manage workplace stress.

1.         Exercise – can be done in a gym, office or at home

2.         Proper Planning – schedule your jobs, business trips and other matters, however leave room for adjustments

3.         Balance – find time to focus on and strike a balance between your work,  personal and family life

4.         Social Network – surround yourself with reliable friends you can lean on

5.         Positive Outlook – let work-related issues cease to bother you 

Stress hampers productivity. Therefore employers should introduce stress management programs to teach their workers the nature and sources of stress as well as the effects on their overall health. Issues management should also be part of the program.

Reducing Stress Through Time Management

One of the common causes of stress is not being organized. Time management is the key to organize your work both at home and at the workplace, thus reducing the tendency of your being stressed up.  Prioritizing the most important job and writing down your duties and activities everyday is a better way to manage your time.

Keeping a diary, where you can list down your duties and objectives, can help you assess which duty must be done first and the estimated time you can accomplish each activity.

Scheduling And Listing

If you feel you are going to have another busy day either at home or at work, always write down your tasks. Indicating which task comes first and at what time it will done and following it strictly will allow you time to perform your other task. You must learn to prioritize to successfully beat stress.

On a daily basis pick the most important task and finish it first. Never put too many things in your list, this way, you are more likely to accomplish all your tasks for the day, this in turn will provide you the feeling of accomplishment and greater sense of control. 

Learn to delegate some of your tasks to co- works and family members especially when you have too many task to accomplish and little time to do so. By delegating, you can avoid stress from building up.

In the workplace, learn to say no especially when you find yourself in a situation where you cannot handle anymore task than you already have. Learn to ascertain your capabilities so as not to end up being stressed up.

  

Remember that you need time to rest and relax so that you can come back refreshed and revitalized. Include in your list work breaks and as much as possible things that would physically and mentally take you away from work. 

Finally, try not to make major decisions when you feel overworked or anxious  as they may be regrettable latter .

Activities That Help Relieve Stress

Some people think it is almost impossible to find an outlet while under stress. Most stressed individuals think doing fun activities will not reduce the effect of problems that they undergo in career, social or personal pressure – which is a very poor way to get cope or rid them of it.

Therapist around the world agree that certain activities like games, sports and art can have a great positive effect on a stressed person’s physical and behavioral problems. Some are even employed in stress management clinics and is part of the routine treatment in helping individuals cope with their stress issue.

Mind games

For the fact that stress affects the mental functions of an individual, therefore it is very important to teach a stressed person how to focus his mind on positive thoughts rather than dwelling on negative ones. Mind games offer an alternative which will help stressed persons divert there thought patterns to something more productive. These clinics encourage their patients to tackle crossword puzzles, etc to help them cope with stress. Incorporating these games into your daily routine will help to give your mind some diversion from problems.

Sports

Engaging in sports is a great way to relieve stress. Your body needs physical exercise to balance biological and muscular functions and to rejuvenate those muscles that are tight due to the effects of stress. Playing sports can also provide an outlet for emotional problems like anxiety, depression, irritation, anger, and so on.

There are two kinds of sports a person can engage on his or her own free time. They can opt for team sports like basketball, football or volleyball which serve as a means to socialize and exercise. Individual sports like taekwondo, karate, badminton, golf and tennis can also be a great help in focusing your mind to win the game rather than focusing on your stressors. 

Workout

 Visiting the gym has proved to be beneficial to emotional, mental and physical health when under stress. The routine exercise your gym instructor will give you can help you focus on the tasks at hand. The strenuous activities can develop your muscles which improve your body’s ability to cope with stress mechanism and allow the body to release chemicals and hormones that are beneficial to your physiological well-being. 

Cardiovascular workout can improve your heart and strengthen it to avoid stress related problems like strokes, high-blood pressure, chest pains and rapid heartbeat. The steady blood circulation in your system will benefit your muscles because of the fresh oxygen supply provided by these hearty fluids. 

Note however that working out at the gym needs proper diet as well since your physical attributes will be worked to the limit to help fight off stress. Fresh fruits and vegetables are necessary. They improve digestion and supply the body with the required nutrients. Red meat devoid of fat can give your muscles proteins that will strengthen muscle tissues for added flexibility.

A healthy dose of mental activities, physical exercise coupled with a balance diet can help a person to live a stress free life.

WAYS EXERCISE HELP IN STRESS RELIEF

It is no longer news that the health consciousness of our society today has led to increased focus on the health benefits of exercise. There are so many ways exercise is beneficial to man and stress relief is one of them. Regular physical exercise is a very effective way of relieving stress. These are some of the ways exercise help in stress relief:-

PRODUCTION OF ENDORPHINS 

 Endorphins are the brains feel-good neurotransmitters. Exercise enhances the production of endorphins thereby helping to give your mood a natural boost.

AS A DISTRACTION 

 Engaging in regular exercise or any form of sports helps take your concentration away from what is causing you stress. You will focus on the very activity you are engaged in thereby helping you to forget about the day’s ups and downs.

AS A MEANS TO SOCIALIZE 

 Exercise and most physical activities often involve others which makes it an avenue to socialize. This gives you a double benefit of exercising and having fun all together. Apart from making you feel better, working out with others gives you a lot of motivation to work harder without feeling the stress of hard work.

RELAXATION

Exercise helps in the reduction of skeletal muscle tension thereby helping you to feel more relaxed. It energizes, motivate you and improve your mood to deal with the days challenges. It also helps you get sound sleep which is another way of to relieve stress.

Exercise is a very great way of stress relief as it helps you relax well and provide a kind of diversion from your source of stress. It also helps raise your energy level, boost your self esteem as well as boosting your immune system and general well being. Fitting exercise into your day can be a way to deal with future stress.

REDUCING WORK PLACE STRESS

Wherever you earn your living, whether in an office, a factory or a private business place, there is always stress associated with the place. Too much stress is bad and can make a person irrational and can even kill. However there things one can do that will help reduce and cope with work place stress. These tips will be helpful.

First take a look at your habits to find out behaviors that may be contributing to stress and then take necessary action to improve on those behaviors.

DON’T EXPECT PERFECTION 
By putting unrealistic pressure on yourself or others to be perfect in their jobs, you are guaranteeing yourself stress. You should always bear in mind that nobody is completely perfect and there is always room for improvement.

STOP CRITICIZING YOURSELF 
If at you want to criticize yourself it has to be a constructive criticism. Being positive about your work and accomplishments and acknowledging the contributions of others is better.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT 
This is very important to avoid extra work load. If you are always running late to work, forgetting things always, don’t have a work schedule, you are bound to have work place stress which can even extend to home and any other place. Getting an alarm and having a work schedule will be of great help.

YOUR WELL BEING IS IMPORTANT  
Whenever you find yourself in a situation that causes your temper to rise and frustration setting in, it is better you walk away from the situation at that point in time. Spend some time to calm yourself down and then return to the situation with an open mind and a clear head.

WORRY DOES NOT SOLVE PROBLEMS 
 Realize that there are some things that are not worth worrying about and there some things you can’t change no matter how long you worry or how hard you try. Don’t waste your time stressing over the things in any of these categories.

EXERCISE IS VERY IMPORTANT 
 Making exercise a part of your daily schedule in the office is very important as this will help take your focus away from any stress causing situation. Getting your circulation moving and stretching the muscles will help you relax and be more comfortable. Exercise enhances the production of the brains feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins that makes you feel good and better.

Stress is experienced every day by different people at different levels. However seeing stress as a normal daily routine will help you get over it faster and better.     

 

STRESS RELIEF AND MANAGEMENT

Stress is a part of normal life and is impossible to eliminate completely. However stress can be managed so that its effects on our physical and mental health can be controlled. There are many techniques and methods that can be applied to relieve and manage stress but let’s first understand what stress is.

WHAT IS STRESS

Any physical or emotional factor that can cause bodily or mental unrest and may be a disease causing factor may be referred to as stress. It comes in different forms and manner and may be induced by so many factors.

WHAT CAN CAUSE STRESS

Stress can be induced by so many factors depending on individual. Trauma, illness, injuries, poor time management, and many more can cause physical stress.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF STRESS

Stress impairs the stability and balance of bodily functions. It also affects the mood of individuals. People under stress should make stress relief and management an important part of their daily routine.

WHO CAN BE AFFECTED BY STRESS

Stress comes in different forms and affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. Its level in individuals cannot be predicted by any external standards. The degree of stress vary from individual to individual and is highly dependent on individual factors such as physical health, individuals responsibility, events that occurred in our lives, interpersonal relationships, inadequate sleep and many more.

WHICH AREA OF THE BODY IS AFFECTED BY STRESS

Virtually all areas of the body are affected by stress but the following areas are most affected- the brain,-heart,-muscles and joints,-stomach and the reproductive system.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

The symptoms vary in individuals. However the following are the most common symptoms of stress:-headaches,-concentration problems,-sleep disturbance,-feelings of anxiety and tension,-lost of appetite,-anger and many more

HOW CAN I RELIEVE STRESS

There are many ways to manage or relieve stress which include:-

EXERCISING                                                                                                                                 Exercise enhances the production of endorphins which are your brains feel-good neurotransmitters that helps improve your mood. Exercise also help to refocus your mind on the very present activity you are engaged in causing the days irritation to fade away.

LISTENING AND DANCING TO MUSIC                                                                                     Music provides a mental distraction from what you are thinking, taking your focus away from what is causing you stress. Your mind now focuses on the music and its lyrics that you start dancing away your stress.

COMMUNICATING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY                                                                             This is a very good stress reliever as it distracts you from life’s ups and downs. When you share your problems with them they provide support and make you feel good. You can go to cinema, the beach comedy shows or any decent place you can derive happiness with your friends or family.

When you see stress as part of a normal thing arising from the day’s activities, it helps cope easily and effectively with it.  

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