Every person has at one time experienced some degree of stress and depression. Stress is the general feeling of emotional or physical strain as a result of a physical, emotional, and psychological effect. This happens to each and every person but the difference comes in how each one of us responds to various circumstances.
Stress can either be positive or negative. An example of positive stress is when you are anticipating sitting for an exam. The body will naturally trigger you to read and prepare. On the other hand, negative stress can be damaging in that you end up with thoughts that have no solution in the end.
Normally, it is easy to tell when someone is having stressful moments. In this article, we will share important aspects of stress and what you need to know as a person.
Types of Stress
The body exhibits stress in various ways and types. Research by Mental Help reveals various categories of stress that people experience and their symptoms.
Whereas we may not be able to avoid stress, the best way we can do this is to educate ourselves on the various types of stress and the various ways to manage the stressful situations around us.
The four main types of stress are acute stress, chronic stress, emotional stress, and burnout.
i) Acute stress
First, this stress comes and goes quickly. It is usually a result of an event that happens. Some examples of acute stress are accidents, diagnosis of illnesses, disasters, death, assault, etc.
The best way to relieve acute stress is meditation, breathing, and relaxation. It is helpful to control stress at this level before it becomes chronic.
ii) Chronic stress
The second type of stress is chronic and this happens on a regular basis. The main causes are trauma, being lonely or stressful environments.
The best way to relieve chronic stress is to get a support system, eat well and get therapy. If not treated this can cause adverse health effects.
Emotional stress
Emotional stress is a result of some emotional relationships. Mostly, it arises from relationship conflicts and develops over time. The best relievers for emotional stress are getting therapy, exercising, talking to a friend, and listening to music.
In addition, waking out of an abusive relationship can also help someone overcome emotional stress.
Burn out
Burnout is mostly a result of exhaustion. It can cause headaches, stomachaches, or intestinal issues. This most happens in stressful work environments. Some causes of burnout are lack of support, lack of work-life balance, unclear job expectations, and lack of workplace control.
Normally, burnout causes someone to experience fatigue and can get into drug abuse or become easily aggrieved. The best way to overcome burnout is to seek support, exercise, sleep, and sign up for programs that help you relax.
Other types of stress include:
- Physical stress – this is a result of a traumatic physical occurrence such as an injury. It can also be from noise, sickness, or physical labor.
- Psychological stress – this comes as a result of emotional stress
- Psychosocial stress – comes because of relationship challenges
- Psycho-spiritual stress – comes because of a crisis of values
Signs of Stress
Signs and symptoms of stress are numerous and can be seen in various ways. Normally, some of the signs can be physical while in other scenarios, the signs are not visible. Whether the signs are visible or not if you are the victim, you can check any or all of these symptoms and seek medical help
- Worry and being nervous
- Lack of concentration
- Extreme mood swings
- Low self-esteem
- Eating disorder
- Hopelessness
- Interrupted sleeping habits
- Drug abuse
- Muscle pains
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Low sex desire
How to Relieve stress
Relieving stress helps you restore calmness and sobriety in your day-to-day life. According to research by Mayo Clinic, you can easily relieve stress in very simple and practical ways as a person.
Some of these ways are easy and do not require medication attention. Nevertheless, if the situation is out of hand you can seek medical help,
a) Engage in a physical activity
Being physically active is one of the best ways to relieve stress and improve your well-being as a person. Some of the activities you can consider as a person are walking, jogging, gardening, housecleaning, biking, swimming, and weightlifting among others. These exercises help you get into a good mood and focus better.
b) Check your diet
Whole grains, fruits, and veggies are some of the best food items to keep eating when you have stress. When going through stressful moments, it may be tempting to get into drugs, overeat, or take alcohol.
However, this can be damaging to your health. The best thing to do when you are going through stressful moments is to eat a healthy diet
c) Meditation
Meditation is the act of paying attention to a particular item for a period of time. When so many thoughts are going through your mind, the best you can do is focus on one item at a time.
You can meditate anywhere as a person whether walking or riding. This will improve your overall health as a person.
d) Cultivate a sense of humor
Laughter cheers you up and makes you feel good and cools down emotions. When going through stressful moments you can watch comedy shows, read jokes, crack jokes with friends, or keep the company of jovial people who will cheer you up. This way you will relieve stressful moments and release tension.
e) Avoid isolation
Self-isolation can cause more stressful moments and the best way to avoid this is to connect with people. A company of friends gives you comfort, distracts you, and offers support at that particular time.
f) Connect with others
When you’re stressed and irritable, your instinct may be to isolate yourself. Instead, reach out to family and friends and make social connections. You can go a step further and volunteer skills in the community or an organization around you. This distracts you as a person and also gives you a chance to connect with more people.
g) Try yoga
Yoga is the practice of controlled breathing and meditation and some exercises that help you relax and regain your peace. If you are undergoing stressful moments you can enroll in yoga sessions and gain mental discipline which comes in handy as a stress reliever.
h) Quality sleep
Sleeping helps your mind relax and your brain recharge. Stress can cause sleep disorders due to numerous thoughts going through your mind.
The best way to get quality sleep is to create a schedule for sleeping and get a conducive environment to rest with fewer distractions. Sleeping helps recharge your mood and reduce stress levels.
i) Go for counseling
Seeking medical help is necessary when battling stress. Therapists and counselors have the right training to help you cope and overcome stressful moments as a person.
They will help you identify what brings stress to you and also help you come up with ways to resolve stress.
How to Prevent Stress
Prevention is always the best approach in comparison to cure. Instead of waiting until stress levels are overwhelming, you can take up measures to prevent and manage it.
At a personal level, community, workplace, or institution there is various prevention tip that one can adopt and run a sober life.
Normally, relaxing is one of the best strategies. As a person, get activities and programs that relax your mind. Some of them include exercises that are physical while some are online.
Relaxing helps reduce anxiety levels and tension and helps you enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Some of the other ways to manage stress are:
- Eating right means you have to take meals with the right nutrients.
- Exercise more and get sufficient sleep as a way of relaxing your mind
- Make peace with the fact that you cannot change everything around you and you have to accept some situations
- Remain positive and appreciate every progress you make as a person and celebrate small wins
- Turn down offers that cause you to strain and get into depression
- Keep the right connections around you so that you have the right support systems.
Stress quotes
If you are going through stressful moments or a loved one is battling a condition, there are various quotes that can cheer you up and motivate you. Some of the stress quotes have lessons and help you feel that someone else cares for your current feelings.
Below are some 5 quotes that can encourage you when you feel downcast:
- “Stress acts as an accelerator: it will push you either forward or backward, but you choose which direction.” Chelsea Erieau
- “It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.” Hans Selye
- “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” Sydney J. Harris
- My key to dealing with stress is simple: just stay cool and stay focused.” Ashton Eaton
- “When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter 5 years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go.” Catherine Pulsifer
Bottom Line:
Research by We Forum in 2019 revealed that 43% of respondents are battling stress. In addition, stress and depression can have adverse health effects on a person. The best way to handle stress is to manage it and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Everyone handles stress differently therefore, you need to identify what works for you and seek the right solution.
