Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Stress and You


The idea of being stressed is not new or foreign to many of us. Often times in our lives we get a sense of being overwhelmed by the things we have to do whether its home assignments, midterms or finals.  According to the Home Health Handbook, stress is defined as the body’s response to external conditions, also known as stressors, that upset our equilibrium. Any event or circumstance that arouses emotion can cause stress. Even changes for the better can cause stress, such as if you are getting married or having a child or even for the worst such as losing a job or dealing with the death of a spouse, can cause stress. It is funny that not only the major occurrences in your life may cause stress but also minor ones such as waiting in line or even bus delays. What we should note; however, is that what is stressful to one individual may not be stressful for another individual. 

After knowing this, you must be wondering, well what can I do if I am feeling stressed? If you are suffering from stress of a single event such as job loss your best bet is to try to find ways of coping with this change more effectively. Try talking to your friends about the situation and about your feelings. One of the most important things you should also remember to do is to try to take life a little easier until you adjust to the new situation. If you are suffering from persistent stress due to daily irritations, then you may actually need a major change in your lifestyle. You may need to change to a less stressful pattern or through psychotherapy which will aid in handling such stressors more calmly. However, you must know that if stress symptoms persist for more than a few weeks it is imperative that you get a medical evaluation and psychological care to help you deal with the stress.



As best as possible I try to avoid feeling stressed by having outlets for reducing stress, such as regular exercise, recreational activities, or hobbies. I try to cultivate friends with whom I can share both the good and the bad. Personally, I have also realized that relaxation techniques such as mediation and yoga help tremendously to reduce or even avoid feeling stressed. You can try any of these and see which works best for you. Although you should strongly consider avoiding stressful situations as best as possible as this might be harmful to your health and well being.