Written by Stress refers to the way your body responds to the daily activities or events that occur in your life. it can be psychological, physical, emotional or mental.This response can be positive and motivate you to achieve your goals, it can also be negative leading to emotional, health and physical disorders. It is important to know these 8 simple tips for effective stress management so as to enjoy a healthy life.
Stress is a normal part of life and can even be helpful in the right circumstances. However, when stress is constant or chronic, it becomes a problem. Stress can cause physical symptoms, such as fatigue and headache, as the body tries to recover from the constant pressure and anxiety. It can also cause mental symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, which can make it harder to deal with daily responsibilities.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
Signs and symptoms of prolonged/chronic stress include
headaches, body aches, insomnia, reduced productivity, poor concentration, memory loss, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, depression, weight gain/loss, increased blood pressure etc. These symptoms may eventually lead to health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Everyone experiences stress but recent studies show that women experience more stress than men because despite the fact that they have the same working hours as men, they still return home to meet house chores, taking care of the kids and/or the elderly amongst so many other responsibilities.
Since we cannot totally avoid stress, it is important to know how to manage it to avoid its negative and destructive consequences.
HOW CAN WE MANAGE STRESS EFFECTIVELY
A lot of persons often neglect self care in order to meet up with the multiple responsibility of work, family and home but the truth is that you will be in a better position to manage these responsibilities when you take care of yourself first. The following tips can help you manage stress;
1. *FOCUS* ; learn to focus on the present and stop worrying about the future. Write down a list of all your plans and prioritize them based on needs
2. *ACCEPT CHANGE* ; always see change as an opportunity and not a threat. Change what can be changed and if you can’t change the situation, then change how you react to it.
3. *EXERCISE* ; exercise produces stress relieving hormones and also gives you time to think or not to think at all. Atleast 30minutes of exercise is recommended daily so if you don’t have an exercise routine you should consider starting one.
4. *INTEGRATE LOVE, WORK AND PLAY* ; learn how to balance these 3 areas.
5. *NUTRITION* ; eat more of fruits and vegetables and less of fast foods. Also drink lots of water to stay hydrated and avoid sugar and carbonated drinks as much as possible
6. *TAKE A BREAK* ; this will help you tackle your problems with a fresh perspective. You can hang out with a friend, read a magazine, watch TV etc something to help you relax.
7. *GET HELP* ; as the saying goes a problem shared is half solved. When stressed talking things over with a friend/family will help you get solutions or manage the situation better.
8. *SLEEP*; regular sleep promotes mental alertness and reduces your stress level.
