Stress
What do we mean when we talk about stress?
It is common these days to hear people talking about their
stress levels. Have you ever stopped to think about what we mean
when we talk about stress?
Stress is a normal response to the pressures and demands of
daily living. It is the feeling that is created when we react
to events in our lives, like study, job requirements, family
matters and financial concerns. It is also the body's way of
preparing for coming events by creating focus, strength, stamina
and often heightened alertness.
Stress can affect your ability to function when it becomes
greater than your coping skills can manage and may then stop you
from achieving your goals. However, it can be helpful when it
is within your optimum range, as it creates a sense of interest,
challenge, excitement and the motivation we need to achieve our
goals.
The body responds to stress by triggering the
nervous system and releases hormones of adrenaline and cortisol
into the bloodstream. This speeds up the heart and your breathing,
as well as increases your blood pressure and metabolism. These
physical changes prepare you to be able to react quickly and
effectively to handle the pressure of the moment - the 'fight' or
'flight' response.
The fight response can be constructive -
making positive changes, or it can be destructive - lashing out
aggressively. Similarly, the flight response can be constructive,
like leaving a physically threatening situation - or destructive,
like 'escaping' by getting drunk to avoid facing the issue.
There are a number of strategies that can help
you to manage stress. These include consistent routines around
healthy eating, exercise and sleep – don’t underestimate the
importance of these in having good mental health. Learning and
practicing behaviours such as good time management, including using
‘to do’ lists, and prioritising your activities can also help. In
addition, talking about your feelings with people you trust, and
seeking support from them when you are concerned about a situation
is much more useful than bottling up your feelings.
Our behaviour is influenced by our thinking,
so it is really important to stop and review our thinking style.
Are you a negative person? Try to develop other, more positive ways
of viewing the world, and develop some positive self talk to keep
yourself on track. Humour can be a great stress release; or
alternately people may find that using their spirituality or belief
system to help them put perspective around life events can be
helpful. Sometimes we have very high expectations for ourselves.
Talking with others will help review whether these are realistic or
not, especially if they are contributing to a feeling of being
stressed.
Tune into the early warning signs that your
stress levels are building up, and take positive action to reduce
them. Signs might include jaw clenching, irritability,
forgetfulness or sleep problems. Check your stress levels from time
to time, and if you need to, take a few deep breaths and develop a
plan, or get back on track with those strategies that do make a
difference.
Download a fact sheet on reducing
stress from BeyondBlue.