STRESS

Many of us are faced with it every day, but we might not know how to deal with it. A lot of people are facing challenges that can be stressful, and overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children.

It is important to learn how to handle stress because it can affect our performance and relationships at work and home. At work, stress can lead to distraction and cause an unfortunate accident.  At home, stress can put a strain on family relationships.          

The first step to managing stress is to identify your “stressors”; those things that are making you react. Stressors may not only be events that cause you to feel sad, frightened, anxious, or happy. You can cause stress through your thoughts, feelings, and expectations. Look at the list below. Which causes you stress? Can you think of other stressors?

• Not enough time
• Unexpected change
• Family problems
• Extra responsibility
• Personality clashes
• Money difficulties      

Everyone must deal with life’s problems. A key to dealing with the big and little everyday stressors is positively coping with stress.

1. Acceptance – Many of us worry about things we have no control over. For example, a family illness, a great deal of change at work, or finding out that your football team lost. One way to manage stress is to accept when things are beyond your control. It may be helpful to think positive thoughts such as, “Someday I’ll laugh about this,” or “It’s a learning experience.”
2. Attitude – Try to focus on the positive side of situations. Ask yourself, “What good can come out of this?” “What can I learn from this situation?” and “How can I handle this better when it comes up again?” Solutions come easier when you focus on the positive and your stress level will be reduced.
3. Perspective – We often worry about things that never happen. Keep things in perspective by asking yourself, “How important is this situation? Can I do anything about it? In five years, will I even remember it happened?”  

After a traumatic event, people may have strong and lingering reactions. Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the right care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms. The symptoms may be physical or emotional. Common reactions to a stressful event can include:

• Disbelief
• Feelings of fear, shock, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration
• Changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests
• Difficulty sleeping or nightmares, concentrating and making decisions
• Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
• Worsening chronic health problems
• Worsening mental health conditions
• Increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances

It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during traumatic events such as mass shootings, natural disasters, or pandemics. Below are ways that you can help yourself, others, and your community manage stress.

Here are some healthy ways you can deal with stress:

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media.
• Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself a break if you feel stressed out.
• Take care of your body.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
• Talk to others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
• Connect with your community or faith-based organizations.
• Avoid drugs and alcohol. These may seem to help, but they can create additional problems and increase the stress you are already feeling.
• Recognize when you need more help. If problems continue or you are thinking about suicide, talk to a psychologist, social worker, or professional counsellor.
• Take one task at a time. Reduce multitasking.
• Exercise regularly to release stress

Reference

https://www.cdc.gov/