Stress Coping Strategies

Think about the time when your breathing quickened, your muscles tensed and your heart pound with a sudden sense of dread.

May be when:

• Your professor announced a pop quiz.
• You are going to present your presentation in front of teachers
• Your boss suggested that your job performance ought to improve.

In above-mentioned situations or likely so many situations, cause us to feel threatened and kinds of physiological and psychological changes we experience in response to such situations.

So, stress is a natural human response to pressure when faced with challenging and sometimes dangerous situations.

What Causes Stress? The Stressors

The factors which cause stress are called stressors.

Some of the more common stressors, especially for college students, include relationships, academics, time management. Financial pressures are a huge stressor,

Sometimes, for college students, just moving away from home and family and that support system can cause stress for college students.

The stressors of life may take the form of daily hassles ,such as rush – hour traffic or the appearance of unexpected company; major life events or transitions, such as college graduation or marriage; chronic problems , such as poverty , poor health, or overcrowded living conditions or traumatic events such as catastrophic accidents , assaults, tornados, or military combat.

Our reaction to such stressors is influenced by the way we appraise both the events and our capacity to respond them. People’s response to a stressor depends on the nature of the stressor itself and on persons’ own past experience, behavioral skills, self-concept, social support and biological makeup.

Is Stress Always Destructive?

Sometimes stress helps increase our alertness and energy to meet challenging situations. It might give us the energy to finish a work project. But if it lasts long or overwhelms our ability to cope, it can have a negative effect on our life, health, wellbeing, relationships, work, and general enjoyment of life.

Who Is On Steering?

Do not let stress to control your life. If you let the stress-free, it will ruin the quality of your life. By improving your knowledge about stress management, you can increase your resources of wellbeing, and to become more resilient.

The complete list of Sign and Symptoms of Stress with Guidance to deal with

What are Some of the Common Signs and Indicators of Stress?

Here you have;

Some tips about what to look for and the ways you can help yourself or get help. It is very essential to know how stress has an effect on us.

Stress is helpful when it increases our ability to be vigilant, energized, switched on and resourceful in facing challenges we enjoy or have to deal with. But stress becomes obstructive when it leaves us feeling fatigued, tense, anxious, and burnt out or overwhelmed.

The threshold between helpful and unhelpful stress is different for each of us and can also depend on what’s happening in our lives.

Stress is unhelpful when we:

• Can’t turn off – feel attentive and anxious even when we want to be resting.  

• Can’t deal with – Dealing with daily routine small task drench us out, even small things get us down, leave us exhausted.

• Feel withdrawn from relationships, work or fun activities or become irritable and want to be isolated from your loved ones.

. • Have difficulty concentrating and focused.

• Have aches, muscle tension, and pains unrelated to exercise or any medical condition.

• Have difficulty eating or uncomfortable sleep.

Sometimes stress builds up and takes our life on its own – so that we feel anxious, even when not facing hard situations.

Some Of The Symptoms Of Stress Are

Management of stress is only possible when you have the understanding that how does your body feel when you are stressed?  Here is the complete list of Emotional, Psychological, Behavioral, and Cognitive symptoms of stress

Emotional Symptoms of Stress

 Stress is a common feeling for many of us. Too much stress can produce emotional symptoms. Let’s look at the emotional symptoms of stress.

Depression

Research suggests a link between chronic stress and the onset of depression; an illness in which an individual experience a persistent and severe low mood. Researchers found that both chronic and acute stress events are one of the major causes of depression. They increase the level of depression in people who reported higher levels of stress.

Anxiety

Unlike depression, anxiety is characterized by feelings of overwhelming dread, rather than just feelings of sadness. Researchers have found that people who experienced high levels of work stress were more likely to have more symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Irritability

Irritability and anger are associated with stress. Studies found that irritability and anger can become common traits in people who are stressed.

Low Sex Drive

People who are stressed have less desire to be intimate. Stress increases the level of cortisol led to lower levels of arousal.

Memory and Attentiveness Problems

People with chronic stress may experience memory performance issues and they also have a problem in focusing during work. Stress affects long-term memory.

Substance Abuse and Development of Addiction

Researchers have found that there is a link between stress and addictive behaviors. Another study found that stressful and traumatic events can change the physical nature of the brain and make them vulnerable to addiction.

Physical Symptoms of Stress

Physical symptoms of stress include:

Low Energy

People feel lethargic and low energy to do any work. Stress takes out the energy of the people.

Headaches, Pains, and Tense Muscles

Headaches, pains, and tense muscles of neck and back make the daily routine task very difficult. These pains are without any medical reason and the reason behind these pains is stress.

Diarrhea, Constipation, and Nausea

Stressful people often complain upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea.

Chest Pains and Rapid Heartbeat

One of the physical symptoms of stress is the rapid heartbeat and chest pain which often misdiagnoses is cardiac arrest and makes person more panic about his condition. Later medical assessment reveals that this condition is just because of stress and nothing very serious.

Shaking Body

Stress makes a person anxious. Due to anxiety and stress hands and feet become cold and sweaty. And stressful situations make them nervous and their body starts shaking. This shaking of the body makes a person uneasy, unpleasant, and irritating. They may be finding some therapist or a way to stop shaking from anxiety and stress.

Dry Mouth

On facing stressful situation dry mouth and difficulty in swallowing are other physical symptoms which people with chronic and acute stress often complaint.

Cognitive Symptoms of Stress

Cognitive symptoms of stress include constant worrying about uncertain things, racing thoughts of unknown events which as a result increase the inability to focus and poor judgment.

Behavioral Symptoms of Stress

Behavioral sign and symptoms of stress are changes in appetite, avoiding responsibilities, avoid social gatherings, increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes and exhibit more nervous behaviors.

Effective Stress Management Tips

Effective coping skills help improve mental and emotional well-being. People who are able to deal with stressful and traumatic situations through positive coping mechanism may be less likely to experience anxiety and depression.

7 Productive Stress Coping Strategies

Be Aware and have a Positive Attitude

Watch your thoughts and mood swings. Keep an eye on your levels of stress and ask whether they are helpful or getting you down. The way you think about things, really affect the situation. Your positive thinking can make all of the difference and can help offset difficult situations.

Take Stock and Take a Break from the Stressor

Take a paper pen and think about things in your life or pressures you place on yourself that may be increasing your stress. It seems difficult to get away from a stressful situation. But it is quite possible to take a break from that stressful situation and avoid that stress.

Let yourself to do something else which can help to feel less overwhelmed. When you give yourself to break from stressor even just 20 minutes to take care of yourself is helpful.

Take Charge

Take prompt actions to deal with unhelpful sources of stress before they build up and become a bigger problem.

Make Positive Choices

Look at areas in your life where you could control your situation better or modify the way you respond. Accept that there are events you cannot control and change. When you are ready to accept it then you are in a better position to expend energy where it can be more effective.

Positive responses and reactions make the situation more relaxing. Our brains and emotions are interconnected. When we feel stressed, our facial muscles become tense. So laughs and smiles make us relaxed and can help relieve some of that tension and improve the situation

Gain Knowledge Of About Some Good Ways to Deal with Stress

When you share your feelings and disturbing thoughts with another person, it really helps relieve stress. But it is important that the person whom you talk should be trustworthy and can understand.

For example: – Talk to someone you reliance, call a friend, phone Lifeline.

Exercise Daily

Exercise not only benefits body but mind also. A regular routine of exercise has long-term benefits. Even 20 minutes brisk walk, swimming, or dance session can give an immediate effect that can last for several hours.

Meditation

Prayers with mindfulness and meditation help to relax mind and body. Meditation helps to develop a new perspective, self-compassion, and forgiveness. Meditation helps to control our negative thoughts as well and make us calm.

More importantly, have a health check with your GP and make a routine of regular exercise. You should eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid junk food. Make time for things you enjoy. These are the ways to help you spring back and become more resilient.

Sometimes, it can help to see a counselor to discuss about stressors of your life and your counselor will help you to find better ways to cope.