Stress is most often a byproduct of an overload in work, with the desire to simultaneously maintain a social and happy life. Stress can cause a multitude of physical symptoms, such as headaches, insomnia, a loss of appetite, and chest pain. In balanced amounts, stress can serve as a motivator to be productive; however, in excessive amounts stress can disrupt one’s daily life and can be debilitating at times. It is therefore important to cope with stress to achieve that inner peace and happiness that most of us strive for.
Stress from an emotional perspective:
Stress feels painful. You feel scared and threatened and your senses are much sharper. The world is no longer in your hands. You feel incapable at times. You may blame yourself. You may isolate yourself from your loved ones as thoughts consume and drown your mind so that you’re always occupied within yourself. It’s like a battle with yourself, attempting to slow down the rate at which stressful thoughts formulate in your mind. The most important thing to acknowledge is that you are never the only one, even within your surroundings. You can cope.
The steps for coping with stress:
1- Move around
When a stressor, AKA the cause of your stress is detected, your body’s stress response system activates a series of biological events that result in the production of adrenaline and cortisol. The purpose of stress is to provide your body with energy when danger is perceived, in order to survive. The stressor that is perceived (in the case of the average person) is most often not physically dangerous. This energy is meant to be released through physically moving away from the stressors, therefore moving around and exercising lets your body know that steps towards survival are in action, which slows down the production of stress hormones.
2- Talk to someone trustworthy.
Rant about what makes you stressed to someone willing to listen. It really helps knowing that someone is by your side.
3- Take a step back.
Slow it down. Be alone. Use breathing techniques to calm yourself down. Let every thought pass. Listen to music. Stop time for a minute, and live in the present moment.
4- Eat properly and healthily
It may be hard to eat when you’re stressed, but your attempts to eat better during these times, along with ways that you can calm yourself down, repels the negative effects stress has on the body in excessive amounts.
Always remember that you are never the only one experiencing a lot of stress. You can always manage with the help of your loved ones but most importantly with your own will to find and achieve inner peace and success.