Ronny is fed up
constantly fighting with his spouse. During work he is unable to concentrate
properly. He spreads negative energy around in his work place and the colleagues have started to avoid him. He
started to think his co-workers dislike him.
Shahid is under debts. He is constantly stressed about how he is
going to solve his money problems. While his friends enjoy and laugh during
their weekend meet. He is infuriated over petty things and he explodes,
spoiling the meetings.
Deepa has a new boss who is making her life hell. She often feels
very anxious and moody. When she gets back home, she is so stressed out that
she just wants to take rest and has no energy to spend time with her spouse.
Her spouse feels hurt.
Considering these above
situations, they are very much related to
our life or to the lives of people around us. Stress is so common today as we
juggle with different roles in our lives. It can be so daunting, it can feel as
if we have forgotten how it feels to be relaxed and calm!
Hans Selye, an Endocrinologist of
Hungarian origin was first to coin the word 'stress'. He defined it as a non-specific
response of the body to any demand for a change. He also said that 'Adopting a
right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
Now you may wonder,
What! Can stress be positive? Yes. The positive stress is known as eustress.
No, no, it doesn't mean
to give stress to others and then scream YOU STRESS! It means stress in moderation
that helps us to face challenges and accomplish tasks. This is important for feelings
of accomplishment, wellbeing and wholeness.
Hans Selye described the three stages of
Stress known as Selye's syndrome
or General Adoption syndrome in short GAS syndrome. GAS syndrome, very easy to
remember. Isn’t it ? :))
1. Alarm stage - This is
the stage when stressed the body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline
for that sudden burst of energy in order to prepare to confront or flee the
stressor. The heart rate goes up and the blood glucose increases.
2. Stage of Resistance -
The body continues to be in a state of alertness if the stressor is still
present. Body continues to direct the energy towards the stress and we can
easily be prone to flu and colds at this stage. If the stressor is removed,
body starts to heal and return slowly to its default state known as the
homeostasis.
3. Exhaustion stage - If
the stress is prolonged the body uses up all the deep energy reserves and gets
into exhaustion mode, failing to recover. If we don't do something quick at
this stage then stress related diseases manifest such as depression, ulcers,
viral infections, heart disease etc
So now we will
learn how to quickly manage stress. Read carefully
a) Realization of stress
- Answer these simple questions below
- Do you feel drained of
energy?
- Do you have inability
to concentrate?
- Are you feeling
nervous lately?
- Do you have stomach
upsets?
- Are you able to have a
good night sleep?
- Do you feel you are
unable to relax and feel the muscles tense?
If the answer is yes to
most of them, then it is time to act quickly before the stress can start to
seriously affect your health.
b) Response to
stress
How do we respond in a
stressful condition? We can get very angry and yell at the other person or shut
down and withdraw from the situation. And lastly, we can also feel paralyzed,
but inside we are boiling with anger. These are the common responses described
by psychologists.
c) How to quickly
relieve stress.
This is the key to
resilience. It is a very important step that needs to be discovered. You need
to do some homework to find out about what can reduce your stress quickly and
make a small list on a paper. Keep this paper handy in your wallet to run
through it when faced with stressful situations. As you learn it and master it,
you can discard it. What works for me may not work for you. For ex: Classical
music and rock music are stress for me! But I know one aunt who can listen to
classical music for days together and a friend who gets pepped up after
listening to rock music. You have to find what works for you. Use your five senses.
To help you understand below are some examples.
- See a space in your
house like a backyard filled with favorite plants or even close your eyes to
imagine a beautiful place that feel peaceful.
- Hear the soundtrack of
nature sounds or uplifting recitation of holy books.
- Smell your favorite
perfume or some fresh flowers.
- Taste that delicious
dark chocolate that melts the tension as it melts in the mouth.
- Touch that soft coat
of your pet or squeeze the rubbery stress ball.
As we learn through
practice, this skill will helps us to overcome challenges in life and display
qualities of trust, confidence and empathy. Nutritious food, avoiding a
sedentary life and negative people is also beneficial in the long run. If you
feel nothing is working, you need to see a specialist for a therapy.
Now read the changed
situations I described in the beginning.
Ronny starts his day at
work by listening to some soothing sounds of nature. He feels relaxed to take
on the day and focuses on his work. He is pleasant to his colleagues.
Shahid recollects his favorite vacation to the Swiss alps and with
renewed energy focuses on finding ways to repay his debts. He feels he is able
to have a clarity to tackle his money problems.
Deepa, when she reaches home she goes to her backyard and spends
time watering and tending to her little garden. By the time her spouse comes
home, she is much more balanced person.
Stress is an inevitable
part of life. Being emotionally intelligent to manage stress is vital for good
health. How did you tackle your stress after reading this blog post? Please do
share your thoughts in the comment section and let me know how did you find this
post.
Till next time, wishing
you positivity and happy de-stressing! Share it with anybody you feel who
needs it.
Love,
Fizz
