Stress is a feeling or emotion of physical tension, and it results from events that make you nervous, angry, sad, or frustrated. Stress is your body’s response to physical, emotional, mental, financial, and even environmental challenges. Stress management is a very normal part of being human, and when critically examined, stress can be helpful at times. Stress triggers some hormones that cause mental alertness and increased tolerance to difficulties.

So, if you have to meet a deadline or turn over, an increased percentage of output stress management can make you perform much better than you would have done normally. If you are beginning to get disturbed, lose your focus, and even experience low motivation levels due to stress, you should take time to deal with the cause of the stress. If the cause is something like the loss of a loved one that cannot be easily wiped off the records, you need to learn to live with it.

What can cause stress?

As unbelievable as it sounds, stress can arise from good and bad things. Factors that can cause stress for each individual also vary from person to person. Getting a new job, getting married, expecting a baby, moving to a new place, getting promoted, purchasing a new property, becoming a grandparent, owning a new ride e.t.c are good things that can become sources of stress to the individuals concerned.

While factors such as; The death of a spouse or close family member, becoming seriously Ill, getting laid off from work, being unable to meet one financial obligation can cause stress. Others may include various natural disasters and man-made disasters, getting involved in a road accident, having a traumatic experience like a robbery attack e.t.c are all negative factors that can promote stress.

Key markers of stress

The truth remains that you cannot combat what you do not know, especially as it matters to stress management. If you cannot identify evidence of stress in your life, you will probably negate the need to set structures in place that can help you manage the stressful situation. So, in essence, we are implying that persons can be stressed and not know they are suffering from chronic stress. They feel well since they have not suffered any bad experiences.

On the contrary, science has proven that little regular habits can become sources of stress. As little as boarding a train or a vehicle to work, walking to work, cycling to school, performing domestic chores, caring for your kids, and so on can precipitate stress. Watch out for the following symptoms when you have to diagnose stress.

• Behavioral: Low motivation, irritability, poor self-care, non-excitable, use of hard drugs, loss of interest in food or eating too much,
• Emotional: Anger, frustration, pain, sad
• Psychological: Depression, anxiety, difficulty recalling, concentrating, excessive worrying, moodiness, reduction in mental alertness,
• Healthwise: Increased blood pressure, weight loss, weight gain, frequent fever, cold and infection, disruption in the menstrual cycle, poor libido, diarrhea, constipation, aches and pains, headaches, weakness, loss of desire for sleep or too much sleep, racing heartbeat, tremors e.t.c

Management for stress

To live is to be acquainted with stress management. Therefore, it is absolutely functional to expect a life free from stress. Having established that challenges come to everyone in life, the essence of developing adaptative techniques that will help you manage stress cannot be overemphasized. Now, how exactly do you go about managing stress? How should you ensure that you stay afloat in life despite the “stress waves” that come your way?

1. Maintain a positive Attitude

Life is a cycle of ups and downs, but one of the easiest ways to deal with it is to maintain a position of positivity. Staying positive can be hard when everything around you seems to be against you, but rather than expect only evil for your life, dare to hope for the best. Look out for the good things that you desire and go for them. Do not allow anyone or anything to restrict you from the best there is out there.

Constantly remind yourself that you are good enough to be and get anything you wish. Apply for that job, take that exam, the startup that business, chase that dream you had given up on, and even if you do not fail, decide not to accept to remain a failure.

2. Accept that there are events that you cannot control.

The sooner you realize that there are events that you cannot control in life, the less you will have to worry about. Life will not always move in your direction; people will always get in your way. Plans will always go wrong once in a while too. So come to terms with these facts and reduce the weight of your expectations on people. Fortify your mind with these realities such that when they occur, you will still have the strength to go on.

3. Learn to make times for sleep, exercises, and other hobbies

Physical activities and sleep are usually great ways to relieve stress. Science shows a link between sufficient sleep and a better quality of life. Sleep leaves you feeling refreshed and energized for a new day and is one of the greatest ways to care for your health. Therefore take time to rest properly after a stressful day, as this is one of the best tips for stress management.

Perform regular exercises like swimming, cycling, running, dancing e.t.c and in times when it’s difficult to engage in conscious exercises, perform tasks like cleaning your home, walking to the park, using the stairs rather than an elevator, riding a bicycle to the store rather than drive there.

4. Know your limits, do not carry more than you can bear.

To please many people, you can get caught in the habit of doing more than is convenient for you. While this is a great attempt at helping others, it is wrong to live. You would end up wearing yourself out in the process. Therefore rather than engage in too many activities, choose those you must perform. This will help you manage stress effectively.

5. Eat healthily

Many people underestimate the relevance of good meals to our daily success. Besides allowing you to appreciate the goodness of God, eating healthy helps strengthen your immune system and mental alertness. Therefore rather than skipping meals or eating junk, take time to prepare healthy meals, obtain fresh vegetables, and prepare yourself to handle stress better.