How To Deal With Stress?

What is stress?

According to the World Health Organisation, stress is a state of mental tension or worries caused by a predicament. In other words, stress refers to a hum response in which humans face challenges and threats (Gupta and Pandi-Perumal, 2020). How the stress is dealt with affects the overall well-being. Both mind and the body are affected by stress which sometimes becomes difficult to tackle. Stress can affect human beings with irritability and anxiety. A stressed person fails to concentrate and experiences severe headaches associated with insomnia. Sometimes people undergoing stress undergo an eating disorder or lose their appetite. Chronic stress can worsen health conditions, due to which a person can indulge in substance use and drinking.

What causes stress?

Stress can be caused by internal and external factors which become hard for individuals to deal with. As per the American Psychological Association, 74 per cent of Americans deal with stress. Some were fatigued and overwhelmed, while others experienced sleep disturbances and headaches.

External factors such as family, relationships, work, finances and health issues cause stress. It has been reported that family issues contribute to the major sources of stress for many individuals. Family-related stress can stem from health issues and ageing parents. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the issues related to family became more stressful (Gupta and Pandi-Perumal, 2020). Relationships, if toxic, are one of the causes of stress.

For instance, the physical and mental health of divorced adults worsens. In addition, many people face challenges when trying to make the end meet. Financial issues may be in the form of inadequate savings, low-paid jobs, inflation, increased bill and an unanticipated major expense.
People are mostly stressed because of their jobs as well. This may result from poor working conditions, unstable jobs, poor pay and increased working hours.
Internal stressors comprise feelings of hopelessness, failure, and uncertainty that can affect the life of individuals. For instance, the outbreak of COVID-19 also created internal stress for many people.

How to mitigate stress?

Stress shall not be treated in the same way as depression and anxiety. Suggested below are the ways which can help in dealing with stress.

1. Indulging more in physical activity

Exercising and meditation help in releasing stress. In other words, participating in aerobic exercises is capable of reducing stress to a great level. Common health conditions such as anxiety and depression can also be reduced.

2. Eating a balanced diet

Every aspect of health, including mental health, is balanced by a diet. People who consume processed foods experience high levels of stress. People who are chronically stressed tend to overeat, which might affect their overall health and mood. To avoid stress, individuals can take nutrient-rich foods and beverages (Kassymova et al. 2019). Intake of foods that are rich in magnesium and have vitamin B helps in reducing stress. Taking whole food options such as beans, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables is highly advised. Furthermore, the intake of beverages and processed foods shall cease if one wants to relieve himself of the stress.

3. Spending less time on the phone

Although smartphones, tablets and computers are regarded as essential, using them very often can lead to increased stress levels (Kassymova et al. 2019). It has been found that excessive use of smartphones leads to increased levels of stress and mental disorders. Furthermore, spending too much time watching movies lowers psychological well-being and amplifies stress, even in kids.

4. Taking care of self

Practising self-care also helps in reducing stress. The self-care comprises exercising, walking, cooking a healthy meal, practising yoga, getting massages, reading a book and practising meditation. All these help in stress alleviation.

5. Journaling

Journaling also helps in reducing stress, and it helps in providing an outlet for venting out frustration and anger. Therapeutic or expressive writing helps manage chronic health conditions (Kassymova et al. 2019). People who indulge in regular journaling enjoy an increased quality of life without stress, depression and anxiety.

6. Limiting caffeine intake

Caffeine in tea, coffee, or chocolate reduces and stimulates the entire nervous system. However, intake of too much caffeine can worsen stress and anxiety. Overconsumption of caffeine also affects sleep (Kassymova et al. 2019). This also increases the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Thus, limiting the caffeine intake or replacing it with any other healthy drink is advisable. However, considering the benefits of coffee, it is advisable to keep the caffeine under 400 mg.

7. Socialising

Socialising also helps in coping with stress. People who show depressive symptoms tend to get their stress reduced as they spend more time with their friends and family. The overall development of mental health depends on the social support system. Selectively social people sometimes suffer from stress (Eisenbarth, 2019). It is also necessary to create boundaries with people who create stress.

8. Keep away from procrastination

When stressed, people should avoid procrastinating as it can harm productivity. When productivity is affected, the stress level increases, which affects the health and quality of sleep.

9. Attending yoga classes

Among all the age groups, yoga has proven to be an effective method of dealing with stress. It helps unify the mind and body, increasing breath awareness (Eisenbarth, 2019). In addition to his psychological well being is also promoted by yoga.

10. Exploring new things

Setting challenges and goals, whether at the office or outside, can help alleviate stress. This can be learning a new sport or language, which can help alleviate stress.

11. Helping people or participating in community-based activities

People who volunteer community work to help others also relieve themselves of stress. However, if there is no time to volunteer, a person can help others by doing them a little favour daily. It may be offering food to people in need or helping out a disabled or an older person to cross the road.

12. Remaing positive and accepting things as they are

It is only possible for some people to change a difficult situation. Stress can be relieved if people focus on things they control completely. This can be done by remaining positive throughout the day (Edmonds, 2022). For instance, if the work culture appears toxic, one can bring the situation under control by looking for a new job.

Role of a stress management society

The main aim of a stress management society is to help people to identify the causes of stress and reduce it. In other words, the dream of this organisation is to create a happier, more resilient, sustainable and healthier world. This is the UK’s leading organisation that deals with stress, and they take charge of the well-being of the people using organising workshops (Edmonds, 2022). Some of the notable clients of the stress management society are Sky Tv, NHS, Home Office and Allianz. This society offers various useful resources and tools to help stressed-out workers and employees overcome emotional distress and find peace. The products comprise the self-evaluation tools such as Corporate stress tests, online health assessment tests, well-being surveys and individual stress tests. In addition, the stress management society sells products through an online shop that helps deal with stress. The products include mood cards, self-help books, aromatherapy stress balls, and thermometers.

The AIS, or the American Institute of Stress, is a non-profit organisation that has taken an important role in managing stress. The stress mastery questionnaire is given to evaluate the stress level. Various surveys are also held to determine the stress that happens at the workplace. Another organisation that deals with workplace stress is the Center for Workplace Mental Health. This was founded to help the employees who needed immediate assistance. Stress management is done by encouraging strategic partners and employees to actively participate in the mental healthcare process (Edmonds, 2022).

The International Stress Management Association also caters to the need for workplace stress. Various programs and events are organised to highlight the mental illness, effects of stress and poor well-being of the employees in the organisation. One of its mental health programs is the global stress summit which deals with people having stress and suggest ways to overcome it. The organisation also has a team of experts who helps to treat various mental health issues. The services offered by the organisation comprise anger management, meditation, autogenic training, neurolinguistic programming, psychotherapy, trauma management and stress management, to name a few.
The mental health foundation attends to the devastating effects of mental health. The main aim of this foundation is to alleviate stress by conducting the latest research to introduce decisions, solutions and policies related to mental health. In addition to this, it has also organised a Peer Education Project or a PEP where the senior students teach their juniors about mental health. Another community-based project is Standing Together Cymru, which aims to reduce workplace stress.

References

• Edmonds, M. (2022).Best Stress-Relieving Tips for College Assignment Help. Simplified Education. Retrieved from https://www.academicassignments.com/blog/best-stress-relieving-tips-for-college-assignment-help/
• Gupta, R. and Pandi-Perumal, S.R., 2020. COVID-somnia: how the pandemic affects sleep/wake regulation and how to deal with it?. Sleep and vigilance, 4, pp.51-53.
• Kassymova, G.К., Tokar, O.V., Tashcheva, A.I., Slepukhina, G.V., Gridneva, S.V., Bazhenova, N.G., Shpakovskaya, E. and Arpentieva, M.R., 2019. Impact of stress on creative human resources and psychological counseling in crises. International journal of education and information technologies, 13(1), pp.26-32.
• Eisenbarth, C.A., 2019. Coping with stress: Gender differences among college students. College Student Journal, 53(2), pp.151-162.

FAQs

1. What do you mean by stress?

Ans: Stress is a state of mental tension or worry caused by a situation that human beings cannot control. Stress may come from any thought which makes a person angry and frustrated.

2. Name a few causes that lead to stress.

Ans: External and internal stressors can cause stress. It can be family issues, financial issues, relationship issues, toxic work culture. It was also noted that after the outbreak of COVID-19, many people started to undergo stress. Also, stress can take place from chronic illness or injury.

3. Name a few ways to deal with stress.

Ans: There are various ways to deal with stress. Taking a balanced meal, exercising regularly, socialising with people, practising meditation and yoga, remaining positive and letting go of those things that cannot be controlled are a few of the many ways to deal with stress.

4. What is the purpose of a stress management society?

Ans: SMS, or the stress management society in the UK, is a non-profit organisation which aims to create a happier, healthier and resilient sustainable world. They empower the people to take charge of their well-being. They organise events, activities, and programmes to promote mental health and suggest measures to overcome emotional distress.

5. What does the International Stress Management Association do?

Ans: The International Stress Management Association addresses the need for workplace stress. Various programs and events are organised to deal with mental illness, the effects of stress and the poor well-being of the employees in the workplace.

Author Bio: Mark Edmonds is a mental health counsellor with more than 15 years of expertise in helping students manage stress and anxiety. Mark assists students needing healthcare assignment help as a writer for Academic Assignments. His interest is giving kids the tools they need to manage their stress through strategies that have been scientifically proven to work. Mark enjoys yoga, hiking, and spending time with his family when he is not creating material for the healthcare industry. Mark uses professional knowledge and personal experience to help students achieve intellectually and emotionally. Mark struggled with stress while in college.