Stress Management

What is Stress?

Stress defies a single comprehensive definition.
It is a universal syndrome comprised of various characteristics and symptoms affecting different human beings differently.

Therefore stress has been defined variously by various professionals - psychologists, medics, management consultants and others. Whatever the definition, we all have experienced stress, and are possibly experiencing it at this moment. Each one of us therefore intuitively knows what stress is and can define it according to one’s own perspective.

Activity:

Discuss what stress is like for you.
What are some of things that cause you to get stressed?
What happens to you physically and emotionally when you are stressed?
Are there any triggers or situations that can bring on stress for you?

The Positive Side of Stress

Strangely enough stress, though invariably associated with negative connotations, has its positive side also.
Any creative process can be happily stressful.
Participation in sports can be stressful for the competitors and theatrical performance can be stressful for the actors.

Stress - an Individual Response

While one activity may be a source of enjoyment for one individual, the same activity becomes a cause of stress for another.
The fear of stepping upon the stage of a theatre or a sports arena can cause a person to spend sleepless nights.

 The fear of failure even in the so-called happy activities of sports and theatre may generate stress of detrimental nature. It therefore follows that the same activity may not evoke the same response from all the persons engaged in it. Some people may enjoy the creative challenge of the activity, while others feel stressed and worried.

Stress, therefore is only an individual response to a given situation. It is not generated by the situation itself.

During the course of our life, we encounter stress, some in high levels, some in low. But what exactly is stress? It is the result of placing undue expectations or desire on ourselves, creating images of ourself and trying to live up to the image that has been created by others.

When we compare the image of ourselves to the reality of ourselves, opposing forces are created, and our mind tries to match the created image with the current situation.

Stress can be made worse by other peoples expectations, and being human we always care what others think of us - even though we tell ourselves that we do not. We try to change ourselves so that we can be accepted by other people, regardless of whether or not they care.

Negative thoughts about our self image also add to the stress. We re-live those negative moments over and over again in our minds, lowering our self esteem.

The first thing we have to learn is that what has happened in the past cannot be changed, or erased. All we can do is take the lesson we learnt, and learn not to do it again. What happens in the past is exactly that, passed, and we must learn to live for now.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF STRESS

Diseases - Stress has been the reason for 50-80% of diseases.

Insomnia - The inability to fall asleep.

 Hypertension - High blood pressure, which can lead to lethal complications.

 Aging - Research has proven that people age faster when they experience more stress.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Emotional Symptoms

Emotional symptoms are often one of the first signs of stress. If ignored they can quickly manifest into depression, resulting in more serious physical and relational symptoms.

Nervousness, anxiety
Lack of concentration
Trouble thinking clearly
Temperamental, moodiness
Memory problems
Feeling out of control
Feeling of "butterflies”
Irrational Reactions
Substance abuse
Irritability, frustration
Phobias

Physical Symptoms

 Physical symptoms can also be caused by other illnesses, so it is important to have a medical physician treat any other physical disorders that may be present. However the body and mind are not separate entities - any of the physical problems outlined below may directly result from stress or be exacerbated by stress:

Sleep disturbances
Asthma or shortness of breath
Back, shoulder or neck pain
Chest pain
Upset or acid stomach
Sweaty palms or hands
Constipation, diarrhea
Cold hands or feet
Weight gain or loss, eating disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome
Hair loss
Periodontal disease, jaw pain
Muscle tension, cramps
Reproductive problems
Fatigue
Growth inhibition
High blood pressure
Skin problems (hives, eczema, psoriasis, itching)
Irregular heartbeat, palpitations
Immune system suppression: more colds, flu, infections
Heartburn, gas

Our Biological Response to Stress

Our stress response depends partly on our instincts and partly on the way we intellectually perceive them. Our instinctive stress response can be of two types. One is the short term ‘fight or flight’ response. The second type is the long term ‘general adoption syndrome’. While the short term response is generated by the immediate survival instinct, the long term response exposes us to stress. Both these response mechanisms are affected by the way we think and interpret the situation.

Fight or Flight Response

The fight or flight response is generated in the form of shock from the situations occurring suddenly. In such situations, the biological system releases neural and hormonal messages that initiate a chain of changes in the body. The heart beats faster and with more force. Blood pressure and breathing rates rise. Fat and sugar levels in the blood increase. Fortunately all these changes are adaptive in the short term, in that they occur only to provide fuel and oxygen to empower the muscles to either fight the danger or take flight from the situation. They thus prepare the body for physical action. The process may increase sweating in an effort to cool the muscles so that they can work efficiently. The hormones divert blood supply from the skin to the core of our body to recoup the blood if it is lost due to some accidental damage. These hormones help us focus our attention to the cause of the threat to the complete exclusion of everything else. These actions spend our energy from the stress response and the body returns to its normal state.

The Physical Effects of Stress

The stress response occurs in form of neuro-endocrine activity in which the brain acts like an orchestra conductor and directs a barrage of neural and endocrine hormones to target various organs of the body. The cardiac output increases in form of heart rate and stroke volume. The digestive system is impaired. The blood pressure rises. The pupils dilate. There is an increased activity in the metabolism, sweat glands, brain and respiratory system. The arteries and blood vessels may become thick reducing the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. The result can be heart attack.

The immune system becomes very weak. The subject becomes susceptible to colds, rheumatoid arthritis, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and many other health problems.

Changes in Behavioural Patterns

Over-stressed people take to alcoholic drinks, smoking or other substances to gain immediate chemical relief from the stress. Some persons develop insomnia while others sleep fitfully.

The Effects on Performance

The impaired state of physical and mental health affects the subject’s efficient and productive performance.

A stressed person gets easily distracted because of persistent anxieties, doubts and negative thoughts. These negative associations compete with the creative energy required for efficient performance. The attention capacity, active memory, and concentration of the subjects suffer badly. The focus narrows as the brain becomes crowded with unhealthy obsessions. The stress reduces a person’s ability to deal with huge amount of data that has to be processed and analyzed. A stressed person persists on the old track and ignores the better options.

Long Term Exposure to Stress

Long term exposure to stress takes the form of general adoption syndrome. It occurs in response to long term exposure to the causes of stress. This phenomenon is commonly visible, both in employers and employees of the corporate sector, where new challenges emerge on a daily basis. Projects have to be executed in time. Sales targets have to be met. Statistics have to be presented in board meetings. This results in continuous arousal of the body. When this arousal becomes chronic, stress related problems appear.

Biological Response to Long term Stress

Stress hormones that remain in an elevated state in the blood for long time can become toxic and affect the cells of the body. The level of fat also increases, causing cardiovascular problems. The immune system is emaciated and the body becomes prone to infectious diseases, including cancer. The moods go down steeply and physical and mental exhaustion takes over.

Vicious Circle

Another negative development results in the form of the brain getting sensitized. This leads to the change in the structure and function of the nervous system. The situation sometimes worsens to the extent that even small irritants may blow up into a dangerous stress and anger response. A continued state of arousal creates different breathing patterns. Muscles around the abdomen, chest, throat and jaw are affected. This results in rapid shallow breathing or hyperventilation which in turn changes the blood chemistry and makes the heart work harder. A vicious circle is created with the hyperventilation keeping the nervous system sensitized. The outcome is continued exhaustion, mental and physical health problems and loss of efficiency.

Positive thinking. Positive results

When you are nearing an exam or a sporting competition that is important yet stressful, always think positive!

Research has shown that negative visual images held in the mind greatly decrease performance. Getting stressed out about something isn’t going to make the situation any better; it can only make it worse. Hence, faced with competition of any kind or even when things are going downhill, try to think positively and things may just turn for the better.

Another advantage of thinking positive would be that you tend to live longer and retain youthfulness, both physically and mentally. Stress lines are so named for a reason! Research has shown that people who think positively actually live about 19% longer than those who are pessimistic about life. This would be probably due to the fact that they were more likely to look after themselves and not have a fatalistic attitude about their health as they grow older.

Even though a positive outlook towards life would be the best, we are after all human and would definitely have times in our lives where everything just tends to go downhill. It’s alright to feel down, everyone does sometimes, but don’t let it affect you too much. Just remember there is always light at the end of a dark tunnel. Instead, ponder on the things that you feel that you should be grateful for - for example a healthy body, good food, shelter and clothes on your backs. Look into the little blessings that go unnoticed, and focus on them. Always know that there are others that are suffering to. Also remember that, no matter which situations you are in, whether it is good or bad, happy or sad, all of those experiences are giving us precious lessons on life.

Self talk can help

On a scale of one to ten ask yourself -how bad is the situation?
How much better off are you than others in the world?
What is the worst thing that could happen to you?
Is the situation as bad as that?

No matter what happened to you yesterday, your attitude is your choice today.

Recommendations for stress reduction:

Make a list of stress triggers and learn how to recognize them. Consciously try to recognize them and learn to relax in these situations.
When feeling stressed try to relax by slowing down the thoughts - breathe in peace, breathe out stress.
Limit your intake of refined foods such as refined sugar and white bread. Try to eat lots of fruit and vegetables as they are good for the mind, body and the environment.
Talk politely and be open and honest.
Respect other viewpoints.
Do not gossip or criticise others.
Be around cheerful and optimistic friends who think positively about life. This environment will encourage you to see life in a positive manner and it will be easier to cope with stress. It is best to avoid being around people who are always angry, who tend to always have a negative outlook on life and who often criticize others.
Remember you can do whatever you wish if you have a positive attitude.
Treat yourself regularly: have a massage, try yoga, meditation, aromatherapy or any alternative therapy.
Remove obstacles by seeing problems as an opportunity for self-improvement.