RELIEVE THAT STRESSS

                                                   

Stress is defined as a body’s method of reacting to a challenge. 

Some stresses get you going and are good for you,I mean if if you really look at it, without stress our, our lives would be very boring. However, when the stress undermines our physical and mental wellbeing, it is considered as the bad kind of stress. This write-up focuses on this bad kind of stress.

Stress is stimulated by a stressor. While we could term stress to be the feeling we have under pressure, stressors are the things we respond to in our environment. Due to the fall in oil prices and slow pace of the economy in the country which in itself is a huge stressor, the amount of stress the average Nigerian would normally experience has almost doubled.

The body’s way  of responding to stress is by “sympathetic nervous system activation” which results in the fight-or-flight response. This simply means that when faced with a challenge, your body activates responses to protect you – to either get away as fast as you can or to fight. Of course I do not mean physical fight (oh please, that is even another stressor) I mean our body produces higher quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline which trigger a faster heart rate, sweat, heightened muscle preparedness and alertness.

                                                 Effect of stress on you

The effects are so numerous to mention but we shall pick a few stress effects that people would normally not know are stress effects. They include

·        Erectile dysfunction

·        Nail biting

·        Depression

·        Forgetfulness

·        Drug/alcohol abuse

·        Eating too much

·        Eating too little

·        Social withdrawal

·        Food cravings

 Common stressors are financial matters, family problems, relationship problems and job issues.’

                                                  Dealing With Stress

As seen from above, stress is just a part of life therefore as humans, we must develop ways to deal with it.

This can be done via these 3 methods

1.     Self-help – this involves dealing with stress via exercises, eating a healthy and balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, planning your time on a daily basis, while setting aside some time each day just for yourself to help organize your life and relax, talking with friends and family members also helps in dealing with stress.

2.     Stress Mananagement Techniques – these techniques have 4 aims and can be taught with the aid of a counsellor or psychotherapist. The aims are:

·        To change the stressor.

·        To alter your view of a stressful event.

·        To lower the impact of stress on your body.

·        To teach other ways of coping.

3.     Medicines – doctors usually administer this method for chronic stresses like depression or mental illness. It should be noted that drugs ONLY mask the stress rather than help you deal or cope with the stress.

In conclusion, there is never truly a stress-free life, people who are said to be living such lives have only been able to daily life stress properly and you can too. Deal with that stress now before it deals with you.

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