Stress is a part of life that everyone feels at different levels at any one point of their life. Bursts of stress actually help improve brain performance. Short experiences of stress trains the brain to be more alert and prepared for a variety of situations in the future.
However, chronic and sustained levels of stress puts individuals at risk for various health issues. The impact and length of one’s experience of stress affects a person’s ability to respond to it well.
No one can fully eliminate stress from their life. Instead, what we all need are healthy ways to cope with the stress we experience.
It’s Never Too Late to Ask for Help
In times of extreme distress, we may not always adopt the healthiest approaches to dealing with what we are experiencing. The overwhelming feelings are not easy to handle. When you are experiencing a lot of stress in your life, see if it is preventing you from doing what you normally do.
There are times when you may have already fallen into habits that ultimately are only helping you escape the stress and not manage it. When you find yourself going into substance abuse to cope, remember that this is not the be-all and end-all for you. There is always a possibility to recover from these experiences.
Interrupting a cycle and acknowledging a problem is intimidating and often scary. However, it is always okay to seek professional help during times of trouble. You can approach a family member or close friend to assist you in joining heroin rehabilitation programs or other recovery programs that address your personal struggles.
What Stress Does to You Physically and Mentally
When you are feeling immense amounts of stress, your body responds to it. Among the ways your body warns you of too much stress is when you feel aches and pains, usually on your neck and back. Finding yourself with your teeth clenched involuntarily is also a sign.
Additionally, gastrointestinal issues such as stomachaches and diarrhea can also occur due to your heightened emotions. Keep track of your weight, too. Sudden loss or gaining of weight and a lack of appetite are symptoms of stress in your life.
Some effects of stress are not as visible, however. When you find yourself more irritable or tense than you would usually be, you may have too much on your plate. Chronic stress does not just make you more on edge.
When you begin doing your work tasks, do you find yourself forgetting things you knew you were supposed to do? Are you unable to concentrate on deliverables assigned to you for the day? Stress also affects your memory and your ability to focus on your tasks.
In reality, experiencing too much stress in your daily life affects you in more ways than you think.
Three Tips for Coping with Stress
There are healthy ways to deal with all these feelings of anxiety and tension. These are a few of the many good methods of handling these difficult situations.
1. Establish a routine
When you are stressed, you feel like you have such little control over your life. You can counter this by creating a schedule for yourself and following it. Write it down and keep a record of it if you need to.
A clearly laid out schedule helps you get a good grasp of everything you have to do for the day and keeps you from getting overwhelmed. For those who prefer not to write down strict schedules, a to-do list that breaks down your responsibilities into small, doable tasks is also a great help.
2. Exercise regularly
Feelings of sluggishness make you just want to lie down in bed all day, even while doing work. Lounging around can make you feel worse, though. Get up and get moving to shake off all those negative feelings!
Regular exercise releases chemicals associated with happiness. This is why those productive gym sessions often make you feel like you can do anything afterwards. Make exercise a part of your routine to be more physically fit and also to feel more capable with whatever the day brings.
3. Go easy on yourself
Lastly but just as importantly, you have to give yourself allowances to make mistakes and get things right the next time. You are your worst critic, after all. When the day ends and you find yourself filled with regret, remember that you also have tomorrow to try again.
Especially during a pandemic, there are already many stressors outside of your personal life. Help yourself by remembering that you are only a person who deserves a break every once in a while, too.
