Stress is the plague of our generation. Pressures at work, school, and home leave us feeling tension, anxiety, and stress. When we worry, feel overworked and unhappy, sometimes even desperate, stress is to blame. Stress may be the biggest reason we get sick or die prematurely. From headaches to heart attacks, from psychosomatic disorders to stroke, every health problem can be linked to stress. What can you do when you feel stressed out?
Stress, Anxiety, and Tension at Home
Personal problems and changes that are out of your control can make you feel stressed out. People feel a lot of stress because of a death in the family, divorce or separation, sickness, or loss of your job. Believe it or not, happy times like marriage, travel, and retirement also make you feel stressed out. The structure of the family unit has changed lately. 70% of us say that it is hard to balance our personal and work lives. Since there are fewer stay-at-home parents, Mom and Dad must squeeze child care in between work demands. They sacrifice their personal life and recreation time. Many of you feel required to live perfect lives, in perfect homes with perfect little children. Traffic is hectic, and the commute time on the road is longer. 90% of all working adults say they are concerned that they do not spend enough time with their families. At home and work, we are on-call 24 hours a day. Technology like computers, cell phones, texting, voice mail, and email keeps us online and in touch. There is never a minute we can truly call our own.
Your Job Can Make You Feel Stressed Out
There’s stress in the workplace, too. Work demands more of our time and more of our attention. While the work crew and office staff are downsized, the workload keeps growing. The company lays off employees to run leaner and meaner. Job security is nonexistent. You worry about becoming unemployed. So you spend lunchtime at your desk, you work long hours, and you take work home. However, your work is not valued at the company, and hardly anybody at work knows your name.
Symptoms of Stress, Anxiety, and Tension
How do you know you're feeling stress?. There are many symptoms of stress. You worry more. You complain more. People seem crabby and hard to get along with. You may be dealing with depression, insomnia, and family conflicts. You get sick more often with headaches, colds, flu, and general malaise. You fly off the handle and lose your temper at the smallest provocation. After a while on this treadmill, you feel hopeless, despairing, and even suicidal. You rely on substances to calm and relax you, like overeating, smoking, alcohol, and drugs. These are your coping mechanisms when you feel stressed out.
Some stress is helpful because it encourages us to perform well. But continuous stress with no relief in sight is dangerous. Stress causes physical changes in the body, like shallow breathing, high blood pressure, and increased adrenaline output. We are always in a state of readiness. We sense danger and react with the fight-or-flight response. At some point, energy is depleted, and exhaustion sets in.
Mental and Emotional Symptoms When You Are Stressed Out
People who feel stressed and anxious have worried negative thoughts. Your ideas become repetitive and obsessive. You develop extreme fears and phobias. You can become confused, unable to concentrate, and indecisive. You are irritable and easily explode in anger and rage. You can’t sleep at night, and when you do sleep, you have nightmares. You feel depressed, and you have thoughts of suicide.
Physical Symptoms When You Are Stressed Out
Do you have these symptoms of stress? You get tension headaches. Your muscles are tense and spasmodic. You grind your teeth. You get indigestion and ulcers. You have constipation or diarrhea. The immune system is undermined, and you get colds more often. You develop heart palpitations, asthma, high blood pressure, and panic attacks. You become accident-prone.
Twenty Things to Do When You Feel All Stressed Out
Here are twenty effective things to do when you feel stressed out. They are practical steps and techniques for de-stressing your life.
- Laughter is a powerful cure for stress and anxiety, while at the same time, it relieves pain and strengthens the immune system. When you feel stressed out, watch a funny movie.
- Having a strong personal goal and meaningful values will also contribute to stress relief.
- When you feel stressed out, try to live consciously in the moment. Schedule a time just for worry. Remind yourself not to worry until the schedule says it's time to worry.
- Manage your time better so that you work efficiently and productively.
- The use of a simple timesheet will help you track wasted moments and give you more control over your day.
- Plan your work and work your plan so that your day has structure and goals.
- With a to-do list and a schedule, it is easier to avoid procrastination and the stress that comes with it.
- Weed out unimportant activities from your schedule.
- Discard the paper clutter that swamps you.
- Avoid the people who make you feel stressed. Instead, seek out people with a positive outlook.
- If the evening television news makes you anxious, don’t watch it.
- Count your blessings whenever you feel stressed out.
- Repeat to yourself positive affirmations about the value of your life and your personal worth.
- Extend kindness and charity to help others less fortunate than you.
- Eat healthy food and avoid foods that stress your body, like caffeine, alcohol, heavy fats, sugar, and chemical additives.
- Avoid cigarettes, addictive drugs, and pharmaceutical drugs with side effects that add to your stress and anxiety.
- Try massage, acupuncture, meditation, and relaxation therapies when you feel stressed out.
- Develop hobbies like cooking, gardening, reading, and social clubs to distract your attention from stress.
- Spend time at public events, activities, and points of interest to fill your life with pleasure.
- Get a pet. Pets are therapeutic antidotes when you feel stressed out.
- Grow closer to the people around you and celebrate life together.
- Get your life together and start to enjoy living again.
I hope life brings you much success.
I wish you a pleasant day.
You must be logged in to post a comment.