I’m getting stressed are you?

I started to feel the effects of stress recently in my life realising I have been getting sick lately, Thus I decided to find out a little more about the subject.

The first thing about stress is that all stress isn’t bad. Some stress is actually very good for you,
let’s face it, we all seem to work a little harder when we are stressed and we often achieve a lot more then we previously believed we could. In other words stress can keep us on our toes.

“The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life – giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.”

However I think I’m going to focus on the other kind of stress for this blog. Negativity is starting to spread across our lives, people are losing their jobs and people are taking strain thus I thought it was a relevant subject.

Firstly, what is stress?

According to an article I read; “Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way.” And as we know this could be anything, the fear of losing your job, the fear of breaking up with your partner, the fear of moving to a new town or school or for example being told something unexpected, to name a few.

Stress should not be taken lightly. The effects of stress can cause your body serious harm, for example; It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

It should be clear to everyone that these symptoms are not minor.

So how much stress is too much stress?

I recently felt as though I was reaching a climax in terms of my stress levels, I was starting to fall ill and I was struggling to sleep. It’s important to take a time out once in a while, separate yourself from the hustle and bustle. It’s important to learn how to recognize when your stress levels are out of control. The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it and It starts to feel normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll.

Some warning signs include

Memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, seeing only the negative, anxious or racing thoughts, constant worrying, moodiness, irritability or short temper, agitation, inability to relax, feeling overwhelmed, sense of loneliness and isolation, depression or general unhappiness, Aches and pains, diarrhoea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, loss of sex drive, frequent colds.

You may feel like the stress in your life is out of your control, but you can always control the way you respond. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation.

Guys think about your life and realise that sometimes we can’t do everything, managing your time better will reduce your stress. For example I used to rush to work every day and feel overwhelmed when I got there. So by the time I have to do my first tasks for the day I was already feeling the pressure. To combat this I have taken the attitude of leaving work a half hour earlier allowing me to relax in the car on my way. Now if I get stuck in a traffic jam I don’t have to stress about being late because I will still be at work on time and if I arrive early I have a jump on the day. An extra half hour to have a cup of tea and relax before getting stuck in.

We need to talk about it, if you are having trouble with something and you feel your life is out of balance or control, go to a friend or a relative and tell them about it. Bottling up, yes it works, it defuses it eventually, a lot of people believe bottling up will cause you to explode they are wrong. Studdies have shown eventually it works however it does take longer and the more you do it the less inclined you are to open up to anybody, which then increases your stress level if you are being stressed out on a regular basis and over a long period of time.

Stop and think about why you are stressed is it necessary, a lot of people get stressed over insignificant things, think to yourself, is my stress justified? If not, then take a deep breath and relax for a moment, this will radically reduce your stress levels.

We all have stress the key is to control it, find a method that works for you and use it. You’re already on your way to living a better longer life.

Well guys here are some thoughts I hope I have helped you get through another day a little happier. If you have any comments they are most welcome and if you would like to be a follower of this blog please feel free to join.