Manage Stress The Right Way

3 November, 2009 No Comment

Stress is omnipresent and is a constant challenge being faced by individuals at every step of life. It can arise from pleasant as well as unpleasant situations and needs to be dealt with by adopting the right approach.

It manifests itself in many ways such as increased irritability, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, impulsiveness, crying spells, panic, irregular heart beat, dry mouth, emotional instability, gastro-intestinal problems, yelling, increased use of tobacco and alcohol, migraines, cold hands and feet, frequent low-grade infections, allergies, headache, overeating or under eating and increased perspiration.

How to cope with stress the right way?
The physical, emotional and behavioral responses to stress are co-related. The more intense the emotional response, the stronger is the physical response. Effective behavior responses can help cope with stress. The following tips can help you manage stress efficiently at every step of life:

Relax: Relaxation is the most important aspect by means of which you can manage stress constructively. Relaxation as described by Herbert Benson is a feeling of warmth and quiet mental alertness.

When an individual is in a relaxed state his/her heart rate, breathing and metabolism slow down and oxygen level and blood flow to the brain increase. Relaxation techniques comprise of breathing exercises, biofeedback, visualization and meditation.

Worry constructively: Most of us tend to worry and sometimes we worry needlessly. Whenever your worry seems to be consuming you, think about the subject of your worry and ask yourself if you are capable of controlling the situation or not.

Try to be a spectator and view the problem from the outside. Make a note of all the positive steps you can take to resolve the situation and implement them.

Take control: Any difficult situation can leave you extremely stressed out if you are not in control of it. For instance, you may be losing time fast before your next presentation or unexpected hurdles may appear out of nowhere and obstruct your path.

The minute you begin to feel that everything around you is taking control of you, get ready to reverse the tables. Think about all those things that can be controlled by you and go ahead and take charge of your life.

Develop problem solving techniques: It is said that you can either be part of the problem or of the solution. The choice is entirely yours. Whenever you find yourself frowning over a problem, take in a deep breath and try to relax your mind.

Pen down the problem in 1-2 sentences and identify all its possible causes. Consider your solutions and pick the most obvious one. Get your act together, take a decision and get going.