Stress
What is stress?
Stress is a normal physical reaction to events that make you feel in danger or otherwise threatened.
When you feel in danger, your body by releasing substances into the blood that give you more energy and strength, which is useful if the stress is caused by physical danger.</ em>
But stress can also have a negative impact on the body if it is in response to a stronger emotion and this extra energy cannot be utilized.
Stress is the body’s way of protecting itself. It helps you stay focused, energized and disciplined.
In emergency situations, this body reaction can save your life by making you stronger to protect yourself, for example to hit the brakes to avoid a crash.
Stress also helps you face challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a work presentation or makes you study for an exam when you want to surf the web or watch TV.
But after a certain point, stress stops being helpful and can take a toll on your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.
Symptoms of Stress
Stress is an inevitable part of our modern lifestyle that affects various aspects of our existence.
Its influence can manifest itself on a cognitive, emotional, physiological and behavioral level.
Uncontrolled stress can have serious consequences for our health and well-being, so it is essential to recognize its symptoms and learn how to deal with it.
Cognitive symptoms of stress are associated with increased brain activity.
When we are under pressure and experiencing stress, we may experience memory problems and find it difficult to concentrate on tasks.
We often find ourselves worrying constantly, judging situations negatively, or exaggerating the consequences of a problem.
This can cause us to be unable to enjoy the moment as our mind closes in the eternal worry of the future.
Emotional symptoms of stress are saturated with intense feelings. We feel constantly overwhelmed, easily become irritable and worried.
This leads to constant internal agitation that makes it difficult to relax and truly relax. Feelings of loneliness and isolation are often shared by those experiencing prolonged stress.
Sometimes it feels like no one understands what we’re going through, which can alienate us from those close to us.
Physiological symptoms of stress can be diverse and often surprise us. Stress can affect our body through various pains – from headaches and muscle tension to chest pains and palpitations.
Irregular eating and stress can cause an imbalance in the digestive system, leading to diarrhea or constipation. Nausea and dizziness are also common reactions to more intense stress.
Behavioral symptoms of stress can manifest in different actions, which are our body’s reaction to the feeling of pressure.
Some people start procrastinating because they feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of so much work.
Isolation is common in stressed people as they seek peace and recovery time away from others.
This type of behavior can increase feelings of loneliness and make it harder to recover from stress.
Treatment of stress
In order to be able to cope with stress, it is important to recognize its symptoms and realize that they can cause you health problems.
There are several ways to reduce the effect that stress has on you, one of which is to help yourself.
Exercising and playing sports in general is very useful for limiting the effects of stress, and you will also maintain good general health.
You can walk quickly when you go to the supermarket to do your shopping. It is recommended that moderate physical activity be at least 150 minutes per week.
As under moderate physical activity, it is understood that the intensity of your movements should be such that your pulse quickens, your breathing becomes intense and you feel warmed up. You can train 5 times a week for 30 minutes.< /p>
There are a number of other ways to manage and control stress:
- Manage your time more efficiently and do your priority tasks first.
- You should try to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating balanced and make sure you get enough sleep.
- You should know your limits and not engage in too many activities.
- Find out what is depressing you and try not to focus your thoughts on it. You will feel better if you talk about it with a friend or family member.
- Try not to put yourself in situations that make you feel angry or upset.
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- Accept the things you cannot change and focus on the things you have control over.
Make time for things that that make you feel relaxed – you’re more likely to neglect your hobbies if you’re stressed.