Stress Coping Strategies

Think about the time when you faced several breathing problems, your muscles tensed, and your heart pound with a sudden sense of dread.

Maybe when:

• Your professor announced a pop quiz.
• You are going to present your presentation in front of teachers.
• Your boss suggested that your job performance ought to improve.

In situations as mentioned above or likely so many situations, cause us to feel threatened and kinds of physiological and psychological changes we experience in response to such situations.

So, stress is a natural human response to pressure when faced with challenging and sometimes dangerous situations.

What Causes Stress? The Stressors

The factors which cause stress are called stressors. Some of the more common stressors, especially for college students, include relationships, academics, and time management problems. Financial pressures are a huge stressor.

Sometimes, for college students, just moving away from home and family and that support system can cause stress for college students.

The stressors of life may take the form of daily hassles, such as rush–hour traffic or the appearance of an unexpected company; major life events or transitions, such as college graduation or marriage; chronic problems, such as poverty, poor health, or overcrowded living conditions or traumatic events such as catastrophic accidents, assaults, tornados, or military combat.

Our reaction to such stressors is influenced by how we appraise both the events and our capacity to respond to them. People’s response to a stressor depends on the nature of the stressor itself and the person’s own experience, behavioral skills, self-concept, social support, and biological makeup.

Who is on Steering?

Do not let stress control your life. If you let it happen, get ready to experience a poor-quality life. By improving your knowledge about stress management, you can increase your resources of well-being and become more resilient.

What are some of the Common Signs and Indicators of Stress?

Here you have; some tips about what to look for and how you can help yourself or get help. First, it is essential to know how stress affects us.

Stress is helpful when it increases our ability to be vigilant, energized, switched on, and resourceful in facing challenges we enjoy or have to deal with. But stress becomes obstructive when it leaves us feeling tired, tense, anxious, burnt out, or overwhelmed.

The threshold between helpful and unhelpful stress is different for us and can also depend on what’s happening in our lives.

• Stress is unhelpful when we:
• Can’t turn off – feel attentive and anxious even when we want to be resting. 
• Can’t deal with – daily routine small tasks drench us out; even small things get us down, leaving us exhausted.
• Feel withdrawn from relationships due to lack of communication.

• Do not find the workplace interesting or fun activities become boring/irritable and the person just wants to isolate himself from the loved ones.

• Have difficulty concentrating and focusing.
• Have aches, muscle tension, and pains unrelated to exercise or any medical condition.
• Have difficulty eating or uncomfortable sleep.

Sometimes stress builds up and takes our life on its own – so that we feel anxious, even when not facing challenging situations.

Some of the Symptoms of Stress are

Management of stress is only possible when you understand how your body feels when you are stressed. Here is the complete list of Emotional, Psychological, Behavioral, and Cognitive symptoms of stress

Emotional Symptoms of Stress

Stress is a familiar feeling for many of us. However, too much stress can produce emotional symptoms. So let’s look at the emotional symptoms of stress.

Depression

Research suggests a link between chronic stress and the onset of depression, an illness in which an individual experiences a persistent and severe low mood. Researchers found that chronic and acute stress events are significant causes of depression. In addition, they increase depression in people who reported higher stress levels.

Anxiety

Unlike depression, anxiety is characterized by feelings of overwhelming dread rather than just feelings of sadness. In addition, researchers have found that people who experienced high levels of work stress were more likely to have more symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Irritability

Irritability and anger are associated with stress. In addition, studies found that irritability and anger can become common traits in stressed people.

Low Sex Drive

People who are stressed have less desire to be intimate. It is because stress increases cortisol, leading to lower levels of arousal.

Memory and Attentiveness Problems

People with chronic stress may experience memory performance issues, and they also have a problem focusing during work. Stress affects long-term memory.

Substance Abuse and Development of Addiction

Researchers have found that there is a link between stress and addictive behaviors. Another study found that stressful and traumatic events can change the physical nature of the brain and make them vulnerable to addiction.

Physical Symptoms of Stress

Physical symptoms of stress include:

Low Energy

People feel lethargic and have low energy to do any work. Stress takes out the energy of the people.

Headaches, Pains, and Tense Muscles

Headaches, pains, and tense muscles of the neck and back make the daily routine task very difficult. These pains are without any medical reason, and the reason behind these pains is stress.

Diarrhea, Constipation, and Nausea

Stressful people often complain of upset stomachs, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. Read more to know how to relieve constipation through dietary items.

Chest Pains and Rapid Heartbeat

One of the physical symptoms of stress is a rapid heartbeat and chest pain which is often misdiagnosed as cardiac arrest and panics a person about his condition. However, later medical assessment reveals that this condition is just because of stress and nothing severe.

Shaking Body

Stress makes a person anxious. Due to anxiety and stress, hands and feet become cold and sweaty. Further, stressful situations make them nervous, and their body starts shaking. This body shaking causes a person to feel uneasy, unpleasant, and irritated. They may be finding a therapist or a way to stop shaking from anxiety and stress.

Dry Mouth

On facing stressful situations, dry mouth and difficulty swallowing are other physical symptoms that people with chronic and acute stress often complain about.

Cognitive Symptoms of Stress

Cognitive symptoms of stress include constant worrying about uncertain things racing thoughts of strange events, which increase the inability to focus, and poor judgment.

Behavioral Symptoms of Stress

Behavioral signs and symptoms of stress are changes in appetite, avoiding responsibilities, avoiding social gatherings, increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes, and exhibiting more nervous behaviors.

Effective Stress Management Tips

Practical coping skills help improve mental and emotional well-being. People who can deal with stressful and traumatic situations through positive coping mechanisms may be less likely to experience anxiety and depression.

7 Productive Stress Coping Strategies

Be Aware and have a Positive Attitude

Watch your thoughts and mood swings. Keep an eye on your stress levels and ask whether they are helpful or getting you down. The way you think about things genuinely affects the situation. Your positive thinking can make a difference and help offset difficult situations.

Take Stock and Take a Break from the Stressor

Take a paper pen and think about things in your life or pressures you feel on yourself that may be increasing your stress. It seems complicated to get away from a stressful situation. But it is quite possible to take a break from that stressful situation and avoid that stress.

Let yourself do something else which can help to feel less overwhelmed. When you break from stressors, even just 20 minutes to take care of yourself is helpful.

Take Charge

Take prompt actions to deal with unhelpful sources of stress before they build up and become a bigger problem.

Make Positive Choices

Look at areas in your life where you could control your situation better or modify the way you respond. Accept that there are events you cannot control and change. When you are ready to accept it, you are in a better position to expend energy to be more effective.

Positive responses and reactions make the situation more relaxing. It is because our brains and emotions are interconnected. For example, when we feel stressed, our facial muscles become tense, so laughs and smiles make us relaxed and help relieve some of that tension and improve the situation.

Gain Knowledge of About Some Good Ways to Deal with Stress

When you share your feelings and disturbing thoughts with another person, it really helps relieve stress. But, make sure the person you talk to must be trustworthy and understanding.

For example: – Talk to someone you reliance, call a friend, phone Lifeline.

Exercise Daily

Exercise not only benefits the body but the mind also. A routine of exercise has long-term benefits. Even 20 minutes brisk walk, swimming, or dance session can give an immediate effect that can last for several hours.

Meditation

Prayers with mindfulness and meditation help to relax the mind and body. Meditation helps to develop a new perspective, self-compassion, and forgiveness. Meditation helps to control our negative thoughts as well and makes us calm.

More importantly, have a health check with your GP and make a regular exercise routine. You should eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid junk food. Make time for things you enjoy. These are the ways to help you spring back and become more resilient.

Sometimes, it can help to see a counselor discuss your life stressors, and your counselor will help you find better ways to cope.

Is Stress Always Destructive? Can we Overcome it?

Sometimes stress helps increase our alertness and energy to meet challenging situations. For example, it might give us the energy to finish a work project. But if it lasts long or overwhelms our ability to cope, it can negatively affect our life, health, well-being, relationships, work, and general enjoyment of life.

Yes, we surely can overcome stress through the stress-coping strategies mentioned above. This complete article is an appropriate guideline that can help you improve your lifestyle.