About Stress
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz
Stress: a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
Resilience: the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.
Resilience: the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.
Introduction
Stress is a part of day-to-day living. It is a common human phenomenon and part of life. Most days, and sometimes daily, you may experience stress meeting demands of work, family, friends, finances, and health.
Stress can come from things that are good things as well as bad. Sometimes we can feel worse from the stress of good things because they’re good, so we feel bad for feeling stressed.
The stress you experience is not necessarily harmful. Mild forms of stress can act as a motivator and energiser. However, if your stress level is too high or is experienced for too long, medical and social problems can result.
What Causes Stress?
Although we tend to think of stress as caused by external events, it is the way in which we interpret and react to events that makes them stressful.
People differ dramatically in the type of events they interpret as stressful and the way in which they respond to such stress. For example, speaking in public can be stressful for some people, and not for others.
Some causes of stress include:
Symptoms of Stress
There are several signs and symptoms that you may notice when you are experiencing stress. These symptoms fall into four categories: Feelings, Thoughts, Behaviour, and Physiology. When you are under stress, you may experience one or more of the following:
Feelings
Thoughts
Behaviour
Physiology
Building Stress Resilience
Our goal is not to eliminate stress. Our goal is to learn how to manage it and learn how to recover from it.
Insufficient stress acts as a depressant and may leave us feeling bored or dejected.
On the other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling tied up in knots.
What we need to do is to find the optimal level of stress which will individually motivate but not overwhelm each of us.
Building stress resilience is about balancing the nervous system and endocrine system, as well as calming the busy mind and doing this in a way that works for you.
What does stress resilience look like?
How To Build Stress Resilience
Stress is a part of day-to-day living. It is a common human phenomenon and part of life. Most days, and sometimes daily, you may experience stress meeting demands of work, family, friends, finances, and health.
Stress can come from things that are good things as well as bad. Sometimes we can feel worse from the stress of good things because they’re good, so we feel bad for feeling stressed.
The stress you experience is not necessarily harmful. Mild forms of stress can act as a motivator and energiser. However, if your stress level is too high or is experienced for too long, medical and social problems can result.
What Causes Stress?
Although we tend to think of stress as caused by external events, it is the way in which we interpret and react to events that makes them stressful.
People differ dramatically in the type of events they interpret as stressful and the way in which they respond to such stress. For example, speaking in public can be stressful for some people, and not for others.
Some causes of stress include:
- Time Management
- Bereavement
- Moving to a new house
- Debt
- Difficult relationships
- Ill health
- Stressful work
- Family problems
- Losing contact with loved ones
- Injury or illness
- Legal problems
- Separation/divorce from a spouse or partner
- Money problems
- Unemployment
- Job insecurity
- Work concerns and pressures
- Receiving a promotion
- Starting a new job
- Marriage
- Buying a home
- Having a child
- Taking or planning a holiday
- Holiday seasons
- Retiring
- Attending classes
- Learning a hobby
- Child starting school/university
Symptoms of Stress
There are several signs and symptoms that you may notice when you are experiencing stress. These symptoms fall into four categories: Feelings, Thoughts, Behaviour, and Physiology. When you are under stress, you may experience one or more of the following:
Feelings
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling scared
- Feeling irritable
- Feeling moody
Thoughts
- Low self-esteem
- Fear of failure
- Inability to concentrate
- Easily embarrassed
- Worrying about the future
- Pre-occupation with thoughts/tasks
- Forgetfulness
Behaviour
- Stuttering and other speech difficulties
- Crying for no apparent reason
- Acting impulsively
- Startling easily
- Laughing in a high-pitch and nervous tone of voice
- Grinding your teeth
- Increase in smoking
- Increased use of alcohol and/or other drugs
- Being accident prone
- Losing your appetite or over-eating
Physiology
- Perspiration/sweaty hands
- Increased heartbeat
- Trembling
- Nervous ticks
- Dryness of throat and mouth
- Tiring easily
- Urinating frequently
- Sleeping problems
- Diarrhoea / indigestion / vomiting
- Butterflies in stomach
- Headaches
- Premenstrual tension
- Pain in the neck and/or lower back
- Loss of appetite or over-eating
- Susceptibility to illness
Building Stress Resilience
Our goal is not to eliminate stress. Our goal is to learn how to manage it and learn how to recover from it.
Insufficient stress acts as a depressant and may leave us feeling bored or dejected.
On the other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling tied up in knots.
What we need to do is to find the optimal level of stress which will individually motivate but not overwhelm each of us.
Building stress resilience is about balancing the nervous system and endocrine system, as well as calming the busy mind and doing this in a way that works for you.
What does stress resilience look like?
- Sleep well
- Have more energy
- Better health
- Less colds and flu’s
- Less or no headaches
- Think more clearly
- Feel good all over
- Feel able to cope
- Muscle flexibility
- Calm
- Improved relationships
- Confidence
How To Build Stress Resilience
- Do something that makes you happy and joyful, even if it’s just for 30 seconds, it can be all you need to flick the switch from feeling stressed to feeling like you’re coping.
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Do you best, as opposed to trying to be perfect
- Talk to your friends or family members
- Listen to guided meditations
- Essential Oils: find an oil that you really love and put 1-2 drops only in a diffuser. Follow essential oil safety guidelines. Seek help from a professional aromatherapist for guidelines on safe use (Find a registered aromatherapist: www.ifparoma.org).
- Try different relaxation treatments to see what suits you
- Journal your stress away and gain clarity
- Practice yoga, tai-chi or other movement-based practices to help release the effects of stress
- Visit a counsellor for support in building stress resilience
- Do not use alcohol or any other drugs to alleviate your stress
- Recognise your negative thoughts (e.g. “that was a stupid thing that I did”) and replace them with more positive thoughts (e.g. “it’s o.k. to make mistakes)
- Make time for fun activities
- Get a hobby or two
- Avoid unnecessary competition
- Recognise and accept your limitations
- Learn how to use your time wisely
