Stress Relieving: Getting To The Root Of Your Stress
Stress can be caused by many things in our lives, both large and small. As we get older and are faced with more responsibilities, stress is unavoidable. It's imperative that we learn to recognize it as a natural psychological response to conflict or pressure before it becomes overwhelming and stops us in our tracks.
What Causes Stress?
Stress is simply a natural psychological response to some kind of conflict or pressure. We all experience it at different times, for different reasons--some people get stressed out over schoolwork while others may have difficulty with relationships--but the body reacts the same way: heart rate increases, breathing quickens, hormones are released into your system. When you're under stress, your body is being flooded with chemicals that make you feel energized and alert. Your heart rate increases to pump more blood to your muscles in case you need to run or fight, while breath quickens to bring more oxygen into the bloodstream. Your mind becomes hyper-focused on solving the problem at hand and blocking out other distractions so that you can calmly and logically make a decision on how best to approach it.
What's Normal?
There's no right or wrong way to handle stress. Everyone experiences it in different ways. Everyone has different reactions to stress. Stress can be painful and irritating, but it's important that we do not become overwhelmed by it. Taking a deep breath and using coping techniques such as exercise, relaxation techniques, writing in a journal (or having a friend do so for you), or talking things out with a trusted person is the best way to relieve stress when it starts to get overwhelming.
What's Borderline?
When stress becomes debilitating and affects major areas of your life, it no longer represents "normal" reactions to pressure--it begins to border on being an anxiety disorder. These disorders must be treated with therapy, even if you're under pressure from work or school (though perhaps not in this order). It could be a sign that it's time to make some important changes in your life.
Treatment For Stress
Stress is an inevitable part of life. We cannot stop pressures or conflicts from arising in our lives, but we can learn how to manage them. Your stress reactions don't need to be a problem: they're a natural and healthy reaction to pressure and conflict, and they'll actually help you achieve success despite the problems you're faced with. But if stress becomes so painful that it causes physical symptoms (for example, if you get muscle tension headaches every day), it may be time to seek help.
If stress is a bad habit and you're not able to get rid of it, you may need to change your approach: stop giving so much control over your life (but still have something in control), or question the "rules" that are meant to hold on to you. Change is difficult for most people, but this can be very beneficial. You'll learn how to better manage your stress and ultimately how to get rid of it all together.
Recognizing Stress
Stress might cause you physical symptoms if it's too much, but when a little is okay, there's no need to worry. These are some signs that stress has begun creeping into your life:
Having mild headaches every day.
Conclusion