RSS
Home
How to manage stress
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
It's not wether you win of loose, but HOW you play the game...
Everyone-from the corporate manager, teacher, mechanic, middle school student, single father, etc. - experiences some level of stress in their daily life. Stress may be seen as the means by which people, as active agents, interpret and represent the information they receive about threats from outside sources and from their bodies and, how their subsequent actions depend on their understanding of that information. Stress responses are characterized as psychological (mental and overt behavioral responses), physiological (including effects on internal organs) and immunological (Michenbaum, 1993). Webster’s Dictionary offers these definitions of stress: the importance or significance attached to a thing; any stimulus, such as fear or pain that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism; physical, mental or emotional strain or tension (Webster, 1989).
There are numerous ways in which the body and mind tell us that we are experiencing stress. This article uses three categories to facilitate the discussion of how stress manifests itself in our lives: behavior (actions), emotion (feelings), and physical (bodily complaints). The first step toward alleviating one’s stress is recognizing the behavioral signs and symptoms of stress. This will help lay the groundwork for an effective plan of action for stress reduction.
It is helpful to remind oneself to think of ‘behavior’ as an action verb. Along that line of thought the following question arises: What do you do when you ‘get stressed out’? If your reply is: “I get angry”, then you have identified a feeling—not an action. Again, ask yourself what it is that you do when you are stressed. A helpful hint for identifying your behaviors: If a camera were filming you in your work space at a time when multiple tasks needed simultaneous attention, what would the observer see you doing? Or not doing?
Below is a range of possible responses that may guide you toward accurate insight:
• Procrastinating: Not addressing current tasks or
• Engage in unrelated tasks
• Eating more or less than usual / Sleeping more or less than usual
• Speak harshly to others: Derisive remarks, curt responses, use of sarcasm, answers that outweigh the severity of the issue at hand (yelling, use of profanity)
• Self-criticism
• Leave the situation / Do not show up /Refuse calls / Fail to respond to alternate forms of communication / Withdraw
• Use of alcohol/other substances / Exceed recommended dosage of prescription medication(s)
• Fail to meet deadlines / Refuse to ask for help
It is important to remember that experiencing some level of stress is not necessarily a bad thing. Upon one’s acknowledgement of their stress, stress itself may be useful as a gauge to determine the extent to which it is a debilitating factor in your life. It is equally important to remember that it is the individual who, through repeated practice, is able to make the most of available the techniques presented here (and other resources you may find) and successfully negotiate the stressors in life. The emotional and physical signs and symptoms of stress will be discussed in the next two articles. Some words to live by:
If you keep on doing what you have been doing,
You will keep on getting what you have been getting.
Disclaimer: Please note that if at any time you feel that the stress in your life has become entirely unmanageable, and/or you are feeling extreme sadness, hopelessness or helplessness call your mental health care provider or 911. The information contained in these articles is only informational in nature and is not intended as therapeutic, nor is it intended as a substitute for the services of a professional counselor.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
