"I have written this note with much need and love of helping one of my best friends called RUTH K SPACIOUS who recently posted on her wall that 'STRESS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I HATE MOST....' I read through the comments from her friends and I realized she was stressed over something and she needed ways of overcoming it. So my dear, THIS NOTE IS FOR YOU. I know you are a lit bit astonished now because we rarely chat but just know I always think of you and I never want you to be hurt or stressed in any way"
First of all let me tell you what stress is
STRESS is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. When people feel stressed by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength. Many different things can cause stress from physical (such as fear of something dangerous) to emotional (such as worry over your family, studies, death, and the person you love {loneliness, cheated on, disused, taken for granted, heartbroken, abused and many more} or a job.) Stress can be categorized in the following ways;
INTERNAL STRESS - Have you ever caught yourself worrying about things you can do nothing about or worrying for no reason at all? This is internal stress and it is one of the most important kinds of stress to understand and manage. Internal stress is when people make themselves stressed. This often happens when we worry about things we can't control or put ourselves in situations we know will cause us stress. Some people become addicted to the kind of hurried, tense, lifestyle that results from being under stress. They even look for stressful situations and feel stress about things that aren't stressful.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS - This is a response to things around you that cause stress, such as noise, crowding, and pressure from work or family.
FATIGUE AND OVERWORK - This kind of stress builds up over a long time and can take a hard toll on your body. It can be caused by working too much or too hard at your job(s), school, University or home. It can also be caused by not knowing how to manage your time well or how to take time out for rest and relaxation.
Stress can affect both your body and your mind. People under large amounts of stress can become tired, sick, and unable to concentrate or think clearly.
HOW TO OVERCOME STRESS
1. Be aware of your choices; you always have a choice. This is true for emotions as well as work. Sometimes you need to let your emotions out but still stay in control.
2. Say something positive to yourself as soon as you wake up every morning. This will keep your energy and mind going.
3. Start every day with a reflection, spiritual or otherwise.
Set goals for what you need to achieve that day, then write a "to do list", When writing your "to do list":
- Know your limits - Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day.
- Prioritize your tasks and work to finish them starting with the highest priority (urgent/important).
- Do your most unpleasant or most difficult task at the beginning of the day when you are fresh, thereby avoiding the stress of last minute preparation. Procrastination feeds stress!
- Emphasize quality in your work, rather than sheer quantity.
- Schedule your day and your stress as this can reduce the number of stressors you must juggle at any one time. Stagger deadlines for large projects.
- Add some "breathing" space that will allow you time for "recharging" and creative thinking. You will also be better prepared when an unanticipated task arrives. Too much logical and systematic thinking creates stress - you need to give that part of the brain a rest and stimulate the other parts of the brain.
- Review your goals at the end of the day and think about everything you have achieved. This is cathartic and will help you sleep better. Check off the things that you accomplished on the "to do" list.
- Know your limits and do not push yourself too hard or beat yourself up when you do not achieve your goals. Tomorrow is another day, start writing tomorrow’s to-do-list before you lie down so that it is off your chest.
4. Be organized. Much stress arises from feeling overwhelmed. Being organized and getting your priorities straight can help you break responsibilities down into manageable pieces and focus on the things that really matter.
5. Identify the things that put you under stress. Make sure you understand why you become stressed so that you can try to avoid these circumstances.
6. Stop worrying about what you cannot change. This especially comes with things such as politics. Learning to accept things as they are an important coping mechanism, but not as easy as it sounds.
7. Take responsibility for making your life what you want it to be. It is less stressful to make decisions and take action than to feel powerless and react to other's decisions. Decide what you want and go for it
8. Treat your body right - You will have more self-confidence and energy, and be less likely to experience the physical side effects of stress:
- Eat a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks only. Your choice of food is very important when dealing with stress; stay away from sugary snacks and have unsalted nuts and fruit available.
- Drink water it is the best beverage and stay off alcohol which always adds to stress one way or another. Caffeine is also known to raise stress levels, so again it is best to drink water.
- Get fit. Exercise a little every day. This releases endorphins that can lower stress levels, also eat chocolate it also releases endorphins, but only in a small to moderate dosage.
- Get enough sleep-like minimum of 8hrs
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