Modern life has probably amplified our anxiety and injected stress all over. It’s necessary to underscore that stress is not always bad since it can provoke excellence in our day-to-day undertaking.
There are certain scenarios that should be avoided through proper and timely planning of our programmes. This include constant emergencies in our mind which eventually affect the mind and the body at large especially when you become overwhelmed, the nervous system comes off- balance and has to be nudged and rejuvenated through employing sound-friendlier steps to detect the signs and symptoms of impending chronic stress since we are the absolute custodians of all the operations in our bodies.
Stress is simply the mathematics of demand and response of either real or imagined danger. The body finds itself at an automated fix to give an answer to the impending threat and thus sends a signal to the rest of the body that all is well assuming that nothing is lost — one remains focused, energetic and alert awaiting any emergency and re-energising to avoid unforeseen accident just like the driver would do.
It is healthy to have stress since it provokes or prods and sharpens ones concentration in a particular field. It forces a teacher to study notes properly to have a lively presentation so as to produce good results through learners. Other activities include winning and planning for a game, studying for an exam, which are done at the expense of something else.
When stress goes beyond elastic limitations, it stops being helpful and immensely damages one’s health, mood, productivity, relationship and quality of life among other important aspects.
It’s important to realise that all the time there is a feeling of being threatened, the nervous system releases enormous stress hormones which includes adrenaline and cortisol which prepare the body for an emergency, the heart pounds faster muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens thereby sharpening all senses. The strength and stamina speed up reaction this sharpens your focus — the options are two, you either fight or flee from the danger.
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When stress reaches chronic levels its necessary to note that one’s nervous system is not sharp enough at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats especially on issues like, arguments, deadlines and bills. The body can react as if it’s a death threat and therefore an emergency stress structure is activated easily making retardation hard.
If one often gets stressed-up in this ever demanding world, the body’s system easily adjusts to heightened stress levels, serious health problems result. Chronic stress disrupts all the body systems and suppresses the immune system, upset digestion and reproduction. It further leads to the risks of heart attack and stroke thereby speeding up aging.
The general motor body departments is required leaving one more vulnerable to anxiety, depression and other mental health problems like, Pain, Insomnia, Autoimmune disease, Digestive problems like Eczema, Heart disease, Weight problems-underweight or overweight, reproductive challenges, Thinking and memory lapses.
These stress related challenges would include cognitive; memory problems, seeing only the negative, constant worry, lack of concentration. Emotional; isolation, irritability or anger. Physical; nausea, dizzying, rapid heart rate, frequent cold or flu, loss of sex drive. Behavioural; too much or too little sleep, withdrawal from others, neglect of responsibilities, nail biting and use of drugs to relax the body system.
There are various causes of stress including work, school, financial problems, relationship difficulties, children and fancy other internal causes including pessimism, inability to accept uncertainty, rigid thinking, negative soliloquy, unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, all or nothing attitude.
Other events that can drive one crazy are death of spouse, divorce, marriage issues, separation, imprisonment, death of close family member, injury or job loss, improper marriage reconciliation and unplanned retirement.
Conclusively, whatever the situation is stressing you out, look for healthy ways of regaining your balance. It’s necessary to look for satisfaction at the work place since it can interfere with productivity and performance. Keep healthy relationship at home and accept success as well as failure.
It’s also necessary to note that we all cope differently with stress and we always have to create an atmosphere that will not subject others to higher stress levels whether we are crowned with higher or lower responsibility in society, it’s our duty to shield others from unnecessary frustrations, we can counsel them and come up with refined results and by so doing we become co-creators with God.
By Hillary Muhalya
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