Posts Tagged ‘stress management’

How to Cope with Stress in School

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Posted 11 Apr 2012 — by admin
Category Keeping Healthy

Being a student is difficult because it is the phase when people are in their teens and are trying to establish their adulthood and their place among peers. Stress is high and not being able to manage it could sometimes have its dire effects. Stress management is crucial in staying happy and healthy.

If you are a student, knowing how to cope in class therefore is vital for your success, peace and happiness. Here are pointers you may want to adapt to cope with stress in school.

Be yourself

It is stressful to try to be the person others want you to be, unless you have a sincere desire to be that person. If you are comfortable with yourself, then there is no need to change who you are just because your friends tell you so. Of course if it is for the better then you should grab that opportunity to grow and develop. Perceive it in a positive manner. Look at the process as a challenge so you would enjoy the process than being stressed about it.

Don’t worry too much

Worry only for those events or things you can change. Worrying about things you don’t have any control of is frustrating and stressful.  As long as you’ve done your best, accept whatever consequences that come. Stop worrying and observe how you will be relieved from lots of stress. Believing in God or someone more powerful than you are, who could take care of everything, would relieve your stress tremendously.

Belong to a group

Belonging to a group would help you overcome stress.  This is one of the great ways on how to cope with stress in school. This group can be a church group, a writing club, a dancing club or any worthwhile group you could join and learn from.

Acquire a hobby

Acquire a hobby that would help you de-stress like swimming, dancing, horseback riding, reading or any sport that you are interested in.

These are simple but effective methods that usually work with most students.

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Stress management: How to Cope with Stress in the Workplace

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Posted 07 Apr 2012 — by admin
Category Keeping Healthy, Workplace health practices

Coping with stress in the workplace may be difficult if the stressful activities happen simultaneously. Understanding, however, that stress is part of normal daily activities would help you cope with it. You should also be aware that the mind plays a crucial role in coping with stress.

There are numerous causes of stress. Some of them are the following:

  • Upcoming reports where you may be a presenter
  • A meeting where you are assigned to speak
  • A new boss
  • A new partner
  • A new assignment
  • A demotion
  • A promotion

These are only some of the reasons why you can be stressed out at work. You should know how to pinpoint your sources of stress. You can determine these by the following indications:

  • When you think about the activity, your pulses quicken and your heart beats faster
  • You hyperventilate
  • Your muscles are tense
  • You have butterflies in your stomach
  • You can’t keep still or the opposite- you freeze
  • You sweat profusely

These are some signs that you are stressed out about that particular event.

Being stressed out starts with your mind, your thoughts. This indicates that these symptoms were brought about by merely thinking about the activity.

This means your thoughts can cause you stress. For you to cope with stress in the workplace, you have to know how to control or manage your thoughts.

The hypothalamus is the center of the central nervous system and it allows you to feel. It responds to your feelings and needs. If it does not acknowledge the stimuli, then nothing happens. It is crucial that you understand this, so you could deal with the sources of stress in your workplace.

You could cope with stress by re-directing your thoughts positively, and by being an optimist. You should realize first, that these feelings of stress are natural and human, but you should learn how to manage them. Hence, to successfully cope with stress, you have to change the way you think.

Here are pointers on how to manage your stress

Perform breathing exercises

When you start becoming stressed out with the thought, breathe deeply for several minutes. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it for ten seconds and then exhale forcefully through your mouth. Do this at least ten times until your breathing becomes even.

Perceive the activity as something positive

While doing this, look for something positive in the activity. Let’s say it’s a report you’ll have to do before your colleagues; think of the activity as a means of sharing what you know.  It could also be one method of helping out your colleagues, and of bonding with them.

Believe in yourself

Have faith in yourself.  Top management is asking you to present because they believe in you, and you should believe in yourself too. Oftentimes the worst enemy you can have is yourself. Don’t let that happen to you.  Imagine yourself presenting the report calmly and successfully. Keep that image in mind as you breathe deeply.

Do minimal exercises before the activity

You can do arm stretching exercises, or simply exercise by opening and closing your fist while doing your breathing exercises. This would channel your energy into something physical, and would also get your mind off your anxiety and stress.

Methods of successful stress management vary from one person to another. What’s important is to remember that coping with stress in the workplace should start from the way you think. Convert your thoughts into positive ones and you’ll notice that you’d be a happier person; less stressed out and relaxed than before.

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Different Stress Relievers That You Should Learn About

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Posted 27 Oct 2011 — by admin
Category Alternative Medicine, Diseases and Conditions, Health Procedures, Home Remedies, Keeping Healthy

Most lifestyles today are full of deadlines, hectic schedules or quotas. That is why stress is a common experience for most of us today. The fact that some people consider stress as a natural thing is not a good idea. This is because, people might not be aware of how much stress is creeping into their systems and affecting their health. When stress becomes chronic without you doing anything about it, it may greatly affect your mental, physical and social health. This is why; stress relievers must be learned by you before stress takes its toll on your body.

Studies say that a large percentage of primary care consultation to physicians is due to stress-related issues. Come to think of it, these medical consultations could have been minimized if people know how to deal with stress on their own. If you think you are stressed now, you should learn some techniques that are known to be effective stress relievers. Do not let stress damage your health and well-being. You should do something about it now!

Find time to exit from the pressures of your daily routine. Try these different stress relievers and save yourself from the long-term adverse effects of stress.

  • Studies reveal that quiet reflection is one of the most effective stress relievers. This is done by stopping for a while, despite how fast paced the day is, and just think of thoughts that will be relaxing to you. It may be in a form of imagination of a serene place or reminiscing on a favorite memory. Studies further say that doing this for 10-20 minutes is the most effective duration that will help you relieve your stress.
  • Make a to-do list in chronological order based on the weight of priority of the tasks. To-do lists are also very effective stress relievers. Not only will they help you organize the things that you have to do, they will also decrease your tendency to mind-race. After you have listed the things that you should do in a day, cut your list into half. This means that you need only to do the “top priority tasks” in a span of one day.
  • Have a regular exercise regimen. Exercise helps your body to release the happy hormones called endorphins. These hormones are proven by many studies to reduce stress. In addition to this, endorphins cause a positive or euphoric feeling in the body that can help you have a renewed feeling of energy that will help you cope with the daily hassles that you will encounter.
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Know, Manage and Avoid the Harmful Effects of Stress

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Posted 26 Oct 2011 — by admin
Category Alternative Medicine, Health Procedures, Home Remedies

Know, Manage and Avoid the Harmful Effects of Stress

Many studies have proven how a stressful life can hurt your health. According to experts, stress causes some disruptions to the chemical activities in the brain. This is the rationale how stress can cause adverse effects to your health. That is why, if you feel that you are experiencing chronic stress, you must be alarmed about the harmful effects of stress and make a lifestyle modification to minimize the stressors in your daily life. Whatever the stressor is, it should be dealt with properly before it’s too late.

What causes stress?

Before getting to know the harmful effects of stress, you must first get acquainted with the idea of stress itself. Stress is something that we cannot totally eradicate in our life. In fact there is a point wherein stress is still considered as healthy. A small dose of stress can actually motivate a person to learn how to perform with grace under pressure.

Stress is the body’s mechanism to be able to cope that is why, at some level, it is favorable for the body. However, it is when stress becomes heightened and chronic will the body experience the harmful effects of stress.

Any change in your usual routine, whether it is a good or bad change, can cause stress. It may be a life-changing event, a physical state of health or any environmental change. There is always a negative connotation to stress, thinking that stressors are always in negative forms like deadlines, financial obligations or relationship problems. However, positive changes that happen in your life such as getting married, receiving a job promotion or having a new baby can also cause stress.

How does stress creep in the body

The question is, at what extent will the harmful effects of stress occur? The body responds to stress in a way that the body is being prepared for a “fight or flight” reaction. This is made possible by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Imagine the body undergoing chronic stress, there is an experience of a prolonged “fight or flight” situation which can possibly disrupt the physiologic processes of almost all the systems of the body.

To avoid reaching to a point that the body experiences the harmful effects of stress, you must be conscious of the red flags that will alert you that you are already experiencing chronic stress. Among these red flags are the following:

  • Drastic physical changes such as body aches, headaches, unexplained weight changes, hormonal imbalances, heart palpitations and insomnia
  • Mental and emotional symptoms like constantly having racing thoughts, forgetfulness, irritability, restlessness and short temper
  • Changes in functional level to a point where productivity is already being altered to a great extent
  • Social and behavioral manifestations such as nervous behaviors (nail biting, pacing or fidgeting), isolation and picking on other people

What illnesses are correlated to stress?

The most dangerous of all harmful effects of stress is the fact that stress is correlated to many types of illnesses. Stress is found to lower the body’s immune system, making you more prone to have colds or infections. Other illnesses related to stress are cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

Aside from these, additional harmful effects of stress are disruptions in fertility, which may cause a woman to experience difficulty in conceiving a child. Aside from other sexual dysfunctions caused by stress, it can also cause vaginal dryness, absence of menstruations and decreased sexual drive.

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Common Sources of Stress

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Posted 13 Mar 2011 — by admin
Category Diseases and Conditions, Keeping Healthy

The world you live in has continuous demands that have to be met. Whether you are working or you are still in school, oftentimes people have the same common sources of stress. The stressors come in different ways. Although stress may be good, too much of it can also be a bad sign, because you might not be able to manage all of them. Thus, it is recommended that you learn to cope with most of them. The best way to reduce the stress in your life is to be aware of their common sources.

Interpersonal Relationships

Maintaining a good interpersonal relationship with the significant people around you entails effort and time. The key in keeping the harmony with your family and friends is an open line of communication. Generally, simple misunderstandings can lead to big arguments if you do not communicate well. Misunderstandings are common sources of stress.

Life Adjustment

If your body is accustomed to your daily routine, changing your regular schedule can cause significant stress in your life. If you have been used in working, enjoying financial abundance, and physical wellness, a sudden change in these situations can put pressure to you. Loss of employment, economic crisis and illness require life adjustment. If you are not ready for these sources of stress and you lose support from your family, you might end up feeling depressed.

Because changes are constant in life, you need to be ready for these common sources of stress. The best way to prepare for these adverse situations is by keeping an intact interpersonal relationship with others and knowing when to say no.

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