COPING WITH STRESS
The art of coping with stress is to find the right amount of stress to motivate you for optimum performance.
Eighty percent of people's thoughts are negative, and depressed workers are causing companies and governments to lose lots of money. According to the American Psychological Association, stress and anxiety is costing companies over US$150 billion a year through diminished productivity, absenteeism and medical costs.
IS STRESS BAD?
Stress is a positive and motivating force that energises you towards your goal. This is called eustress. But when the demands on your life outweigh your ability to cope, stress can be destructive and produce negative effects. This is called distress.
Too little stress is bad for productivity, as people then tend to do their work slowly and inefficiently. But too much stress is also bad, as it causes anxiety, panic and even suicidal tendencies, in the worst cases. The art is to find the right amount of stress that will motivate you to perform at your optimum level.
DEFINATION OF STRESS?
Stress is not the pressure from external sources such as nasty customers, tight deadlines or demanding bosses. These are called stressors. Your response to the stressors is called stress. Stress is your reaction to help yourself adjust to various situations. Stress anxiety occurs when there is a substantial imbalance between the environmental demand and your response capability.
TYPE OF STRESS
There are three types of stress symptom
Acute stress arises from natural disasters and crises. It is usually short term, such as examinations, arguments, injuries and illnesses.
Chronic stress is the accumulation of small things that bother you, such as the noise level at work.
Specific sensitivities are events that have negative effects on one person more than others, such as fears of particular situations and phobias.
There are four main perceived threats, namely to your:
-psychological self — such as perfectionism, criticism and failure;
-physical self — such as being mugged, living in unsafe areas and visiting dentists;
-environment — such as loneliness, lack of privacy, ageing, poverty and insufficient sleep; and
- social relationship — such as new boss, new customers and new subordinates.
EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE BODY
When you are under stress, one or more of the following physical stress sympton might happen:
-difficulty in concentrating and making decisions;
-frequent forgetfulness;
-negative self-critical thoughts;
-distorted ideas;
-more rigid attitudes;
-increased sensitivity to criticism
HOW TO MANAGE STRESS
When you are stressed, manage it.
Stress and anxiety affects everybody. As stress research pioneer Hans Selye said, "the only time we are not reacting to stress is when we are dead".
Tell yourself to be rational. Feeling stress is normal. Stay calm and relax. Adopt the "here and now" attitude. What matters is the present moment.
Do not harbour imaginary fears. One way of cutting out weird imaginations is to engage yourself with things you like to do. Be totally absorbed in an activity. Meet up with close friends or colleagues.
When you have fears, write them down. Ask yourself: What are you afraid of?
Most fears do not take place. FEAR is an acronym for False Evidences Appearing Real.
Face up to your fears. Learn to relax yourself and adopt distraction tech¬niques. Perform an absorbing activity that will divert you from your fears. If stress causes you to be depressed, challenge your negative thoughts. Read motivational books to uplift yourself. An old English saying goes: 'When you are in the pits, you have to light a candle and find your way out."
Confiding in your close friends and family helps in coping with stress. Talking helps to unload your worries, and you will find yourself lighter after sharing your troubles. Exercise is a great stress reliever and diversionary activity. Even if it is a slow walk, it is a great start to lift you out of depression.
