Coping with Stress

Nowadays, stress seems to be a normal part of our everyday life. But just because it seems normal, doesn't mean it is something that should be ignored. Not all kinds of stress is bad though; there are types of stress – in small amounts – that can drive the body to become more alert, adapt to change and even increase one's productivity level so goals can be achieved.

What Stress Really Is

Generally, stress is a physiological reaction to both external and internal factors. External factors may include your job, daily life problems, interpersonal relations, studies, pressures and challenges you have to deal with. Internal factors may refer to every aspect of yourself, such as a nutritional status, your overall health and emotional stability, among others. These all play an important part in how you are able to handle and cope with stress.

Stress allows the release of powerful neurochemicals and hormones that prepare you for action – to fight or flee. If we don't take action, the stress response can create or worsen health problems.

Symptoms of Stress

·        Some of the common stress symptoms may include:

·        Headache

·        Fatigue

·        Changes in sleeping habits

·        Changes in eating habits

·        Emotional and behavioural changes

·        Emotional instability (mood swings)

·        Irritability

·        Depression

·        Muscle tension or aches

Vulnerability to Stress

Prolonged, unexpected, uninterrupted and unmanageable stress are the most damaging types of stress that can and will affect good health or worsen a health condition. So you have to be aware that in some cases, treatments, such as tranquilisers and muscle relaxants, will come in handy. Others also opt for supplements that aid in coping with stress, and help relieve stress symptoms such as irritability and fatigue.

Each person has a unique way of responding to stress. This is why some people can get easily affected by it whilst others seem to be stronger and more able to handle it. This, however, does not mean people affected by stress are weak; it only means that some people are more vulnerable to stress. Vulnerability to stress can be related to one's social environment, as well as intrapersonal factors.

Unstable environments, both emotionally and financially, lack of social support, health problems and self-esteem problems are the usual factors that make us more vulnerable to stress. For instance, a healthy individual could cope with a stressful situation much better than someone whose day-to-day life includes dealing with poor health.

Stress can affect people of all ages and all walks of life, so there aren't really preventive measures. However, social support and emotional stability help us become less vulnerable to stress.