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How to Manage Stress
What is Stress
It is a normal physical response to the threatening events, which upset mental balance and poise.In real or imagined danger, the defense system of the body triggers a high-stress response, in a rapid and automatic manner.
This response is the way by which the body protects the person. If this response works properly then the person remains focused, energetic, alert and enthusiastic. This response is life-saving in emergency situations and gives extra defensive strength.
It helps to meet challenges and keeps one on toes during work, sharpens the concentration and seriously drives the person towards the goals and objectives of life
But stress is not helpful beyond a certain limit because then it begins to damage the health, mood, peace of mind, productivity, relationships and the quality of life.
Stress Causes Wrinkles
The stress, lifestyle, and worries cause wrinkles. During stress, a powerful aging hormone called cortisol is released into the blood stream. The process of aging becomes fast when the level of cortisol remains elevated in the body for a longer duration.
The stress makes the skin thin, it fails to resist the effect of gravity and the sag appear. Besides, an anxious, aggressive and worried attitude in life aggravates aging.
The tense expressions of stress like frowns and scowls sit on the face in the form of forehead wrinkles or fine lines around the mouth or eyes. The facial exercises control the wrinkles and reduce the raised levels of cortisol.
Bury the worry, because it affects the eating and sleeping habits, which further increases the stress. Keep the mind and body busy in some creative work, learn time-management, avoid stress and tensions, control the anger, wear a beautiful smile and change the outlook.
Reduce stress by exercise, hobby, walk and music. Spend time in nature and cultivate childlike innocence. To alleviate the chronic stress, write a diary, sing a song and go for yoga or meditation, as it improves health and skin vitality.
Relax, When Under Stress.
Everyone experiences stress in life, which may be due to the work for too many hours, or a career that lacks passion, or worries, or illness. The stress also finds its way into life due to financial or economic worries, a sick family member or troubles in relationships.
The absolute weight of glass of water doesn't matter. The thing that matters is, how long one can hold it. There is no problem to hold it for a minute, but if held for an hour, the arm will start aching. Again if it is held for a day, the arm will become numb or paralyzed. Remember the weight of the glass does not change, but the longer it is held, the heavier it becomes.
The stress and worries in life are similar to the glass of water. Seriously think about the problems of life for a while, and nothing will happen, but think a little bit longer and they will start hurting. When brooded all day long, the person will become incapacitated or paralyzed or unable to do anything in life. So always remember to put the glass down and not to hold it longer.
If experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in the table just boot out the stress out of life.
Symptoms of Stress
Emotional
| Cognitive
| Physical
| Behavioral
|
---|---|---|---|
Depression
| Mental fogginess
| Aches,pains,migraines,headaches
| Loss of appetite, binge or emotional eating
|
Irritability
| Poor concentration
| Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol,diarrhea,constipation
| Insomnia or sleeping too much
|
Feeling hopeless
| Anxiety
| Digestive issues,increased belly fat, Obesity
| Isolation from others
|
Negative feelings
| Poor judgment
| Nausea,fatigue, asthma, arthritis
| Procrastinating
|
Isolation
| Pessimistic mindset
| Dizziness or vertigo
| Desire for alcohol, cigarettes, drugs to relax
|
Short temper
| Poor problem solving ability
| Chest pain, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
| Nervous habits of nail biting, pulling out hair, pacing
|
Agitation
| Constant worrying
| Nointerest in sex, low libid
| Self-doubt, loss of confidence
|
Sense of loneliness
| Forgetfulness
| Painful menstrual cycle,hormonal imbalance
| Neglecting responsibilities
|
Relax in Stress
Cultivate Contentment
Stress can be checked through happiness which lies in relaxation and letting go the things. When not subjected to the tests, one easily gets connected to the feeling of happiness, because at that time there is no stress. So make this habit a default setting. When the pressure builds up, move forward with peaceful gratitude; instead of storing the pressure to build the steam and then explode with full force.
Remain contented regardless of the situation. Cultivate contentment even when the things are not so easy. The attitudes, perceptions and coping strategies should be firmly affixed in the psyche. Don't reserve it for the day when all the bills are paid.
The contentment is dynamic, but the complacency is stagnant. One should look at the life of contentment, eliminate toxic relationships or situations and re-balance the self at all levels. So change the things which are not working. Be grateful for what you have and take the crisis as a crossroad leading to new vistas.
The contentment gives new perceptions about the things and calms the mind. Such attitude is independent of external influences. Remember, what you have or do not have is nothing as compared to the fact that who you are.
Turn the frown upside down and take every adversity as an opportunity to get connected to the contentment.
Follow the Tips and Shun all Stress.
1. Don't compare yourself or your life with others.
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2. Sit, relax, breathe, reboot and rejuvenate yourself.
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3. Hard times give inner strength and connect the person with himself.
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4. Give away those things which you don't need, as someone may use it.
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5. The words,thank you, cleans up many things, so repeat the words often.
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6. Let the grateful contentment take hold on you for peace and positivity in life.
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7. Listen to inner voice in complaints, and to change the situation, note down two options.
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Avoid Stress for Happiness
To lead a stress-free life one should feel happy and full of life, contentment, and energy.
Mostly the people find happiness by attaching life to some distant things in future. These things may be, a certain amount of money, a particular brand of clothing, some fantastic or romantic relationship, or promotion in the career.
It means the happiness is being confined to some date, time, achievement or ambition. Now the problem arises because we always desire more and this attitude becomes inherent in human nature. This spirit keeps the man growing, learning, developing, evolving or expanding and we continue to grow as a human race.
But this thing makes the man so focused on desiring more and more. As a result, the person becomes absent to what is happening now at the present moment and cannot fell happy.
Live in Present
The people mostly live in an absent state, often thinking either about the past or the future.
The total presence in present is rarely found in situations or activities like the challenging mental or physical feats which demand full focus to perform them, or life-threatening situations.
People who live in present, generally practice presence, that is giving priority in life, to choose to always live in present. This leads to a higher life quality, more happiness, greater productivity, deep intimacy with relationships, satisfaction with life, better health and perfect energy. So practicing presence in present is a very simple thing, but the benefits gained are countless.
Here are the ways to practice presence in present. Try one or all of them now.
Deep Breathing
For overall wellness, the importance of deep breathing can not be avoided. Regularly practice deep breathing, until it becomes an automatic process with you. It will impart peacefulness and happiness to your life. Whenever unhappy or stressed try deep breathing.It also brings your focus back to the present. Always breathe in through the nose and count five with the abdomen extending out when filled with air. The chest and shoulders should not move. Hold the air inside for five counts.Breathe out through the nose again for five counts by throwing out all the air from the abdomen. Repeat this process ten times. This focus on breathing will bring you out of the past or future and put you in the present state of calm and happiness.
Pay Attention to Senses
How The senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound are always with us. They sense the world for us at all times. But we do not pay attention to them. The conscious attention paid to all the senses brings us back to the present moment. The senses will tell us what they are sensing now, therefore there is no choice to be anywhere else other than the present.
Be Grateful
Despite every problem, be grateful in life for the fresh air, for your eyesight, for the warm coat, for present job, for your mobile phone, for an easy chair, for clean drinking water, and so on. Don't focus on what you do not have, rather be grateful for the things and the power you have. This will take you to the present with happiness and positive energy.
Smile
To put a big smile on the face shifts the state and brings one back to the present. When depressed or under stress, just smile and come back to the present. In a practice of meditation, one can simply sit or lie down and just smile and breathe. One can hardly feel to be down when there is a pleasant smile on the face.
Make Each Moment Extraordinary
Make the life wonderful by doing things which can not be done daily. To make the most of each day, make it brighter amazing. The following tips will help to get the most out of every second in life.
Get up earlier and give time for yoga and take a walk.In the morning make a list of attainable and realistic works to be done throughout the day. Instead of rushing to bath, or madly driving to the office, just slowly ease into the day. Give time to the body to adjust to the new day slowly and easily.
On the way to work, enjoy the weather, the sounds, the sights and the smells. Help the people with whom you work. Be proud of your accomplishments and your performance.
Don't remain sitting, but stand up and walk around, both halfway in the morning or in the afternoon. Make no compromise with this, and do it as many times as possible.
During lunch turn away from the computer. Relish and focus on the food instead.
Make the evenings different by breaking the routines. Eat what you relish the most, plan a fun dinner, start experimenting in the kitchen and so on.
Before going to bed, be thankful for whatever happened in the day.
Depression and Stress Cause Untimely Ageing of Brain
A recent research has claimed that the depression causes untimely aging to the brain. The researchers said that earlier the scientists claimed that the dangers of dementia increase among the people with aging when they suffer from depression or anxiety.
The researchers at Sussex University in the UK researched 24 studies. The subject of study was the relationship between the decrease in cognitive activities with the passage of time and depression or anxiety.
Among cognitive activities, the researchers included the aspects like a loss in memory, lack of the power of taking decisions, and the speed of the process to synthesize the resources of information.
© 2013 Sanjay Sharma