The role of stress can be both a mental and physical strain. Stress comes from when demands are made upon you that exceed your resources. It is also difficult when role expectations are unclear or conflicting. Like when you have three children that have to be in 4 different places at 5 different times and there is only one of you.
Stress can manifest in various ways, including headaches, digestive issues, and increased risk of low immune or chronic diseases. Something has to give and eventually it does. What needs to happen is just that things need to fall apart before we wake up and seek the opportunity for change. You need to put on the brakes.
Awareness is the start, understanding the stress response and how it starts in the brain which communicates to the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system, which controls such involuntary body functions as breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, and the dilation or constriction of key blood vessels and small airways in the lungs. There are two components to this system sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic is fight or flight response and the parasympathetic is rest and digest.
So how do we put the brakes on stress? First changes in the external world and then changes in how we respond, using a counter response that elicits relaxation. Deep abdominal breathing, focus on soothing words, visualization of tranquil scenes, yoga are all counter responses that can work depending on the situation. Physical activity can stifle built up stress and lastly reaching for social support all can help sustain them at times of chronic stress and crisis.
So recognize change is necessary, make the changes, put in self care and keep the self care in a routine for the ultimate tool in handling stress.
Learn to de-stress email, info@mindhealthconnect.ca
Ref: health.harvard.edu