Stress is something everybody experiences from time to time. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry or nervous. In medicine, stress is the body’s response to physical, mental, or emotional pressure.
Stress causes chemical changes in the human body, causing a surge of natural stress hormones called cortisol in the bloodstream. The increased cortisol levels negatively affect our body .For e.g it may raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes and increase blood sugar levels. It may lead to anxiety , depression and more anger.
Stress affects different people in different ways. A little stress can actually be beneficial – it keeps you alert and motivated to get things done. But too much of it can have serious consequences for your health, both physical and mental.
The common symptoms os stress :-
Often feeling a sense of worry or unease
Being easy to irritate
Being unable to relax, switch off and rewind
Insomnia
Loss of focus , concentration and mental fatigue
Lack of energy
Can you relate to any of the above? If so , what can you do?
First of all, if you are stressed , try to identify the reason why- perhaps you are under pressure at work or home.
Then, write it down. Getting it out of your head is often the first step towards feeling better, helps lighten the load.
Once you know the cause of your stress, you can seek ways to reduce its impact on your life. Sometimes you might not be able to identify the specific cause of your stress, or see an obvious way to counteract. If so then what?
Well introducing certain simple changes in your life can do the trick; you can improve the way you are feeling:
Improve your diet– eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and protein and reduce processed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
Get a good night’s sleep- become disciplined in your sleeping and waking times.
Regular exercise- a regular walk or run or 20 mins of exercise will keep you fit and healthy as well as reduce stress
Practise simple breathing exercises – this will help you stay calm throughout your day
Meditation – great way to relax your mind and body
Communicate– talk to friends and family. Laugh and make others laugh.!