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In This Article...
I) Physiological Symptoms of Stress.
II) Mental Symptoms of Stress.
III) Managing Your Stress.
As the end of summer draws near. Most of us will be returning
to work, going back to school and basically back to business as
usual. Even though the summer break usually relieves a lot of
stress.
Its amazing how quickly we find ourselves feeling tense,
nervous and basically stressed out once we return to our busy
lifestyles. Changing a stressful situation is easier said than done.
What we can change is the degree to which that stressful
situation affects us!
Why is it important to manage your stress?
Aside from the obvious psychological reasons to manage your
stress (i.e. feeling more comfortable, less tense and less irritable).
Improperly managed stress has been shown to cause the
following effects on the mind and body.
-- SYMPTOMS OF STRESS --
When you are experiencing a very stressful situation, certain
chemicals are automatically released by the body which can
trigger the following reactions. Individual responses to stress
vary, but here is a short list of some of the most common
symptoms.
-- Physiological Symptoms of Stress --
- Rise in blood pressure.
- Increase in breathing rate.
- Digestion slows down.
- Rise in perspiration.
- Dilation of the pupils.
- Rush of strength.
- Loss of appetite.
- Overeating.
- Headaches.
- Cold hands or sweaty palms.
-- Mental Symptoms of Stress --
- Depression.
- Irritability.
- Isolation.
- Unjustified fear of death or disease.
- Strong urge to cry.
- Self-destructive feelings.
- Fear of being alone.
- Inability to concentrate.
-- MANAGING YOUR STRESS --
The first step toward managing your stress is simply being
honest enough with yourself to realize when you are in a
stressful situation. There a variety of things that people do in
order to manage their stress.
Some people start unhealthy habits or addictions such as
drinking, smoking, overeating, oversleeping or abusing
prescription medication in order to manage their stress and
temporarily feel better. While others can reduce their stress by
simply talking about the situation or getting in a good workout
at the gym.
In the next article well take a look at some of the less
conventional (but very effective) ways of managing stress. This
includes a close look at some great relaxation techniques like
belly breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
Look forward to learning how to take a more proactive
approach to managing your stress with step by step instructions
on how to perform these techniques.
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