The phone is constantly ringing. You have an overflowing inbox. Your boss knocks on your door to ask how your most recent project is going as you are 45 minutes past the deadline. To put it mildly, you're stressed. Sometimes it is simpler for someone else to see signs of stress in you than it is for you to see them in yourself. Although it is simple to say that the symptoms will go away, they might not.
Stress naturally occurs when the body responds to any type of physical and mental pain due to challenges or changes that require attention or action. Mild stress for a short span of time is okay but prolonged stress proves extremely harmful to body and mental wellbeing. It adversely affects productivity, creativity, decision-making skills and other important functions like digestion, sleep cycle, functioning of heart, breathing, etc.
Some common symptoms of Stress are:
- Irritability
- Fear
- Frustration
- Hyper activeness/over consciousness
Risk Factors of Stress
People are naturally prone to suffer from stress when something problematic occurs. However, some people, specifically more than 50 years of age, remain on greater risk of experiencing inflated levels of stress if they are already suffering from:
- Obesity
- Depression
- Trying to survive in a challenging environment
- Reluctant to learn/use effective stress management skills
- Chronic illness
- Victim of crime/abuse
- Experiencing family problems
- Financial issues due to debt
- Facing problems related to work-life balance
- Poverty
- Homelessness
- Does not own a support system
- Addicted to psychoactive substances
Therefore, it becomes extremely important to maintain a balanced lifestyle to escape stress. Studies have found that most of the stress cases have obvious sources but sometimes even smaller incidents cause bigger stress.
Ensure a safe distance from stress-causing sources if possible. If not, then try to contain it by improving your skills, meditation and physical activities. Jogging, swimming, yoga and other types of exercises prove extremely helpful for brain health while improving overall body functions.
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Some other helpful activities to reduce stress are:
- Good relationships
- Spend quality time with family and friends while enjoying favorite activities
- An outdoor picnic on weekends proves of great use to bust the stress
- Optimum care for personal hygiene also delivers good results
- Read books to increase your understanding about stress related problems
- Participate in awareness programs
- Talk to the certified mental care specialist
Although stress is an inevitable problem, it can be manageable if appropriate steps are taken in the prescribed manner. Download the Solh Wellness app as our mental health professionals can help you assess your symptoms and rule out any underlying medical issues. If stress is to blame, our therapists or counselors will help you deal with stress more effectively. Download the Solh Wellness app now!
