Adopting an out of sight, out of mind approach to stress can actually have devastating consequences for your health. In fact, it can put you at increased risk of heart diseases, gastrointestinal conditions, reproductive issues, sleep problems, weight gain, cognitive impairment and mood disorders.
Many people think that stress is something that can just be “gotten over”, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In order to alleviate stress, it’s necessary for new coping mechanisms to be put in place and lifestyle changes to be made.
Although stress can exacerbate existing mental health problems or actually be caused by them, it can also cause physical health problems. Some of these include a sore throat, ringing ears, dizziness, muscle aches, bloating, heart disease and nervous shakes.
Busy professionals are a good example of people who tend to think that they can get through a tough period first, and take care of their stress second. The thing is that stressful periods cannot be made up for in the same way that lost sleep can, so it’s important that you take care of yourself as best you can at all times in order to alleviate stress.
A psychiatric diagnosis for stress doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t mean to say it can’t lead to distorted or paranoid thinking. Chronic stress that’s left untreated can lead to a delusional disorder, which is a serious mental illness.
Stress is an idiosyncratic condition, so it can manifest itself in many different ways. If you get stressed about your finances, career, relationship or any other thing, you should know that your stress triggers are completely unique to you. In addition, the way in which you respond to stress is also completely unique to you. While some individuals experience emotional responses, others experience physical ones, while others still experience a combination of both.
Stress as a motivator is temporary, so it’s not the most effective thing to motivate yourself with. Stress and stimuli are two different things, so you need to make a distinction between them. As a result, your motivation should come from setting goals, figuring out how to overcome obstacles and pushing yourself to succeed. People who seem to thrive under pressure succeed in spite of stress, rather than because of it.
Mild stress in certain situations, such as performance anxiety before giving a speech or presentation, is perfectly healthy, but that doesn’t mean to say it’s okay to put a positive spin on all types of stress. For instance, if your stress has reached a level where it’s affecting your health, job, family or relationships, it’s time to seek help. This is especially true if your stress is constant and prolonged, because it can turn into chronic stress.
Stress is part and parcel of life, however, that doesn’t mean that we should expect to be stressed just by the fact of being alive. The key is how we cope with the stress that we’re faced with each day. Take steps to manage your stress so that it’s less likely to overwhelm you. You should also heighten your awareness in regard to what your stress triggers are.
Although certain choices can lead to stress in life, it’s dangerous to label stress as a choice. Only someone with major mental health problems would willingly want to invite stress into their life. The only choice you can make in relation to stress is to not beat yourself up about it if you’re feeling it.
Images by Deposit Photos.
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