Mastering Stress Management: Techniques to Calm Your Mind and Body

Introduction

Stress management refers to the use of techniques to manage stress in life. It might seem impossible that stress can even be managed in life. Adulting, as they say, is hard. There are demands that just will not stop, and you might feel like you are being pulled in different directions. So, the question really arises, what is stress management after all?

Stress management definition then becomes to understand that you are in control of your life. The next step is to take charge – of your thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns. It sounds difficult, but with stress management, there is no one universal technique. It is all about trying different techniques, finding the ones that best suit you, and building resilience as time goes on.

Without effective stress management, stress can overwhelm you and lead to many physical and mental health challenges, like anxiety, fatigue, and even heart conditions. Noticing stress-related symptoms and addressing them early on with the right tools can significantly improve the overall quality of life.

What Are The Common Causes of Stress?

The causes of stress can range from one to many. They can be everyday stressors to life transitions. Regardless, some of the common causes of stress are as follows:

• Academic stress

• Work stress – dissatisfaction with the job, poor management, unclear job expectations, and so on.

• Getting married

• Becoming a parent for the first time

• Traumatic events

• Loss of a loved one

• Loss of a job

• Divorce

• Chronic illness/condition

• Caregiving

Basically, stress is the outcome of fear, uncertainty, perception, unrealistic expectations, and change. What is also important to remember is that not all stressful events cause an equal amount of stress in everyone and not all stress is experienced the same way. Nevertheless, stress can take a toll on your overall well-being, and it becomes crucial to understand the effects of stress and engage in stress management.

Why Is It Important To Manage Stress?

When stress is acute or chronic, it leads to physical and mental health challenges. Chronic stress, especially, leads to anxiety, depression, substance use, eating disorders, insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, chest pain, and an increased heart rate. In short, stress disturbs physical and mental balance and wreaks havoc on life, and that is just scratching the surface. Therefore, stress management does matter.

With stress management, you first begin by identifying the areas in your life that are leading to stress. At the same time, it is also important to consider what your thoughts and feelings are regarding these areas in your life. Then, stress management involves using coping techniques to cope with these things. Coping is of two types – problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.

With problem-focused coping, you directly identify the problem that is leading to stress and strive to reduce or remove it. For instance, if it is your job that is putting you in a constant state of worry, then problem-focused coping will involve changing jobs.

On the other hand, with emotion-focused coping, you identify your emotional response to a problem that is leading to stress and manage the emotional response. This is especially useful when the problem itself cannot be eliminated. Exercise, meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques are all strategies of emotion-focused coping.

What Impact Does Stress Have on Your Physical and Mental Well-Being?

The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is a theory that explains the physiological response to stress. Given by Hans Selye, it says that the body goes through three stages when it is exposed to stress. The alarm stage, the resistance stage, and the exhaustion stage. If stress is not managed or reduced, it leads to a complete depletion of bodily resources. This, then, results in a weakened immune system and a wide range of other physical and mental health conditions:

• Headaches

• Chest pain

• Digestive problems

• Arthritis

• Chronic pain

• Obesity

• Peptic ulcer

• Type 2 diabetes

• Heart disease

• Heart attack

• Stroke

• Anxiety disorders

• Depression

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Substance use disorders

While stress is generally accepted as a fact of life, if not taken seriously or ignored, it can disturb every area of physical and mental well-being.

Effective Stress Management Techniques

As we have seen thus far, stress must not be taken lightly. While today’s life is hardly without its stresses and perhaps never was, with increased knowledge, we know that there are stress management techniques that can be used to manage stress. The foundation of stress management, however, still remains that you need to accept you are in control of your life. Responsibility and accountability are two important factors when it comes to effective stress management.

Some common stress management techniques are:

• Sleeping Habits –

Sleep is the rest that your body needs regularly. It also helps in de-stressing and recharging you for the next day. Therefore, a good night’s sleep of 7 – 9 hours is important. Before going to sleep, create a relaxing environment by staying away from electronics and taking a warm bath to help you relax and sleep.

• Eating Habits –

Having a healthy diet is just as important as having a good night’s sleep. Try to eat more fruits and vegetables and cut down on fatty foods.

• Exercise –

Being physically active is not just important for good health, it is also important for boosting the body and relaxing the mind. Morning jogs, yoga, and tai chi are some good mindful exercises to consider.

• Problem-Solving –

Learning problem-solving techniques that involve identifying the problem, generating alternatives, evaluating the alternatives and choosing the best possible alternative, and going ahead with the plan of action helps in reducing the problematic situation(s) giving rise to stress.

• Time Management -

One of the main reasons for stress is juggling a lot of demands and being unable to manage time. So, time management involves prioritizing tasks to attend to the most important ones immediately and leaving the other ones for later. The ones that you do not need to do yourself can also be delegated. The point is to not overcommit yourself.

• Relaxing the Mind - 

Engaging in meditation and mindfulness regularly is something you might have heard far too often, but when it comes to stress management, using these techniques goes a long way in soothing the mind and body.

• Laughter –

Laughter is the best medicine, as it reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) and elevates mood.

• Journaling –

Journaling is a good practice, and if you especially focus on the more positive aspects of your day, it helps in capturing positive memories and makes you feel good.

• Social Support –

Stress can become overbearing and isolating, therefore, you need to express and share it. Having a strong social support system is important so that you can connect with them and share your feelings. It can be anyone, a family member, or a trusted friend.

While effective stress management involves practicing different kinds of coping techniques, it also involves asking for help. Knowing when to seek help is a crucial step in stress management. At the NuView Treatment Center, our licensed and skilled counselors and therapists are here to listen to you and provide you with a personalized approach to managing your stress more effectively. Our team at NuView is dedicated to supporting your overall well-being and helping you regain balance in your

What Are the 4 As of Stress Management and How Do You Practice Them?

There are 4 simple steps or the 4 A’s of stress management that you can practice in your life. They help to effectively cope with stress and reduce it.

• Avoid – 

  It involves distancing yourself from the stressor. While avoidance is not always advisable and can lead to unhealthy circumstances especially when something needs to be addressed, avoiding unnecessary stressors in life can help reduce a great amount of stress in your life.

• Alter – 

  When something cannot be avoided, it can be altered. Usually, this involves changing communication and behavioral patterns. For instance, if something is making you uncomfortable, instead of bottling up, you can speak up. Being assertive, willing to negotiate, and compromising, are some things that can alter stressful situations.

• Adapt – 

  Adapting to the stressor is also something that can help reduce stress. It is usually done when you cannot avoid or alter the stressor. So, changing your perceptions and expectations regarding the stressor is something that helps you adapt to the stressor.

• Accept – 

  Some stressors cannot be avoided, altered, or adapted to. In these cases, acceptance becomes a source of relief. For instance, a life transition, the death of a loved one, or a natural disaster are certain things that can be best dealt with acceptance. Sharing feelings, forgiveness, coming to terms, and looking for the positives are some ways to practice acceptance.

What Are the Consequences of Not Managing Stress Properly?

If stress is overlooked or ignored, then it can lead to anxiety, depression, substance use, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart attack, and stroke.

Feeling overwhelmed, restlessness, anxiety, irritability and angry outbursts, depression, isolation, constant headaches, digestive problems, sleeplessness, changes in the sex drive, a weaker immune system, and other related symptoms can all be signs of stress.

It is important to take notice of stress-related symptoms and practice stress management techniques even if they seem difficult in the beginning. Moreover, knowing when to seek professional help is equally important to alleviating or eliminating stress-related symptoms and leading a healthy, fulfilling life.