We live in a fast paced world and cannot negate the day-to-day frustration brought on due to work pressure and household duties. In such conditions, stress is inescapable as it becomes a part of our lives.
Stress is the body’s response to some demand or challenge. When you are under stress, your body releases chemicals in the blood that makes you energetic. It has a positive impact as it pushes you to perform. But living life in the constant shadow of stress can harm us in many ways. Experiencing stressful conditions without any relaxation can have a significant impact on our lives.
The negative side of stress leads to a state of distress and makes our body behave differently, like rise in blood pressure, slowing down of digestion, insomnia, increase in heartbeat and tension in muscles. Since stress is a reality one should be aware of the factors that cause it and the ways one can cope with it.
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Common causes of stress
Stress can be due to many reasons such as emotional or physical or even environmental influence that requires respond or adjustment. It is important to understand the different stress causing factors and the ways to deal with them. Some of the stress causing factors are as follows:
• Family issues such as a long ailing member, marital problems like serious incompatibility issues, the sudden passing of your dear one or getting laid off can cause stress in your life.
• Residing in overly populated, polluted and crime prone areas can cause chronic stress in life.
• Finding yourself unhappy in a job or being unable to meet the demands of a high-pressure job also contribute to chronic stress.
• Financial issues like managing expenses of the family, or facing discrimination at workplace could be the reasons for stress.
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Tips to reduce stress
Changing the lifestyle and adopting healthy ways to live life is most important to keep stress levels in control. Given below are some tips to reduce stress as living life in a healthy way relaxes mind and make us strong enough to face some challenging situations in life. Here are some relaxation techniques which when practiced religiously can keep escalating stress levels in check:
• Deep breathing- Deep breathing is a good way to stay relieved from stressful conditions. Deep breathing as an exercise is a cycle of inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly to finish the cycle. Repeating the cycle for a few times would help the body to relax. It is the easiest way of controlling stress levels and it calms the mind.
• Exercising – Exercise is all we need to beat the harmful effects of stress. Working out for thirty minutes can bring positive changes in your lifestyle. A brisk walk, aerobics, swimming and playing badminton are the few ways to overcome the deleterious effects of stress. At your workplace, one can ease stress by performing stretching exercises. The ear-to-shoulder stretch gently exercises the neck and upper back and can be done at your work desk. These tips can improve your health and work performance.
• Follow meditation- Meditation, a practice that can be traced to early civilizations is possibly an excellent way to overcome stress in the life. Guided meditation and Mantra meditation are the few good ways to divert the mind from disturbing elements that lie at the root of the problem of stress.
• Watch what you eat – In the context of stress, bad diet has always contributed to its aggravation. Caffeine or alcohol can increase stress levels in your body. People under stress binge drink and smoke to get peace of mind. But in reality, it makes the person aggressive and worsens their condition. Consumption in moderation is good but over indulgence can put your life at risk. So, it is highly recommended to avoid colas, chocolates and tea which are the considered to be stress elevators.
Final words! Stress is part one’s daily life and needs careful management. Forestall stress before it gets out of hand and takes a toll on your lives. Practice eating healthy food, avoiding excessive smoking and alcohol intake. Exercising and meditation can improve your life and bring down elevated levels of tension and anxiety. Maintaining a positive outlook to keep anxiety in check when the going is really rough can help you weather the storm. Keep calm and connect with your inner voice to keep stress at bay.
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