Coping Up with Stress

Introduction: Stress is the way a person reacts to a need or situation and majorly occurs when someone feels anxious. It can be from a positive perspective like when preparing for a wedding or on the negative like when dealing with a disaster like death. We humans, being that we are exposed to different circumstances in one way or another, we have to feel one of the either forms of stress. At moments it can be beneficial in that it can aid one to develop the courage and the skills to deal with the threatening moments of life. On the other hand, it can be useless when it takes control of a person and makes him to mess up with his own life or that of the neighbors. Thesis statement: In this article, we are going to discuss how to cope up and manage with stress.

Topic sentence: The core cases of stress in our everyday work is associated with our work places. Some of the common the common reactions to stressful situations may include: shock, feeling a lot of frustrations, anger, tension, loss of appetite or even the use of the hard drugs. Evidence & citing: Therefore managing and coping up with stress is aimed at controlling the level of a person’s stress, majorly for the purpose of improving daily performance and activities (Figley 2016). There are several healthy ways to cope up with stress. Some of the normal reactions to stress may include feeling nervous, having a lot of trouble during breathing or even difficulty during sleep.

The normal reactions can be easily managed as compared to the severe effects that can arise from the same feeling. Taking care of ones’ self is one of the ways to cope up. Evidence & citing: Balanced diet accompanied by clean healthy meals is one of the strategies to take care of oneself. A balanced diet has all the nutrients that are required by the body hence the body will have that it needs for itself. Exercise on a regular basis too is another strategy to keep one self-safe. Exercise is believed to relax the brain hence release all the tension that a person may have. More often during stressing moments, one needs to take a break to have himself relaxed. All the three parameters are considered when thinking of keeping oneself safe from stress (Schwarzer 2014).

Topic sentence: Another technique to manage stress is to identify the core causes of stress and avoid them completely. Coping up has to start with the identification process. After the identification, one has to adjust to the new situation that may be created by the changes. A stress journal can be used to track some of the major causes of stress in one’s life and develop a strategy on how to tackle each of them. Practicing the 4A’s of stress management is another way to cope up with stress. Evidence & citing: Being that stress is usually an automatic response and do results from the nervous system, some potential causes can be foreseen hence the need to avoid, alter, adapt and accept.

Normally when reacting to the predictable sources, it is advisable to alter the situation hence when deciding on the option to use, it is of importance to consider the A’s (avoidance, alter, adapt and accept). Having the need to say no, avoiding people that can stress, having control of our environment and having a close analysis of our schedule, responsibilities and daily tasks is key to controlling stress(Meichenbaum 118).Open sharing of the stressing ideas is one of the strategies to do away with stress. A problem once shared is half way solved applies in this case. Talking to others, letting them know of your problems and how you feel can help to do away with some stressing situations. Expressing feelings instead of keeping them is the key to being openness.

If one feel bothered then he has all the freedom to share his concerns with in an open and very respectful way. Counselors and psychologists are skilled enough and can provide advice whenever necessary to the stressed persons. Evidence & citing: If one doesn’t air up the feelings, then resentment may build and stress will automatically increase (Figley 2016).Often when people feel stressed the last people do think of getting up and having some exercise. Physical activity is a stress reliever. It releases the hormone endorphin that is responsible for the feeling of pleasure hence distracting from the daily worries. Having some music and dance, a walk and mindful rhythmic exercise will break out the negative thoughts that do accompany stress.

Proper time management can be a strategy for managing some forms of stress. Running here and there keeps one from being calm hence not having any focus. One will have to cut down on other things like socializing with others and even having a short sleeping time. There is need to have a balance between the work life and the social life hence manage stress too (Schwarzer 2014).Conclusion paragraph: Stress coping and management is essential for one to have a healthy life. We need to manage stress effectively to avoid the side effects that can arise if not managed effectively. Let’s prioritize on our tasks, manage a healthy lifestyle, have time for fun and for one another and practice the 4A’s of stress management to have a stress free life.

References

1. Schwarzer, Ralf. Self-efficacy: Thought control of action. Taylor & Francis, 2014.
2. Meichenbaum, Donald. "Stress Inoculation Training: A preventative and treatment approach." The Evolution of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Routledge, 2017. 117-140.
3. Figley, Charles R., and Hamilton I. McCubbin. Stress and the family: Coping with catastrophe. Routledge, 2016.