By Dr Michael Knott
“I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once” – Anonymous
Do you feel like you just cannot keep up with the pace of daily living? Do you feel tired, irritated, short tempered or lethargic? Many people who are stressed experience these symptoms and unfortunately do not seek help in time before their stress develops into a more serious condition like depression or even possible suicide risks.
Let us consider some helpful information in dealing with daily stressors and perhaps then being able to conclude your year on a positive note. Power lies in knowledge and you will most certainly cope better with stress if you understand it and follow some ideas on managing your stress levels.
Stress is an emotional, physical and behavioural response. This means that it can be experienced in many levels in our lives. For instance, when you find yourself under immense pressure you may feel tired (physical), angry (emotional) and you may abuse alcohol to help alleviate your stress (behaviour). Some common physical symptoms of stress are; hair loss, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), high blood pressure, tiredness, poor concentration levels, low libido drive, sleeping too little or too much, headaches and sore muscles.
It is in our human nature to constantly try and adapt to stressors as we want to be in a harmonic state with ourselves and our environment. These stressors come either from external factors, that is, your workplace or internally, that is, the way you judge or view yourself. Interestingly, stress cannot be seen as proportional to a certain situation but the amount of stress you actually feel depends on the way you perceive it. Therefore, not everyone will perceive the same situation (stressor) as stressful. For example, some people do not feel comfortable speaking in front of a large audience, but for many others it is an easy task to deliver.
When addressing the topic of stress in your life, look at all the possible sources of stress. Write down these possible stressors and prioritise them from the most to least possible source of stress. This is not an easy task but it will be beneficial for you to have a visual representation of your stressors. Having a list of stressors will make it more manageable and real for you and not something that you just feel and cannot understand. Bear in mind that your personality type may also be a source of a stressor.
Some people tell themselves “I’m such an anxious one” or “I’m no good at this”. These messages to the self are very powerful and will negatively contribute to your wellbeing.
Healthy ways to improve your stress levels are to either change the situation or change your reaction to the stressor.
• Avoid unnecessary stress
Not all stress can be avoided but you can eliminate some stressors in your life. By keeping a stress journal you will be able to identify some areas where you can take charge of your wellbeing. For instance, avoid people that make you feel stressed or negative. Take charge of your environment and empower yourself by not watching television shows/movies, which upset you or reading articles, which make you feel stressed. Learn to say no when it is necessary, especially if you feel overworked and if possible delegate tasks to responsible others.
• Change the
situation
Create a priority list of things you need to achieve within a realistic timeframe. Often not knowing what needs to be done can cause stress and when you are able to scratch out your achieved goals it will make you feel in control. It is also important to be able to compromise and accept that sometimes things will not always go as you planned and that you must have peace with that.
• Adapt to your stressor
There is a saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them”. Same goes for stressors that you cannot change. You can adapt to uncertain stressors in your life by redefining your goals and expectations.
Redefine your problems from a positive perspective and try to be realistic about your outcomes.
Try and avoid words like, ‘ought to, etc.’ these words often place unrealistic pressure on oneself and can cause stress when trying to achieve it. It is also helpful to look at the bigger picture. Ask yourself how important this issue is in the future and how much you already have to be grateful for. Is it really worth it to spend your energy worrying about this issue?
• Accept stressors that you cannot change
There are things in life that we cannot change and which will cause great stress. Terminal illness, divorce and loss of employment are all examples of serious stressors. Do not underestimate the power of a good crying session or reaching out for spiritual guidance. See certain stressors as an opportunity for self-growth and learn to forgive others and yourself. Realise that we do not live in a perfect world but that you can still control the way you respond to yourself and others. That gives you a sense of control in an unpredictable and imperfect world.
It is vital that you take accountability for the role that stress plays in your life. Stress is not always a bad thing.
When we are under threat our bodies respond in a “fight or flight” manner.
The adrenaline that runs through your body is actually a saving mechanism and assists you in protecting yourself. Without the stress response you would not react quickly or adequately in threatening situations.
Even a healthy level of stress before an exam is good, as it can push you into studying more or concentrating for longer periods of time. Stress only becomes a problem if it overshadows your day to day life and you do not feel like you are in control anymore.
Others ideas for dealing with stress include the following as well;
a) Exercise is a great for reducing stress and depression. Other techniques include relaxation methods such as yoga.
b) Dietary supplements such as the vitamin B’s and Omega 3 and 6 can be very beneficial in relieving stress.
c) Build and maintain healthy relationships with others.
d) Spend time in nature and use all your senses to experience that moment. For example; smell the air, touch the grass, taste a leaf and examine the clouds. You will be amazed how therapeutic this exercise can be and useful in decreasing stress levels.
e) Remember to laugh at yourself and find humour in situations.
f) Helping others when you are feeling low or stressed is very difficult, but also rewarding when you are able to.
g) Eat healthy foods and drink enough water.
h) Do something you enjoy like reading, listening to music or working in your garden.
i) Stop and take a few deep and long breaths in a stressful situation.
j) Consider seeing a psychologist or counsellor if you feel you struggle to cope. In more severe cases, a doctor can prescribe appropriate medication like antidepressants to assist you on your road to recovery.
I hope that you can use some of these pointers to have a good start to the 2015 New Year.
*Dr Michael Knott (PhD), is a senior lecturer at the University of Namibia’s School of Pharmacy