Look for warning signs of stress and don’t ignore them

The thing about stress is that if ignored, it can lead to even more serious health problems.

I have written about stress and its damaging effects on a number of occasions. I keep returning to it for a few reasons. I see the insidious effects of it on a daily basis. Some of it is within my own life, when I feel a sense of being out of control or overwhelmed. I have learnt to identify what my triggers are and what my warning signals tell me. I have learnt that I ignore this at my own peril. I have also seen the effects of stress in the lives of friends, family, colleagues and sometimes even the ordinary man on the streets.

Sometimes it is the very things that give us joy and comfort that can bring us the most stress. For instance, work, family obligations and money worries can all add up and leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Of course there is good stress and bad stress; the first one tends to have a motivating effect on us leading us to be more productive and to take healthy risks to advance or promote career options. Then there is the other stress (the bad one), that makes you have many sleepless nights, and impacts adversely on your mental and physical health.

According to medical diagnosis on stress, when you are in a stressful situation, your body releases hormones, adrenaline, amongst other things which go on to cause the physical symptoms of stress.  Some of these include sweating, cramps, feeling dizzy, fainting, chest pains, constipation, sexual problems, insomnia and increase in blood pressure. You may have a few or many of these symptoms; consequently your immune system may be compromised, making you more susceptible to illness. As we know, the long term effect of unmanaged high blood pressure may result in heart attacks or strokes.

The psychological effects of stress may manifest itself in displaced anger, depression, anxiety, poor eating habits, persistent or non-definable reasons for crying, trouble in concentrating, or sleeping.

Life today can be very stressful. The tough economic climate has hit many people quite harshly. People have to engage in things that may not necessarily be conducive to healthy living. Families are struggling to stay together and if they manage to, many are not necessarily cohesive or supportive to one another.

The ways to cope with stress include seeking out a trusted person or people to share your worries with (a problem shared is a problem halved). You can get tremendous relief from having a good talk with someone. But you need to be selective in your choice of confidants so as not to create more stress for yourself.

Taking some control of your life if you find you have not can lead to feeling strong, confident, and empowered, with reduced stress; in the knowledge that you are living your best life.

Sometimes, engaging in mindless activities and chatter, rather than decrease stress, has the potential to increase it as a result of its monotony and fruitlessness, leaving you feeling empty and unfulfilled.

One has to be creative in the things one does to de-stress one’s life. In these difficult financial times where so many people are looking for any work they can find, it may sound ludicrous to suggest reducing your workload, but it just might be helpful to remember that if you fall ill, you lose out altogether anyway and maybe with even more disastrous consequences.

Try to bring more humour and fun in your life and remember the adage laughter is the best medicine. A little exercise goes a long way, so try to include some in your daily life. Not only does it help to produce useful things for your body, it also has all the benefits of weight management and it reduces stress.

There are so many stories in the papers everyday of bizarre activities by men and women from all walks of life, that it is no surprise to read of more and more people dying prematurely. Individuals and family units need to invest more in their quality of life. People need to pay more attention to the well-being of their loved ones, to ask one another relevant questions and cut down on the aggression.

The contents on this page are only meant for information purposes and must not be used to diagnose or to treat any medical condition. If you feel you are affected by anything you read, please consult a health professional.