Useful tips on handling stress

Stress factors do not necessarily entail stress

Every person has its own reaction to stress. Below are a few handy tips on stress management and the right ways to react to stress. Pieces of advice are by courtesy of Dr. Elena Akarachkova, candidate of medical sciences, neurologist of the All-Russian Center for Pathology Studies of Autonomic Nervous System under the Sechenov Medical Academy in Moscow.

Sometimes a great deal of events takes place overnight or so it seems. You simply can not stay calm because of the excitement caused by events that appear to be both important and unnerving. For example, your husband got a new job, your son broke the news about his plans to tie the knot, and your boss enlarged a range of your duties. As a result, you keep running out of time and stamina. Finally, your mother-in-law makes another series of comments on your faults and shortcomings as to the way you do you housework. You are about to break down and find yourself in a state of stress.

However, stress factors do not necessarily entail stress. Some people who go through the emotionally complex phases of their lives never end up developing chronic stress. Chronic stress brings about changes in the balance of hormones in the body and disrupts the functioning of immune system. The person runs a higher risk of developing certain grave diseases including asthma and diabetes.

Reacting to stress in the right way is essential for avoiding risks implied. Once the person goes into a stupor and takes no action following one or two emotional crises, then he is in danger of developing chronic stress. The person who finds himself in a difficult situation had better do something to minimize the risks of stress. There are two types of reactions to stress.

The first one is an attack. In other words, stress is a kind of impetus to get things going. It is a wakeup call of sorts so the person starts searching energetically for ways to tackle his problem. In many cases the person finds a quick way out of the situation after he gets his act together. Yet there is a risk of falling into a helter-skelter pattern of activity.

Taking a break is the best thing to do under the circumstances. You should analyze your actions as though it were somebody else's life and focus on results. Everything will be alright if you can find some results of your activity. The lack of results comes to light straight away.

The second type is an escape. It is pretty understandable that you want to leave everything behind and forget about the problems when you are in deep water. Please remember that your time-out should not last too long otherwise you will get away from the problem for a while but it will surely strike back sooner or later.

It is hard to single out the right type of stress response reaction. All humans have their own way of reacting to stress. You should not only comprehend it, you should also take it for granted without making any attempts to “change your system.” It is better that you focus every effort on boosting your levels of stress resistance. You should do the following if you want to succeed:

1. Sleep at least 6 hours a day. Please note that your sleep should be an uninterrupted period of rest. Otherwise a buildup of fatigue will start “undermining” your mind and your body. Any petty problem appears to be huge if you feel constantly exhausted.

2. Eat at a regular basis. Otherwise the body will stop receiving energy, another stressful experience. Adrenalin levels will soar as a result and your condition will ardly improve.

3. Do not forget about leisure. It would be ideal if you had an active lifestyle. But if you down in the month and can not do anything but lie on you sofa, please indulge yourself. Having forty winks may be the right remedy to get you up and running again.