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Psychological stress is a typical bodily response to change that causes physical, emotional, and cognitive reactions. Training in stress management might make it easier for you to adapt to change in a healthy way.
The body's defenses ramp up quickly and automatically in a process known as the fight-or-flight reaction or stress response when you detect danger, be it real or imagined. The body's response to psychological stress is designed to keep you safe.
It keeps you awake, active, and concentrated when it's functioning properly. Stress can really save your life in emergency situations by enabling you to defend yourself more effectively, for instance, or by motivating you to slam on the brakes to prevent a collision.
Symptoms of Psychological Stress
The most hazardous aspect of psychological stress is how quickly it can overtake you. It grows on you and can begin to feel natural, even familiar.
It has a significant impact on you, but you aren't aware of it. It's crucial to be aware of the typical indicators and effects of stress overload. Long-term (chronic) stress results in ongoing activation of the stress response, which wears on the body over time. The following are clusters of symptoms you may experience during a stressful period:
Physical Signs
Pains, aches, chest discomfort, a rushing heart sensation, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, headaches, vertigo, or trembling, elevated blood pressure are common physical symptoms.
You may also experience jaw clenching or tightness in the muscles, issues with the stomach or digestion, difficulty having sex, and inadequate immune system.
Emotional Symptoms
Our emotions can also be taken on a ride when we experience psychological stress. Irritation, anxiety, depression, and fear become prominent and intense during this period.
Behavioural Symptoms
Drinking too much or too frequently, gambling, eating too much or getting an eating disorder, engaging in sexual activity, shopping, or internet browsing compulsively, smoking, and drug abuse
Cause of Psychological Stress
Stressors are conditions and demands that lead to psychological stress. They're typically thought of as being harmful, such as a demanding job schedule or a tumultuous relationship. However, anything that asks a lot of you might be stressful. That includes happy occasions like getting married, purchasing a home, enrolling in college, or being promoted.
Not all stress is brought on by outside forces. When you worry excessively about something that might or might not happen, or when you have unreasonable, gloomy beliefs about life, you might also experience internal or self-generated stress. Finally, how stress affects you depends on how you perceive it. Some might not find something stressful at all; they might even find it enjoyable.
External Factors
Significant life changes, work or education, relationship problems, financial difficulties, being very busy, and having a family
Internal Stressors
Pessimism, inability to deal with ambiguity, rigidity and a lack of adaptability, self-critical thoughts, perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, and the all-or-nothing mentality
Treatments for Psychological Stress
It's important to remember that psychological stress is manageable. Here are some ways you can manage it:
1) Regular Workout
According to research, regular exercise can help regulate cortisol levels. Even brief daily sessions of exercise can lower stress levels and enhance cognitive performance, which can be negatively damaged by ongoing tension. Doctors generally advise patients who struggle with chronic stress to move simply every day, such as taking a 20-minute stroll.
2) Relaxation Practises
You might not always be able to reduce or eliminate psychological stress. You then begin to concentrate on figuring out better ways to handle it.
Numerous relaxation techniques, including yoga, prayer, guided imagery, mindfulness meditation, and deep breathing, have been demonstrated to lessen the effects of psychological stress.
3) Family and Friends Support
Leaning on friends and family can protect you against the harmful impacts of psychological stress. While some people might avoid social situations when there's a lot of tension in the air, research has shown that having a solid support network can increase resiliency to stressful situations.
4) Healthy Sleeping and Eating Routines
How you react to stress and anxiety may be influenced by what you eat. According to studies, those who consume a Western or highly processed diet frequently have a higher chance of developing depression and anxiety.
Meanwhile, people who follow a Mediterranean diet, which mostly consists of fruit, fish, and healthy fats, are less likely to become mentally ill. The quality of sleep affects both how well we function daily and how well we're able to handle stress.
5) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
You can learn how specific thought and behavior patterns might raise stress levels by using CBT for stress. Additionally, it can aid in the development of new thought and behavior patterns that help you recognize stress-inducing factors and boost confidence and ability to deal with stressful situations more skillfully.
After a successful course of cognitive behavioral therapy for stress, you may anticipate feeling more at ease, in control, and better able to handle both stressful situations and those that could keep you from experiencing any stress at all.
Takeaway
It's normal and common to experience psychological stress occasionally. Long-term stress, though, can result in undesirable behavior and physical and emotional consequences. Try a few easy tactics for stress relief and management. Converse with your doctor, though, if you feel overburdened.
The counselor can both clarify what has to be done and help you comprehend the wider picture. During talk therapy, you can also pick up a variety of techniques and abilities that will aid in perspective-taking and stress-free time management.
