What is stress?
At times, coping with challenges in everyday life may feel insurmountable when there’s not enough time or other resources in use. In such cases, we interpret the situation to be threatening, and the body becomes stressed and the sympathetic nervous system gets activated. The stress hormone cortisol is excreted into the bloodstream, which can cause diverse sensations in the body and mind.
Typical stress symptoms may include:
- muscle tension
- increased heart rate
- sweating
- stomach-ache
- headache
- dizziness and nausea
- changes in appetite
- skin symptoms (e.g. rash)
- decreased immunity
- flu spiral
- insomnia
- fatigue
- difficulties in concentration and remembrance
- low mood
- irritability
- restlessness.
The factors that cause stress and how stress is experienced, are individual to everyone. Stress can arise from a real threat or from thoughts that there are too many challenges in life. Typically, pressure related to study and work, undone tasks and lack of leisure time cause stress. Stress is natural in situations of change and crisis.
Stressful situations are inevitable. Short-term stress is a normal and necessary response. Stress helps to overcome challenges, as it gives a boost on an exam or in a competition. However, long-term stress should be managed and avoided, as it reduces well-being in many ways. Long-term elevated cortisol levels burden the brain and body, and it poses a risk for conditions such as fatigue, depression, cardiovascular diseases as well as cognitive impairment.
Stress might also rise based on the ways how you deal with things. If you feel that it is difficult to cope with the situation, stress is more likely to be experienced. It is helpful to consider what kind of things burden you. Sometimes excessive demands on oneself are also the cause of stress. When it comes to recognizing stress, you can start by listening to your body and mind and looking at your life. Listing things up can make your thoughts clearer.
How to manage stress?
Taking care of your well-being and a healthy lifestyle is beneficial to your body and mind, and it helps to keep stress under control:
Sleep sufficiently, at least 8 hours a night.
- Maintain a regular sleep rhythm.
- Rest when you feel tired.
- Relaxation exercises might help to fall asleep.
- Avoid using electronic devices before going to bed.
Engage in physical activities.
- Choose the ways of physical activity that you enjoy.
- Avoid pushing yourself too much in physical activities.
- Listen to your body.
- Enjoy outdoor activities.
Eat well and balanced.
- Regular and adequate eating gives you energy.
Take care of the relationships.
- Spend time with your friends and family.
- Share the feelings of joy and sorrow with your closest ones.
- Settle the disputes.
Take care of your mental well-being.
- Make time for things you like.
- Appreciate and accept yourself.
- Try to think about the things from the positive perspective.
- Try to deal with difficult issues, and talk about them with others.
Move the stress away
During exercise, the mind focuses on environment as well as the movement of the body, giving less attention to stressful thoughts and worries. Exercise promotes the secretion of hormones that reduce stress. Long-term and strenuous exercise, as well as improved physical fitness, also improve the tolerance of stress.
It should be noted that heavy exercise is also a stress factor in which cortisol is secreted in the body. When stressed, the body experiences heavy exercise as an additional stress, which can make fatigue, for example, even worse. The importance of recovery is also emphasized. The body and mind should be listened to carefully. Exercise is supposed to make you feel good!
When feeling stressed, the ways of physical activity that bring good mood help you to get your thoughts off everyday challenges. Exercising in the nature, or outdoor activities, as well as sports that focus on relaxation and conscious presence, such as yoga, can be effective in relieving stress. Physical activity can also be combined with social benefits. When exercising with a friend, you can catch up at the same time.
Get the thoughts away from worries
During stressful situations, the body and mind pushes to do harder and calming down can feel difficult. A little relaxation, and getting thoughts elsewhere in this situation would often be the solution. In contrast to rush, you should remember to enjoy everyday life and do things you like. Doing enjoyable things relaxes the body and mind. The most important thing is to find something you like. Sometimes it is good to stop and do what you feel like doing at the exact moment.
In the midst of stressful or challenging situations, it is good to remember that you are not acting against yourself or blaiming yourself. You should treat yourself as a best friend, and turn your inner speech positive and rejoice in your successes. It is a good idea to assess the requirements you set for yourself. Are there too many demands on you from others or do you set them on yourself?
In the midst of stressful or challenging situations, it is good to remember that you are not acting against yourself or blaiming yourself. You should treat yourself as a best friend, and turn your inner speech positive and rejoice in your successes. It is a good idea to assess the requirements you set for yourself. Are there too many demands on you from others or do you set them on yourself?
Focusing on positive things can help you understand that the situation is not as hopeless as you think. Things tend to work out!
Handle the chaos
Managing day-to-day tasks and schedules is sometimes challenging. Studying requires doing many things at the same time, and there should be free time as well. Being aware of your strengths and interests can help you focus on what things are the most important to you. You don’t have to do everything perfectly, but try to prioritize on the most important things.
To manage the challenges of studying, planning and listing up tasks may help you to organize the calendar. You should not leave things for the last minute, as this way you may double the amount of stress. You can mark the most important things in the calendar with a certain color and set a time for them. It is also a good idea to mark the slot for free time. In activities that require concentration, the environment should be calm. Noise or digital devices and social media should be muted to keep the focus. Pauses with small movement refresh the body and enhance learning, increasing the brain’s metabolism.
Dealing with stressful situations and other life challenges is worthwhile, and talking about them is important. The school staff, as well as the health care and social workers are for you. Sharing the worries with others make you often feel lighter.