Stress is not always a bad thing. In small doses, stress can put you under pressure and motivate you to perform better. But if you constantly feel like you are in emergency mode or overloaded with a lot of stress, then your body and mind will be affected and should pay the price. This condition is basically the response of body to any type of fear. When you don’t feel safe, no matter if the situation is imaginary or real, your body reacts to the situation, with a fast and automatic pace. If you frequently feel frazzled and overwhelmed, then it is the time for using techniques to overcome this state and bring your nervous system back to its balance. Protect yourself and learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress, therefore you can take steps to reduce the harmful effects.

Causes of stress

Environmental conditions and pressures that can trigger stress, are known as “stressors”. Stressors are usually counted as negative, such as a boring work schedule.  However, anything can trigger a stressful situation. Even positive situations can be stressful too, such as marriage, buying a house, going to university and …

Of course, this condition is not always due to external factors and it can also be triggered due to internal factors and thoughts.

External causes :

• Fundamental changes in life, workplace or school
• Death of a beloved one
• Divorce
• Marriage
• Prison
• Sickness
• Problems in communication and social life
• Busy days and lifestyle

Internal causes :

• Pessimism
• Disability in accepting uncertainty
• Strict thinking, lack of flexibility
• Negative thoughts
• Unrealistic expectations / perfectionism

Golden techniques for treating stress

Communication with others

If you feel excited or disappointed, having a face to face conversation with someone else can trigger anti-stress hormones in your body. Even a very brief conversation which consists of a few words and some friendly looks from another person, can calm you down and soothe your nervous system.

Control the senses

One of the other fast ways for treating stress is by engaging other senses. Seeing, listening, smelling, touching and … Does listening to a song calm you down? How about the smell of coffee or a perfume? People respond to sensory inputs differently, therefore you should find the best solution for yourself.

Relaxation

You cannot omit stress from your life completely, but you can control how much it affects your life. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing can be useful to activate body’s respond to relaxation. When you exercise regularly, these activities can lower your daily stress level and boost happiness and serenity in your body.

Healthy diet

Food you eat every day is important on how you feel. They can improve your mood and help you to face stressors of a daily life successfully or vice versa. A diet full of processed food, refined carbohydrate and sugary snacks can worsen its symptoms, but when you have a diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables, high quality proteins and Omega 3, you can better face difficult moments of life and treat this disorder.

Summary:

stress can affect everyone. People can recognize its symptoms during the busy hours at workplace, while managing personal financial problems or while facing a challenging relationship. Sometimes it can be beneficial but when it exceeds a certain level, it can affect you both mentally and physically. A huge step to treat this condition, is to recognize stressors and symptoms of this disorder and employ techniques to control it.