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Stress affects different people in different ways and we all have different
tolerance levels and handle it differently, people of all ages including
children can fall prey to stress and let it silently begin to take over.
Children can have problems in school, such as with bullying and exams,
stress is a big factor in the workplace with struggles to meet demands
and deadlines on a daily basis and mothers with young children can struggle
to cope with the demands they can very often bring.
Very often stress will gradually build up and creep up on us without us
even realising that something is wrong, when this happens problems can
start occurring in our lives and symptoms and signs begin to show.
The effects that stress has on us
The effects of stress vary widely from person to person but almost always,
the same characteristics are present in varying degrees. The most common
effects of stress are:
* The physical effects - the heart will pump faster which leads to a rise
in the blood pressure and the heart pounding, some people may also experience
palpitations. The muscles begin to tense which leads to feelings of dizziness
and light-headedness, headaches, jaw ache and also sleep problems. The
mouth may be dry and feelings of butterflies in the stomach may also be
present, breathing is usually much faster and the feeling of not being
able to breathe or a tightness felt in the chest may also be present.
Sweating, blushing, clammy hands and sweating feet can also cause problems.
* The mental effects - the thoughts might be jumbled or confused and the
sufferer usually become preoccupied with the smallest of problems, decision-making
becomes harder as does the ability to find solutions. A sense of impending
doom could arise with negative thoughts and fears adding to the stress.
* The emotional effects - impatience, anxiety, fear, anger, and self-doubt,
feelings of inadequacy, unhappiness and withdrawal are all common feelings
and thoughts to those suffering from stress.
Ways to combat stress
The key to dealing with stress is to think positively, meet the stress
and anxiety head on and develop ways to do this effectively. A good place
to start is by learning to realise when you are tensed and learning to
relax, only when your mind is relaxed and calm can your body follow. Keys
to successfully learning how to relax are:
* Take time out for yourself - everyone needs some "me" time, whatever
your schedule you should take some time out of your day for yourself,
even if this is for only a few minutes every few hours. If time allows
take a hot bath or shower, practice meditation or yoga, read, listen to
your favourite music. If at work then take a 5-minute break to get up
and move around, if you have small children then take advantage of the
times your child sleeps.
* Confront the problem - if a certain problem is causing you stress and
anxiety then stop and take a good look at the problem, avoiding the problem
wont make it go away and indeed can make things much worse. By taking
the bull by the horns so to speak you are dealing with the issue and this
alone can make you feel so much better.
* Find a distraction - if the problem can't be solved immediately then
don't dwell on it, find something to take your mind off the problem for
periods of time. Good ideas are walking, jogging, joining a gym, joining
a social club, taking up a hobby or just get out and do something different.
* Express yourself - keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings and worries,
write about anything and everything, just let it all out. Expressing your
feelings are a great and successful way of dealing with stress and anxiety,
if you feel like crying then cry and bash a pillow if need be, do anything
within safety to release those pent up emotions and anger.
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