Stress_Management

Stress Management Stress is an internal reaction to any force that threatens to disturb a person’s equilibrium. Stress can result in significant psychological and physical changes that if left untreated could lead to death. Stress can be positive if taken in the right way. There are many types of stress that can evolve in the workplace that may either result from the job itself, coworkers or stress that has rolled over from home. The troubled economy is leading to more and more stress throughout the world. The ability to manage stress can make the difference between failing on the job and succeeding. The better you manage your stress, the more positive effects you will have on your co-workers and your responsibilities. One must learn how to deter stress by using the flight or fight response and many other tactics. In order to be able to know how to manage the stress level in your life you first need to determine what your actual stressors are. Sources of stress aren’t always the most obvious. They can become from many of your own behaviors, thoughts or feelings. To start finding out what is stressful to you, start a journal where you document any regular stressors that you. You will then determine the patterns or common themes as the day’s progress. Write down what it was that stressed you, how you felt physically and emotionally, how you acted and what you did that made you feel better to reduce the stress. After determining what the stressors are in your life you need to find healthy ways to manage them. The unhealthy ways include smoking, drinking, over or under eating, withdrawing from all your friends and activities, using illegal drugs, sleeping too much, procrastinating, doing everything to avoid the problems or taking your stress out on others, There are many healthy ways to manage stress however it may take more than one attempt to find what works for you. Every individual deals with stress differently and at different levels. The biggest thing you have to do is change the situations that are making you stress so that you can in turn change how you react to those situations. Learn how to say to “NO”. It is important that personally, or professionally, that you know your limits and stick to them. Avoid the people who cause you stress. If there is no way to turn the relationship around then it’s time to limit the amount of time spent with that individual or end the relationship entirely. Take control of your environment. Stay away from places and things that make you anxious such as busy grocery stores or public transportation. Avoid any topics that may start a heated argument such as talking about politics or religion. If arguments arise from certain topics, avoid them. Finally learn how to manage your time. Make a to-do list that analyzes what you have to do and how much time you have in a day to do it. If there are things that can be done later then make a long term list while frequently checking it to keep up. When you can’t avoid the situations there are ways to alter those situations. Instead of bottling up everything, express your feelings on a regular basis in a respectful manner. If something or someone is bothering you then you need to speak up otherwise it will continue to be a bad situation. Keep an open mind and be willing to compromise. Be more assertive when it comes to your own life and your own happiness. Take your problems head on and don’t procrastinate on what you have to do. If you know you have to go home and finish up a project, then don’t open up facebook and reply to everyone’s messages. Time management is one of the biggest factors when dealing with stress. If your biggest stressors are rushing, constantly running behind then even leaving 10-15 minutes ahead of schedule then your whole day could run smoother. After you have gathered all the information needed, make a stress management plan that fits to you and you only. You have identified all the sources of stress in your life, list them and prioritize, identify what stress management techniques work for you and then finalize your plan. Once it is in writing, you will have taken the biggest step and now it is up to you to implement it. There are too many negative health effects of stress so you have to make sure that you take care of your body.