Stress is a topic that is talked about a lot in today's society. It feels like everyone is always stressed and the question “How are you doing?” is usually answered by stating that you are currently under a lot of stress in various areas of your life. In modern society, stress is almost an indicator that you are successful in life and spending your day in a meaningful way. Stress does not always have to be negative, but it can quickly turn into something negative if it becomes permanent. Here you can read more about what stress actually is, what types of stress there are and how you can reduce stress.
What is stress?
First of all, stress is a completely normal, non-specific reaction of your body to internal and external stimuli that disturb your body's balance. Stress ensures that you are able to perform: your body releases stress hormones that increase your pulse and blood pressure, cause muscle tension and release energy in the form of glucose into the body. Stress can be both positive and negative.
Eustress and Distress
Positive stress is known as eustress. This form of stress occurs, for example, when you enjoy your work, are in love or excel at sport. Happiness hormones are released. Eustress involves short-term stressful events that challenge you, but which you can cope with well. It makes you more efficient and allows you to activate additional energy. It also makes you happy, optimistic and strong. Eustress alternates with phases of relaxation so that the stress hormones can be reduced.
Negative stress is known as distress. Distress occurs when you are unable to fully cope with certain situations. These situations are long-term, recurring and are perceived as a burden. Examples of distress are pressure to perform and time pressure. Distress causes feelings of anxiety and helplessness, so that you feel inhibited and blocked and can no longer deal with problems rationally. The important relaxation phases are missing and you feel anxious, irritable and exhausted. The stress hormones can no longer be fully released and stress literally builds up. This can lead to physical and mental health problems, which can often manifest themselves in unspecific ways.
Physical and psychological symptoms of stress
In the following, I would like to introduce you to possible symptoms that stress can cause. These lists do not claim to be exhaustive, but should give you an idea. We are certainly all familiar with some of the physical and psychological symptoms of stress. Although these symptoms may be very unspecific in themselves, they can indicate that stress levels are too high. If you experience some of these symptoms over a longer period of time, it may be due to excessive stress levels.
Possible physical symptoms:
Muscle twitching
Frequent colds
Headaches
Heartburn
Cardiovascular complaints
Elevated liver blood levels
Diabetes
Skin rashes
Gastrointestinal problems
Possible psychological symptoms:
Forgetfulness
Problems with thinking
Susceptibility to disturbances
Problems with concentration
Depression
Anxiety disorders
Eating disorders
Irritability
Being angry
Listlessness
Overstraining
Dissatisfaction
Insomnia
Restlessness
Nervousness
If you experience any of these symptoms over a longer period of time, you should try to lower your stress levels and reduce stress.
How to reduce stress
The solution to stress is relaxation, as these two states act as counterparts. We all have stressful phases in our lives and it is almost impossible to avoid stress completely. However, by consciously taking breaks to rest, we can balance out stress, reduce our stress levels and give our body the opportunity to reduce stress hormones. Regular, well-spent moments are important for successful relaxation, and they don't even have to be particularly long. There are active relaxation methods, which have a targeted and systematic effect on the body, and passive relaxation methods, which help with relaxation by increasing satisfaction.
Active relaxation methods are:
PMR (Progressive Muscle Relaxation)
Meditation
Imagination
Autogenic training
Breathing exercises
Chi-Gong
Eutony
Yoga
MBSR (Mindful-Based Stress Reduction)
Passive relaxation methods are:
Sports
Exercise
Going on a walk
Taking a bath
Listening to music
Reading
Sauna
Healthy and wholesome nutrition
Vacation
Watching movies or TV-shows
Digital time-outs
Sleep
Social contacts
Relaxation has many positive effects on your body. Your breathing becomes calmer, your heartbeat slows down, your blood pressure drops and your muscle tension is reduced so that tension can be released. Stress hormones are also eliminated, harmful substances in the body are broken down, your emotions are calmed and anxieties or unpleasant feelings can be replaced with positive feelings.
Conclusion
Stress is first of all a normal function of our body that makes us efficient. Eustress is positive stress that releases hormones of happiness and occurs in situations that can be dealt with quickly and completely. Distress, on the other hand, is negative stress that can cause anxiety and helplessness, and these situations cannot be dealt with quickly. In today's society in particular, distress often manifests itself when we try to juggle our jobs and our everyday lives and manage everything as best we can. As these stressful situations occur again and again and can never be completely overcome, your body cannot reduce the stress hormones on its own. If the stress hormones are not reduced, this can quickly lead to health problems, which can, however, be avoided. As relaxation acts as an antagonist to stress, you should always pay attention to phases of relaxation so that your body can reduce the accumulated stress hormones. That's why you should always be mindful of your stress management! Super simple stress managers are sport, exercise, sleep and a wholesome diet, for example.
You need support?
If you would also like to reduce your stress levels with sport, exercise and a wholesome diet, then get in touch with me. We'll tackle this together immediately and lower your stress levels so that you can live your everyday life feeling less stressed.
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