According to a recent American Psychological Association research, average stress levels in the United States are at their lowest since 2007, with the current average being 4.9 on a scale of 1 to 10. (The average perceived healthy stress level is 3.9.)
But—
Almost 75% of Americans report having at least one stress symptom in the previous month. If we limit the sample to persons under the age of 35, the figure rises to 95%.
Millennials, Generation X, and Generation Z are all more stressed than previous generations. If this tendency continues, the next few decades will see a true stress epidemic.
But what are our options? Is stress really that bad for you? How will you successfully manage it?
This essay will also explain the concept of stress and demonstrate how to handle long-term stress and why it is so important.
In the First Place, What Is Stress?
Before we can address the topic of stress management and explain the most effective methods of coping with stress, we must first comprehend the problem. And this is when we run into our first issue—
Stress is difficult to define, owing to the fact that it is a highly subjective phenomenon that affects various people in different ways. According to the American Institute of Stress, stress, no matter how frequent and serious, is not a scientifically meaningful term.
The first thing you should realise is that stress:
is a natural physiological reaction that you cannot prevent; it is not always "bad"—in fact, stress is necessary for survival.
Stress, in its broadest sense, is our body's physical reaction to any change—in our environment, in our thoughts, or within our bodies—that necessitates adjustment.
When we are anxious, our bodies react as if we are under assault, releasing a cocktail of chemical compounds and hormones to prepare us for physical action: our blood pressure increases, unneeded biological functions such as digestion are turned off, and we experience an energy boost.
So far, so nice, doesn't it? So, why do we make such a big deal about stress?
What Is the Purpose of Stress Management?
When we are stressed, our bodies go into "fight or flight" mode. Our blood supply is thus restricted to the most vital muscles—those required to defend ourselves or flee. Our cognitive function is reduced to instincts.
While stress is not inherently bad, it can have a detrimental impact on our lives if we are subjected to it on a regular basis for an extended period of time.
As previously said, stress alters the way our bodies work. Such changes, if they persist, can have a negative impact on our physical and mental health.
Long-term stress has negative consequences.
The most serious negative effects of long-term stress can be classified into five categories: physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural.
Physical consequences
Blood pressure has risen.
accelerated heart rate
Indigestion
Colds on a regular basis
Acne
Emotional consequences
Depression
Anxiety \sIrritability
Anxiety attacks
Overwhelmedness
Cynicism
Effects on cognition
Concentration issues
The sensation of "brain fog"
Self-doubt
inability to complete duties
Poor decision-making
Decision-making abilities are hampered.
Behavioral consequences
Isolation on a social level
Inadequate motivation
Sleeping patterns that have been distorted (sleeping too little or too much)
Sense of humour decline
Increased consumption of psychoactive substances such as nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol
I'm sure you have a long list of things you'd rather avoid. However, if you are stressed over an extended period of time, all of these things may occur.
Here comes stress management.
As I previously stated, stress is something you cannot (and should not) avoid entirely. The trick is to learn how to cope with it in a long-term fashion so that you may reap the short-term benefits of stress-induced high performance while keeping your body and mind healthy in the long run.
But be cautious—
There is a lot of snake oil available. To tackle stress-related issues, many questionable self-help gurus may offer various drugs and "miracle" cures. You'll find a list of approaches supported by legitimate research here, so you won't have to explore further.
How to Deal with Stress (Science-Backed Methods and Techniques)
1. Accept stress rather than hating it
A fascinating study by Stanford and Yale academics looked at how our attitude toward stress affects how we deal with it.
The notion was that avoiding or lowering stress is frequently impossible—and who can't relate to that? Furthermore, attempting too hard to eliminate stress (e.g., avoiding the burden of paying bills) ensures that the stressful causes compound later on.
Over the course of one week, the study's participants—managers at a large multinational financial firm—were shown various stress-related movies. One group of participants would see movies demonstrating the bad impact of stress on human health, while another group would watch clips demonstrating the favourable short-term impacts of stress, as well as case studies demonstrating the performance-enhancing influence of stress.
Over the next few weeks, the latter group performed better, was more engaged at work, and reported a 23% reduction in stress-related physical symptoms as compared to the former group and control.
The message is straightforward: viewing stress as a challenge and an opportunity, rather than an impediment, will help you deal with stress triggers more successfully while, perhaps paradoxically, keeping you less worried in the interim.
2. Apply the four "As" of stress management: avoidance, alteration, adaptation, and acceptance.
Avoid
We already stated that avoiding certain stressful situations is unhealthy (especially if the situations will need to be addressed in the future). But—
You'd be astonished at how many stressors you can get rid of in your life.
Try to avoid folks who stress you out.
Learn to say "no" to things you don't think you can handle.
Make and evaluate your daily to-do list. Consider which objects are the most important. If you believe you have too many responsibilities, delegate those that aren't critical.
Alter
If something or someone is causing you stress, express it.
Tell them if your coworker's habits upset you and cause you stress at work. If you don't express your feelings, they will accumulate over time, generating stress.
If you're stressed about anything that isn't directly related to the behaviour of those around you, tell your loved ones. They may be able to assist, even if not directly, by expressing their support and understanding.
Adapt
Change your expectations and attitude if you can't avoid or change what's causing you stress.
Consider the big picture: will the difficult scenario matter in a few months? What's the worst that might happen? (It almost never gets that bad.)
Finally, think about readjusting your criteria. Lowering the bar for what is "good enough" in certain areas of life might help you relieve a lot of stress from daily activities.
Accept
Consider this: in 2017, the most prevalent source of stress in America was the country's future—I'm not saying it's not important, but stressing over it is unhelpful.
Other stressors, such as death and disease, cannot be avoided or changed. Instead of fighting a circumstance you can't change, the best way to deal with them is to learn to accept them as they are.
The general idea is to avoid worrying about things over which you have no control.
3. Take a deep breath (the right way)
That's correct, something as simple as breathing can help you lower stress—if you utilise a method known as diaphragmatic breathing. Here's how to go about it:
Sit or lie flat on a comfortable surface in a relaxed position.
Take a deep breath and relax your shoulders.
Put one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.
Inhale for around two seconds via your nose. While breathing in, keep your chest flat and your stomach expanding.
Gently press your tummy and exhale for roughly two seconds through your lips.
Repeat for a few minutes.
This strategy is very effective for coping with high-stress situations. Spend a few minutes each day, whenever something unexpectedly upsetting occurs in your life, to breathe in this focused manner. It will do wonders. (As an added bonus, this approach lowers blood pressure and heart rate while also improving core muscle stability.)
4. Workout
You knew you'd find this hint here, didn't you? That's because it's so effective!
It has been shown that as little as 10 minutes of vigorous exercise can lower anxiety and produce hormones essential for memory, concentration, and mental sharpness. This is especially crucial during periods of extended stress, when our bodies limit the functionality of our brains, resulting in the sensation of "mental fog."
5. Consume more omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods.
"Omega-3s help tone down the body's response to inflammation, making your stress system more flexible," says Joe Hibblen of the National Institutes of Health.
Studies clearly show that omega-3 fatty acids protect our systems from the harm caused by prolonged stress, including the change of glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus.
Clinical research have also shown that these acids help lessen depression symptoms.
Include more of the following components in your daily diet to better equip yourself to protect against long-term stress:
Seafood and fish (in particular cold-water fish).
Walnuts and chia seeds are examples of nuts and seeds.
Flaxseed, soybean, and canola oils are examples of plant oils.
6. Engage in transcendental meditation.
Does this sound like an overly spiritual concept? However, it works. According to this study, transcendental meditation can reduce psychological distress as well as blood pressure while also boosting our coping mechanisms.
The approach is quite simple: you choose a mantra, a word, or a sound from a predefined list and repeat it silently for 20 minutes with your eyes closed twice a day.
7. Take some time off from work
Numerous research show that taking short-term vacations helps with stress management. Taking a few days off from work has been shown to improve well-being and reduce perceived stress levels in the short and long term.
Another study from the University of California, San Francisco, found that a 6-day holiday improves bodily functions related to managing stress and results in feeling less stressed and less depressed.
8. Help others
Yale University’s research suggests that “affiliative behavior”—actions intended to help or please others—moderates the effects of stress on positive affect, negative affect, and overall emotional functioning.
Even small things that help others will greatly help you manage your stress levels—whenever you’re dealing with stress, try to help others: hold the door or elevator for someone, ask people around you if they need help, assist your coworkers with difficult tasks they’re tackling, or spend more time helping your child with homework.
9. Smiling and bearing it