Stress is part of our lives. The pressure to arrive on time to pick up the children, not to be late for work, to finish a school assignment or work project that needs to be delivered first thing in the morning, … are just some of the situations that generate stress in our day to day life. .
To a certain extent, stress represents a source of energy that makes us take action, since when it occurs, hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released that start our nervous system, accelerating our heart rate and raising blood pressure. Once we have finished with the situation that has caused us stress, the body usually regains its usual balance and tranquility.
The problem appears when stress is prolonged and there is too much tension since that erodes our quality of life, going from the psychological to include the physical. This is because high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) cause a decrease in the body’s defenses, which makes us more likely to get sick, all the more reason to prevent stress from being prolonged to such a level.
On many occasions and sometimes even unconsciously we seek solutions to free ourselves from stress that end up further aggravating the problem, for example, consuming substances that are harmful to health such as tobacco, alcohol, drugs, … which in addition to helping to make the problem disappear stress causes the person to become addicted to the substance and has to deal with withdrawal syndrome, so both problems will keep you restless and your health is in even more danger.
Food is also a very common resource to relieve stress symptoms, it is what is known as emotional hunger. Emotional hunger modifies the way we eat food, causing us to eat in large quantities or binge. This strategy also does not relieve stress and puts us at risk not only of gaining weight but also of having physical problems.
6 KEYS TO OVERCOMING STRESS
Here are some simple tips to cope with stress :
- Do what is in your hands . We usually get stressed by circumstances that are beyond our reach or by trying to do more activities than we can at the same time. Set priorities and do only what is in your hands. It is not always possible for you to do everything yourself, if you can, do not hesitate to ask for help.
- Find the balance . Life is like a table with 4 legs, if one fails the table is destabilized. Without a doubt, work is very important to obtain the quality of life you want, but rest, relationships with family, partner, children or friends are just as important.
- Get regular exercise . Sport is considered the best natural remedy to combat stress, through it you can download all that accumulated energy. On the other hand, exercise produces certain hormones in the brain (such as serotonin) that allow us to have a feeling of well-being, which also gives the benefit of avoiding emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.
- Get plenty of rest and sleep . It seems that days are hours away, after a long day it is necessary to stop and rest in order to recover from so many activities. Sleep decreases the amount of stress hormones in the body, so without adequate rest, fatigue and stress will accumulate with the next day’s activities, which can lead to anxiety and depression over time.
- Do breathing and relaxation techniques . The breathing techniques and relaxation are very useful for those times when stress takes hold of us. Breathing deeply and performing a relaxation technique gradually make us feel calmer and more relaxed.
- Seek professional help . If the discomfort persists, through a professional in Psychology you can learn to handle stressful situations in the most appropriate way for your situation.
Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.