Opinion | Stress Management-Timely Response

“If You Want Happy Child,then Stop Comparing Your Child With Others”.

“Good Things Come To Those Who Wait”.

“The Truth is that Stress doesnt Come From Your Boss, Your Kids, Your Spouse, Traffic Jams, Health Challenges, or Other Circumstances.It Comes From Your thoughts about Your Circumstances.”
“If I Love Myself despite My Infinite Faults,how Can I hate anyone at the glimpse of few Faults”. Swami Vivekananda.
What is Stress?
Stress Can be defined as Our Mental, Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral reactions to any Perceived Demands or threats.
What is “Fight or Flight” Response
When Situations Seem threatening to Us, Our Bodies react quickly to Supply Protection by Preparing to take action. This Physiological reaction is Known as the “Fight or Flight” response.
The Physiological response to a Stressor is known as Reactivity.
Physiological responses Can Accumulate and Result in Long-Term Wear on the Body.
What Makes Something Stressful?
Situations that have Strong Demands
Situations that are Imminent
Life Transitions
Timing (e.g., Deviation From the “Norm”)
Ambiguity
Desirability
Not All Stress is Bad
Distress is a Continuous Experience of Feeling Overwhelmed, Oppressed, and behind in Our Responsibilities. It is the All Encompassing Sense of being imposed upon by difficulties with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Examples of Distress include Financial Difficulties, Conflicts in Relationships, Excessive Obligations, Managing a Chronic Illness, or Experiencing a Trauma.
Eustress is the Other form of Stress that is Positive and Beneficial. We may feel Challenged, but the Sources of the Stress are Opportunities that are Meaningful to Us. Eustress helps Provide Us With Energy and Motivation to meet our responsibilities and Achieve Our Goals.
Examples of Eustress Include Graduating From College,Getting Married, receiving a Promotion, Or Changing Jobs.
Stress Response: Example
A good Example of a Stressful Situation for many People is taking a test. If you find testing to be Stressful, You might notice Certain Physical, Behavioural, Mental, and Emotional responses.
Physical Response?
Behavioural Response?
Mental Response?
Emotional Response?
What is Stressful to You?

Work
Roommate
Legal matters

Classes
Childcare
Mental health

Studying
Finances
Violation

Relationship with Partner
Appearance
Spiritual/Religious
issues

Relationship with Family
Physical Health
Major/Career
decisions

Relationship with Friends
Not “fitting in”
Attitudes/thoughts

Trauma
Getting Married
Buying a house

Change in residence
Change to a new School
Change in Amount
Of recreation

Change in Amount of Social Activities
Change in Eating habits
Death of Friend
/Family Member

Why Do We “Stress Out”? For Two Major Reasons.
We Perceive a Situation as Dangerous, Difficult, or Painful.
We dont believe We have the Resources to Cope.
Stress Warning Signals
What are Your “Redd Flags,” or Warning Signs, that Stress is Creeping into Your Life? If we keep Pushing Ourselves, Eventually Something inside of use will send “Red Flags,” or Warning Signs that Stress is becoming a Problem.
Suggestions for Reducing Stress
01. Find a Support System.Find Someone to talk to about Your Feelings and Experiences.02. Change Your Attitude.Find other ways to think about Stressful Situations.”Life is 10% what happens to Us, and 90% How We react to it in Different Situations.” 03. Be Realistic. Set Practical Goals for dealing With Situations and Solving Problems.
Develop Realistic Expectations of Yourself and others. 04. Get Organized and Take Charge. Being unorganized or engaging in poor planning often leads to frustration or crisis situations, which most always leads to feeling stressed.
Plan your time, make a schedule, establish your priorities. 05. Take Breaks,Give Yourself “Me Time.” Learn that taking time to yourself for rejuvenation and relaxation is just as important as giving time to other activities.
At minimum, take short breaks during your busy day. 06. Take Good Care of Yourself. Eat properly, get regular rest, keep a routine. Allow yourself to do something you enjoy each day.
Paradoxically, the time we need to take care of ourselves the most, when we are stressed, is the time we do it the least. 07. Learn to Say “No.” Learn to pick and choose which things you will say “yes” to and which things you will not.
Protect yourself by not allowing yourself to take on every request or opportunity that comes your way. 08. Get Regular Exercise. Exercising regularly can help relieve some symptoms of depression and stress, and help us to maintain our health. 09. Get a Hobby, do Something Different. For a balanced lifestyle, play is as important as work. 10. Slow Down. Know your limits and cut down on the number of things you try to do each day, particularly if you do not have enough time for them or for Yourself.Be realistic about what you can accomplish effectively each day. Monitor your pace. Rushing through things can lead to mistakes or poor performance. Take the time you need to do a Good Job.Poorly done tasks can lead to added Stress. 11. Laugh,Ue Humour. Do something fun and enjoyable such as seeing a funny movie, laughing with Friends, reading a humorous book, or going to a comedy show. 12. Learn to Relax. Develop a regular relaxation routine. Try Some Simple Quiet Time.
Relaxation Exercises
Many Different Kinds of Relaxation Exercises, but Two are.
Deep Breathing
Visualization.Visualization is a nice way of giving our minds and bodies a “Mini Vacation.”
Try to change the way You appraise a Situation to make it Less Stressful
Remember stress is normal but watch out for Symptoms of Stress
Use Coping Skills/Ways to reduce Stress
Practice relaxation Techniques.
Your Stress involves Changing Your Situation. At other times, the best Strategy Involves Changing the way You respond to the Situation.Developing a clear understanding of how Stress impacts Your Physical and Mental health is important. Its also important to recognize how Your Mental and Physical Health affects Your Stress Level.

can be defined as our mental, physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions to any perceived demands or threats.

Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi
Mukhtar.qur@gmail.com