5 Steps To Coping With

Problems And Reducing Stress

Here is a review of what are the results to the bodies when we’re stressed, what causes stress and 5 ways to overcome problems in reducing stress.

What are the results whenever we are stressed?

Our bodies trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response.  Here is the body’s natural a reaction to what it perceives as danger – a speeding car, a fierce dog, a venomous snake or perhaps a person threatening us with a weapon as an example.

Problems and changes inside our life cause the same result, since these usually bring uncertainty.  We do not know what the consequence of the change will be so we don’t knowhow to deal with it.  We don’t understand how to fix the problem so we imagine all the terrible consequences of not fixing it.  These register as threats in our minds – threats to our current situation, where we realize what things to are expecting and how to approach it.  Therefore they trigger the natural fight or flight response.

The fight or flight response prepares your body for quick, violent action either to fight the risk or to run away as a result as fast as possible to safety with the view of reducing stress.

To allow us to achieve this our body produces extra adrenaline, gives us extra energy.  Additionally, it tenses up certain muscles to do something defensively contrary to the threat.  This is totally instinctive and natural – we have no choice or control over it.

In ancient times when we were up against danger we’d either fight the chance or run away from this.  This would burn up the extra adrenaline and, when the danger had passed, our muscles would curl up.

But today’s problems often arise in ‘non-physical’ situations – the office or your home for example.  We can’t fight it or run away from it, since it will always be not really a physical threat, therefore it stays with us, constantly churning around in our minds.  Therefore, we take up the extra adrenaline and we don’t curl up our muscles to relax afterwards.  Instead, our bodies produce MORE adrenaline and keep the muscles tensed up for longer, as the ‘danger’ is still there.

So how exactly does this affect us?

This constant ‘state of preparedness’ with time leads to the physical symptoms of stress: sinus headache relief, stiff neck and shoulders, stomach upsets, back pains, nausea, etc – the list is long and the effects differ from individual to individual.

Ultimately, if it’s left un-treated, stress can contribute to cardiovascular disease, depression symptoms in Women as well as signs of depression in Men.  How can it do this?  In ancient times if we were fighting or fleeing and got wounded we’d lose blood, which will hinder our fighting or fleeing.  To be able to prevent this your body thickens up the blood to ensure that we stop bleeding quicker.  This happens today during times of stress.

And thickened blood, which will not be thinned out through removing the worries, can cause blocked arteries.  This can ultimately result in high blood pressure, strokes or heart attacks.

What exactly can we do about this?

Well – we can’t control others and outside situations so we are always going to face problems, changes and challenges.  We are able to get a grip on how we react or react to those, but we often battle to understand how.

Where to start is our mind.

Our minds have total control over our bodily reactions.  Here is a good example: if a sportsman is playing a  game and thinks to himself in the seconds before making an play, it might be terrible easily missed this shot – I’d lose the overall game, the chances are that he will miss the shot.  If, instead, that he thinks great, here it comes, I’ll make the shot then the odds are he will make the shot and win the overall game. Our minds get a grip on our body’s reactions.

So how can we use that to regulate the symptoms of stress?  We have to train our minds to manage problems differently.

Below are a few tips:

Recognise what we can control and what we cannot

Put the things we cannot control to one side and give attention to the things that we could control

For the things that we can control workout the worst possible situation and produce a plan to deal with it.  Once you have that plan you will be amazed at just how much more enjoyable you feel.

Then try to improve on the worst possible situation.  You will in all probability consider ways to improve on the worst situation because your brain is more active.

For things that you cannot get a grip on accept that it is useless to waste your energy in it.  You cannot do anything about something over which you have no control.

It is sometimes difficult to change the way you approach things, but if you’re struggling with stress symptoms you need to make that change.  The results on your own health if you don’t, can be very serious.

See how to manage your emotional reaction to problems, eliminate stress and achieve the success you’re effective at!  For more general information on reducing stress and success click here.