Dealing with stress

https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-topics/stress/

Stress is a common feeling we all experience at times. Some stress is good for us and helps us to perform our best. But when we are under too much stress for too long, our performance decreases and our overall health and wellbeing is affected.

Stress can come from many sources such as health issues, relationship problems, workplace, paying the bills, deadlines, exams, or even unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves.

Sometimes stress is helpful as it can motivate you to meet a deadline or get things done. But long-term stress can increase the risk of conditions like:

• high blood pressure
• obesity and diabetes
• depression or anxiety
• heart disease
• muscle tension, headaches
• irritable bowel disorder
• mental health disorders and even suicide.

Top tips for dealing with stress:

1. Learn how to recognise stress and ways to cope with it.
2. Engage in techniques to help you relax.
3. Learn skills you can use every day such as effective problem solving, healthy communication and healthy thinking.
4. Develop a healthy work-life balance by staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, establishing good sleeping patterns, and making time for pleasurable activities and people who are important to you.
5. Spend time with people who can support you when you’re feeling stressed.

Managing stress

According to the Mayo Clinic in the US, when you learn to manage your stress, you will find peace of mind and have a longer, healthier life. The most recent thinking on stress management has found that you should tackle it before the symptoms appear, which means learning to recognise what sparks stress in your daily life.

In order to beat stress effectively you need to have a grab-bag of anti-stressing tools that you use often and proactively before your body's stress response fully kicks in. The more anti-stressing tools you can learn the better. Here are some to help you get started:

• do something you find relaxing
• breath deeply, from your diaprahgm
• eat well
• listen to music
• practice mindfulness meditation
• exercise regularly
• take frequent breaks
• talk with someone
• get as much sleep as you can.