Introduction

The word stress derives from the Latin word ‘stringere’ meaning to ‘draw tight’ and anyone who has ever been stressed will understand that feeling of being stretched beyond what is normally comfortable. The Stress Management Society defines stress as what happens when the demands made on a person exceed that person’s ability to cope.

Yet a certain amount of stress is a good thing and if we didn’t have stress in our lives, we might not get out of bed in the morning or take that 2 hour journey to see a customer. Stress is the force that keeps us moving and we wouldn’t last long without it.

Background

Back in pre-historic days stress saved our lives. Then a stressful day at the office might be hunting sabre toothed tigers or fleeing from attacking enemies. It was important that our ancestors responded appropriately to such life or death situations. So our bodies and brains evolved to recognise stress and react by preparing for ‘fight or flight’. Thus under stress chemicals and hormones were released into the human body which enabled our ancestors to run faster and jump higher. And by running and jumping, the effects of those same hormones and chemicals were neutralised in the body.

Nowadays sabre toothed tigers have been replaced by traffic jams, heavy workloads and IT crashes. But our bodies still respond as if we were in a life or death situation and because we now don’t have the natural relaease mechanisms that we used to have, the effects of
stress build up in the body and this can be dangerous.

It’s about balance

Some stress is good. But we need to react to and manage stress to make sure that it works in our favour. It is recommended to either reduce your stress, or learn how to manage it more effectively. A combination of the two approaches works well.

Positive stress

This is the stress that you feel when you are planning your wedding or when you are about to make an important presentation. You feel nervous, flustered and on edge, but you are also highly charged and pumped up. This kind of stress is not harmful, can be quite invigorating and can actually help you to perform at your optimal level.

Negative stress

This is often beyond your control (it may seem that way) and is very harmful, especially if it occurs over a long period of time. Think about a situation where someone has to go to work for the money, actually hates the job, is unable to find any other type of work and the boss is aggressive and a bit of a bully. This type of stress can be very damaging for your health and quality of your life.

The potential impact of stress on normally body functions

*Please note that the above are only general guidelines and potential effects. Each individual is different and deals with stress and pressure in a different way and that medical advice should be sought in all cases of illness or suspected illness or stress.

General stress reduction ideas

Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeine.
They are all stimulants, so therefore they cannot calm you down. If you’re stressed, steer
clear of them and keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water instead.

Work off stress with physical activity

Pressure or anger releases adrenaline in the body. Exercise helps to reduce it, and produces ‘good mood’ substances in the brain. So go for a brisk walk when you feel tense, breath deeply and try to exercise regularly for 20/30 minutes three or four times a week.

Learn about stress reduction techniques and do one every day

There are a variety of stress reduction techniques available. Activities such as yoga, self-hypnosis, reading, certain video games, listening to music, painting, dance and a variety of other activities that you enjoy can all help to reduce stress.

Rest and sleep

Sleep is essential for the body to function properly and different people require a different amount of sleep. Create the right sleeping environment and avoid taking work to bed. A technique that works for many people, is to write a ‘to do’ list for the following day before going to bed, and some people find reading a good book works well.

Agree every now and then

Try not to take on everybody and avoid being constantly in the battlefield. From time to time even if you disagree, avoid conflict by allowing things to flow over you or by agreeing that their opinion is right. You are not saying you agree with them, just that they are right. After
all they have the right to believe in what they believe.

Learn to accept what you cannot change

Accept that there are some things you have no control over and cannot change or influence in any way. Then decide whether this is OK with you or not. Can you put up with this or will it constantly nag at you. If you cannot put up with it then something may need to change and you will have to think carefully about what and the consequences of this.

Listen to your body

When you are tired, hungry or thirsty, it is important that you do something about it. If you feel yourself becoming tense, stressed or agitated, consider a brisk walk, a count to ten, a
brief change of activity or something else to help reduce your stress levels.

Learn to say no

If you are too busy then taking on more work might well increase the pressure or stress you feel under. Learning to say ‘no’ is a good idea, however sometimes it’s not right for the circumstances or situation so a ‘yes I can, however first I need to xxx and xxx’ or something similar might be a better response. Let people who are asking you to do more know what the implications of this request are. That it will impact other deadlines or that in your opinion it probably has a lower priority level than something else. Maybe consider asking what you should drop in order to be able to do this?

Manage your time

Take one thing at a time and don’t overdo things. Use time wisely and have some form of plan and priority list that takes into account the importance and urgency of a task. How important and when does it need to be done by.

5 strategies for managing stress

1. Identify all the stressors in your life and score them on a scale (10 = High stress and 1 = hardly any stress). Note the most stressful ones.

2. Identify the sources and/or causes of these stressors. When do they occur? How do they occur? Over what time do they occur? How do you react? What is the consequence of this reaction? How do they make you feel? Can you influence them in any way?

3. Taking the ones you can influence and you have the highest score first. Think about the following. Can you stop them occurring? Can you reduce how or when they occur? Can you react differently when they occur? What would the impact of this be? Is this better than what you get now? How would you feel differently?

4. Review the areas where you have no influence/control and explore ways to reduce or minimise exposure to the situation, change your thinking, emotional state or the time and/or duration you are exposed to them. If you cannot influence these areas can you accept it? If no then what are you going to do?

5. Monitor the results and reward yourself for avoiding, dealing with and managing stress.

Other stress management techniques

Managing tasks and activities in a productive and effective way can help to reduce the stress and pressure that you might feel under.

One approach is to adopt a 5 step prioritising technique
1. List the things that you need to do
2. Put them in order of importance
3. Decide what you need to do yourself, and what can be delegated
4. Decide which needs doing today, next week or next month
5. Decide what doesn’t need doing after all and drop it from the list

Your tasks should now be in some form of priority order. Remember to review and adjust as your day progresses and use as a template for your next days tasks and activities.

Day to day techniques

• Look for solutions and don’t dwell on problems
• Break taks down into bite size chunks
• Spread your tasks out during the day
• Tackle stressful tasks when you feel most energised
• Shorten the time you are exposed to stress
• Take regular short breaks throughout the day
• Avoid working long hours and taking work home
• Eat well and drink plenty of water. Avoid eating at your desk
• Get some fresh air and try breathing exercises
• Exercise regularly 3 to 4 times a week
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and other drugs
• Get good nights sleep
• Try relaxation exercises, even at your desk
• Avoid hours and hours at your desk/computer
• Spend time with your family and friends
• Every day do something for yourself and for others
• Reward yourself for successes and do something you enjoy
• Write your personal goals and objectives and work towards them
• Ensure you develop yourself and have the skills to do the job
• SMILE and laugh at yourself and appropriate situations
• Seek help in severe situations. This is positive