STRESS
You cannot avoid stress, but you can learn to manage it so that you don’t let it manage you. Stress is a fact of life, regardless of where you go and what you do.
Stress is common in our lives because of situations such as going to college, getting married, changing jobs, or becoming ill. It’s important to remember that changes that cause stress can also improve your life. The act of moving away from home and attending college, for instance, provides an opportunity for personal development, new challenges, and new friendships.
The good news is that you can minimize the harmful effects of stress, such as depression or hypertension, by getting to know yourself and examining what causes stress. Learning this takes time, but you can minimize the harmful effects of stress, such as depression or hypertension by knowing yourself.
It is important to become aware of your mental processes and how you react to situations. This awareness will allow you to develop coping mechanisms for dealing with stress. Platoon leaders, for example, must learn techniques that take into account the needs of themselves and their soldiers when managing stress.
It is important to understand that the stress you experience as a student is different from what you may experience while serving in the Army, particularly when deployed or in a combat zone.
WHAT IS STRESS?
People experience stress in different ways and for different reasons, due to a variety of events, changes, and scenarios in their lives. Stress is the physical and mental reaction human beings have to what is going on around them.
Reactions are based on the way you perceive events and situations. If you perceive an event or situation negatively, you will likely feel distressed, out of control, overwhelmed, or oppressed.
We are most familiar with stress as being negative. Eustress, on the other hand, is a reaction to a positive view of an event or situation, which is why it is called “good stress.”
CAUSES OF STRESS
Most frequently, people become stressed out for three reasons:
1. The unsettling effects of change
2. The feeling that an outside force is challenging or threatening you
3. The feeling that you have lost personal control.
Changing jobs, getting married, getting divorced, or losing family or friends is the most common cause of stress..
Despite being less common, life-threatening events can have the most physiological and psychological implications. Public service careers associated with immediate danger and uncertainty tend to have high levels of stress-police officers, fire and rescue workers, emergency relief workers, and military personnel.
SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS
If you experience these symptoms frequently, you are likely feeling distressed. Stress symptoms can be categorized into three categories-physical, mental, and emotional. Review this list carefully.
1. Headaches
2. Fatigue
3. Gastrointestinal problems
4. Hypertension (high blood pressure)
5. Heart problems, such as palpitations
6. Inability to focus/lack of concentration
7. Sleep disturbances, whether it’s sleeping too much or an inability to sleep
8. Sweating palms/shaking hands
9. Anxiety
10. Sexual problems.
The stress you experience affects your metabolism, immune system, and many other aspects of your health, even when you are unaware of it. Stress increases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that negatively affect your health.
As a result, your heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and the physical demands on your internal organs can increase. Stress can also result in behavioral changes.
They can include:
1. Irritability
2. Disruptive eating patterns (overeating or undereating)
3. Harsh treatment of others
4. Increased smoking or alcohol consumption
MANAGING STRESS
Learning how to manage stress starts with understanding how you react in different situations, what causes your stress, and what kind of behavior you exhibit when stressed. Once you understand yourself better, the following steps can be taken:
1. Set priorities: Make a To-Do list. Decide what is really important to get done today, and what can wait. This helps you to know that you are working on your most immediate priorities, and you don’t
have the stress of trying to remember what you should be doing.
2. Practice facing stressful moments: Think about the event or situation you expect to face and rehearse your reactions. Find ways to practice dealing with the challenge. If you know that speaking in front of a group frightens you, practice doing it, perhaps with a trusted friend or fellow student.
3. Examine your expectations: Try to set realistic goals. It’s good to push yourself to achieve,
but make sure your expectations are realistic. Watch out for perfectionism. Be satisfied
with doing the best you can. Allow people the liberty to make mistakes, and remember that mistakes can be a good teacher.
4. Live a healthy lifestyle: Get plenty of exercise. Eat healthy foods. Allow time for rest and relaxation. Find a relaxation technique that works for you – prayer, yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises. Look for the humor in life, and enjoy yourself.
5. Learn to accept change as a part of life. Nothing stays the same. Develop a support system
of friends and relatives you can talk to when needed. Believe in yourself and your
potential. Remember that many people from disadvantaged backgrounds have gone
on to enjoy great success in life.
