How to manage stress?

There are many differing ways of coping with and handling stress in everyday life. Stress is a feeling that appears in different intensities when a person is under great pressure, feels overwhelmed, or is faced with a traumatic event or important life change.

Everybody feels stressed sometimes; it’s a normal part of life.

Stress is the physical, mental, or emotional response of the body to an external event or cause of stress, which is called a stressor. A stressor can be anything that causes stress. Sometimes, it’s a one-time event, and sometimes, it’s recurring, causing stress again and again.

Research suggests that stress can be positive and productive in certain situations, making the person more conscious, alert, and careful and improving functioning in specific situations. Still, this applies only when stress is short-term, intense, or long-lasting. Stress exposure can lead to serious physical illnesses and mental disorders, of which the most common are depression (link) and anxiety disorders (link).

Symptoms of stress can differ depending on the situation, but some of the most common ones include:

• Anxiety
• Feelings of being overwhelmed
• Depressive mood
• Bursts of anger
• Tension
• Changes in mood
• Inability to concentrate
• Apathy
• Increased consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, or other psychoactive substances
• Problems with sleep
• Nervousness
• Problems with weight
• Pain, most often in the muscles
• Diarrhea or constipation

The personality of the individual and the ways of looking at life, as well as the specific aspects of the stressors, can significantly impact how one deals with stress. Different aspects, such as general levels of anxiety, ways of understanding problems, ability to affect relevant events, previous similar experiences, length of exposure to stress, and many others, will influence how one relates to specific stresses.

It can be helpful to understand that the circumstances that cause stress can’t always be solved or eliminated, but the ways of perceiving and managing them usually can.

Understanding what causes stress is the first step to understanding which coping strategies work best in your specific case.

Some general ways of stress regulation and prevention include:

Physical exercise can be a very efficient way of overcoming stress. It increases self-confidence and the production of endorphins, which create a feeling of euphoria after exercise.

• Get a good enough amount of quality sleep. Sleep problems are common with regard to stress. More information about better sleep can be found here (link).
• Diet has a huge effect on all aspects of health. It’s essential to try and consume an adequate amount of diverse nutrients and vitamins, which allow for the proper functioning of the body and the brain.
• Consuming psychoactive substances, including cigarettes and alcohol, might seem like something that can help relieve stress, but most often makes things worse, including general health.
• Relaxing can seem like it is easy to say but difficult to do in practice on an everyday basis. Programs and techniques that help in learning relaxation exist and can have very positive results. “Mindfulness” is one such program, focusing on being conscious of the present moment, meditation, and breathing and visualization techniques.
• Learning new skills: solving interpersonal problems, emotional awareness and reactivity, feelings of control over things, and confronting complex life events.
• Support: Asking for support or help from the ones closest to you can have a large positive influence on confronting problems in a healthy and positive way.

If you recognize that you have difficulties in overcoming stress that lasts a longer time or that the stress you are faced with is too intense and disrupts your everyday life in significant ways, you might want to seek help from a professional. Consulting with a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a psychotherapist might help you better understand your problems and direct you toward a treatment plan that will suit you.

It's important not to ignore severe and prolonged stress and its symptoms because they can lead to severe physical and psychological problems.

Written by: Bachelor of Psychology, Aleksa Holcer.

This text is intended for informational purposes only. If you experience any symptoms, it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.

How to manage and reduce stress. (n.d.). Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-manage-and-reduce-stress

I’m so stressed out! Fact sheet. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out-fact-sheet

Worthen, M., & Cash, E. (2023, August 14). Stress management. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513300/