Can Affect Your Body
As I mentioned earlier, if fear is allowed to influence your thoughts, feelings, and emotions unchecked, it may lead to breakdown in your body. Here are several areas that long-term fear can cause problems. This list is not exhaustive, but it may help you identify a root of fear in your life so that you may begin the process of recognizing it and defeating it with Gods help.
Tip : Connect To Others
There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. In fact, face-to-face interaction triggers a cascade of hormones that counteracts the bodys defensive fight-or-flight response. Its natures natural stress reliever . So make it a point to connect regularlyand in personwith family and friends.
Keep in mind that the people you talk to dont have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners. And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up. The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust. It will only strengthen your bond.
Of course, its not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to lifes stressors.
Tips for building relationships
Why Employers Ask About How You Handle Stress
Interviewers want to make the best hire for each role. If they know that a certain role sometimes involves stressful situations, they may want to verify that a candidate can react to that environment in a constructive rather than destructive manner. Employers may not want to hire candidates who:
- Outwardly express stress in the form of anger or sadness
- Are reactive to stress in a disruptive way
- Allow stress to impede or degrade the quality of work
- Become overwhelmed or shut down as a result of stress
-
Put themselves and/or others in unnecessary and stressful situations
On the other hand, employees who understand their reaction to stress are an asset to hiring managers. They will appreciate a candidate who:
- Is motivated by healthy pressure and uses it to produce quality, efficient work
- Avoids stress by planning ahead and prioritizing work
- Keeps open lines of transparent, constructive communication with managers and colleagues
- Has healthy boundaries
Related: Job Interview Tips: How to Make a Great First Impression
Don’t Miss: How To Eliminate Stress Hormones
Focus On Stories And Examples That Communicate A Moment Of Personal Growth
This will help any potential employer understand how you turn stress into a positiveespecially if you give examples where stress has actually helped your work in some way.
Here are a few examples of a good response to this question, for reference:
Example 1
Planning is an important tool in handling stress for me. Drawing up detailed plans for projects and even my daily work helps me to get ahead of stressful situations. When stress does inevitably arise, planning helps me to tackle the situation one step at a time to prioritize what needs to be done in an efficient way for myself and my colleagues. In fact, some of my best work in streamlining processes has come from a stressful situation. Ive been able to design simpler, more efficient workflows with less room for error.
Example 2
Stress can be a big motivator for me. A healthy amount of pressure helps me produce efficient, quality work by giving me a picture of what my colleagues need from me and when. Ive experienced stressful situations that bring my team together, and have seen some of our best work come from pressure.
Example 3
Related: Behavioral Interview Questions
Up Your Avoidance Of Caffeine Alcohol And Nicotine
We previously said that it was a good idea not to have too much caffeine, alcohol and nicotine as a way to avoid stress. If you are already feeling stressed, this becomes even more important. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and so will increase your level of stress rather than reduce it.
Alcohol is a depressant when taken in large quantities, but acts as a stimulant in smaller quantities. Using alcohol as a way to alleviate stress is therefore not ultimately helpful.
Swap caffeinated and alcoholic drinks for water, herbal teas, or diluted natural fruit juices and aim to keep yourself hydrated. This will enable your body to cope better with stress.
You should also aim to avoid or reduce your intake of refined sugars – they are contained in many manufactured foods and can cause energy crashes which may lead you to feel tired and irritable.
There is more about this in our page What are Carbohydrates?.
Read Also: Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Afib
Coronavirus Update For Students
Whether you’re a current undergraduate or an A-level student hoping to go to university in the foreseeable future, if you’re worried about the current COVID-19 situation, advice on coronavirus and your wellbeing has been provided by the mental health charity Mind.
Student stress can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- struggling with your mental health
- loneliness, homesickness or relationship difficulties
- finding it hard to save money or deal with debt
- harmful use of, or withdrawal from, alcohol or drugs.
There are a number of common reactions to stressful circumstances such as these, including:
- Behavioural – these could involve avoiding or escaping from the situation and turning to alcohol or drugs, a change in appetite or an inability to concentrate.
- Physical – you may experience an increased heart rate, sweating, shaking, headaches, butterflies and over-breathing.
- Psychological – stress can lead to fear, panic and the feeling that something bad is going to happen.
‘Stress is a normal, and in some cases, helpful part of everyday life,’ explains Kate Aitchison, team manager of the counselling and mental health team at Newcastle University. ‘The adrenaline that comes as part of our stress response can be motivating and actually help us to perform better. The difficulty comes when stress tips over to distress. When stress is having a negative impact on day-to-day life, when it stops you achieving, relaxing or communicating – thats when some support may help.’
What Might Be Contributing To Stress In Your Life
It has been estimated that between 75-90% of all visits to primary health care physicians are due to stress-related problems. Job stress, is by far, the leading source of stress levels in adults. However, stress levels have also escalated in children, teenagers, college students, and the elderly. Some of their main concerns are increased crime, violence, and other threats to personal safety, pernicious peer pressure that leads to substance abuse and other unhealthy lifestyle habits, social isolation and loneliness, and the erosion of family and religious values and ties.
Don’t Miss: How To Avoid Stress Acne
Tips For Giving The Best Answer
Show the employer how you manage stress. That way, the interviewer can build up a clear picture of how well you adapt to stressful situations. For example, describe a time when you were given a difficult task or multiple assignments and how you rose to the occasion.
Focus on success. When you respond, share examples of how you succeeded despite being in a stressful situation, or of how you problem-solved to resolve the issue that caused stress.
When its a stressful job. Some jobs are stressful by nature. If youre applying for a high-stress job, be sure to let the interviewer know that youre used to working under stress and that its part of your normal routine.
Why Is Stress Management So Important
Its normal to face stressful situations in life. The stressors of daily life include everything from the daily commute to paying your taxes.
None of us are excluded from dealing with stress. The important thing is to learn to manage it so that your stress levels dont become overwhelming.
A little bit of stress can be healthy. But chronic stress can negatively affect your mental health and physical well-being.
According to the APA, people experiencing increased stress in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic report that stress:
- Caused unexpected mood swings
- Increased tension in their bodies
- Caused them to snap out of anger
Read Also: Can Stress Cause Your Period To Be Late
Bonus: Kick Your Bad Habits
Managing stress at work is partially about your mindset. Your outlook can have a huge impact on your ability to cope with everyday stressors. Keep them in check so they dont become major sources of negative stress. Here are a few tips to change your mindset by break the bad habits that are holding you back:
- Stay positive.
- One way to do this is to express gratitude. Its surprising how much different your outlook is when you make a point to recognize the people and things in your life that youre lucky to have.
What Not To Say
Dont mention an issue you created. Avoid mentioning a time when you put yourself in a needlessly stressful situation. You don’t want to come across as someone who causes workplace stress.
Dont say that you were really stressed. You shouldnt focus too much on how stressed out you felt. While you should certainly admit that stress happens, try to emphasize how you dealt with the stress rather than how much it bothered you.
Recommended Reading: How To Reduce Worry And Stress
Be More Realistic About Your Capabilities
It is helpful to remember that most people underestimate how long it will take to do something, and overestimate how much they can do. This means that they end up taking on too much, and then failing to deliver.
Develop the simple habit of doubling your time estimates for any task.
You are then far more likely to under-promise and over-deliver. This will make everyoneincluding youmuch happier than the other way round .
Path To Improved Well Being
Stress can cause health problems or make existing problems worse. Talk to your family doctor if you think your symptoms could be caused by stress. Its important to make sure they arent caused by other health problems.
Learn to recognize when youre feeling stressed. Early warning signs of stress include tension in your shoulders and neck or clenching your hands into fists. Try to avoid the event or situation that leads to your stress. If thats impossible, change how you react to stress.
You May Like: How Do I Stop Being Stressed
Plus A Free Printable 7 Steps To Defeating Fear
Time magazines June 6, 1983 cover story called stress The Epidemic of the Eighties. They referred to it as a leading health problem. There is no doubt that the stress situation has worsened since them. Numerous surveys confirm that adult Americans perceive that they are under much more stress than a decade or two ago. The problem is, most people dont know how to overcome stress in their lives. Many people seek medical help to manage the symptoms, but God has a better way, and its found in His Word. Today I want to share with you seven easy steps to defeating stress in your life.
How Can You Help Yourself
Stress is a natural reaction to many situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and money problems.
We mentioned earlier on that a moderate amount of stress can help us perform better in challenging situations,34 but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems. This can include lower immunity levels,35 digestive and intestinal difficulties, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome ,36 or mental health problems such as depression.37 It is therefore important that we manage our stress and keep it at a healthy level to prevent long-term damage to our bodies and minds.
Don’t Miss: What Is Stress Urinary Incontinence
Get Enough Sleepbut Not Too Much
The thought of hiding away under the covers sounds pretty great when there’s so much to deal with beyond your bedroom door, but sleeping too much isn’t the answer. Research shows that the more you sleep, the more tired you actually feel. Plus, studies that have shown an association between chronic oversleeping and diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and even higher rates of death . Adding health problems to your already heavy load is only going to exacerbate your stress levels. That said, too little sleep can make stress worse, too. “When you are tired and depleted, things look worse and less manageable than when you’re rested,” Smith says. The sweet spot to aim for, per the National Sleep Foundation, is between seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night.
Write Your Stress Away
I always keep a small notebook on me because writing helps to relieve stress. Freewriting consists of you setting a timer and then just writing down whatever comes to mind. If you cant think of anything, then write down that you cant think of anything. 5 minutes of freewriting can clear your head and relax you.
These rituals support me and guide me during stressful times. Perhaps some of them are right up your alley, or others you can adapt a little to suit you better. It is fascinating and rewarding to learn how different and yet similar we all are. The whole point is simply finding out what works best for us.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Vertigo From Stress
Listen To Music On The Drive Home
Listening to music offers many benefits and can be an effective way to relieve stress before, during, and after work. Playing an uplifting song while you make breakfast can help you start the day off feeling better prepared to interact with the people in your life. Likewise, combating the stress of a long day with your favorite music on the drive home can help you wind down and feel less stressed when you get there.
Get In Touch With Yourself
If you feel your stress levels rising, try listening to your body. What does it need at the moment? It often helps to tap your chest, stomach and back, massage your fingers and joints or rub your hands together vigorously. Try to always stand with both feet planted squarely on the ground, which gives you a sense of stability. We are used to acting according to what we think and have forgotten how to listen to our body, which knows what is truly good for us.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Stress Weight
Declutter Your Life / Simplicity
Far too often, we take on responsibilities that we rather shouldnt. We also spend valuable time chasing aims that are not truly our own. Even further, we waste precious time by engaging in entirely meaningless activities. These activities might be entertaining, but they dont provide any true value. In short, our lives are filled with responsibilities, tasks and activities that are of no use. Pursuing these activities adds unnecessary stress.
Excessive clutter can wear you down and distract you from that which is really important. In many cases, it invites great chaos into your life. From complexity comes stress. Its therefore all the more important to introduce simplicity in your life.
How To Handle Stress At Work
- Luana Marques, PhD, Contributor
If youre currently working, you probably know what it feels like to be stressed on the job. A must-do project arrives without warning. Three emails stack up for each one you delete. Phones ring, meetings are scheduled, a coworker drops the ball on a shared assignment.
Recommended Reading: How Can Stress Affect Your Period
Try To Get Some Regular Exercise Every Day
Exercise is one of the best methods for managing stress because it can relieve both the physical and emotional effects of stress. Consider fitness choices that also deliver specific stress-reducing effects like yoga, tai chi, Pilates, or one of the martial arts, all great ways to get rid of pent-up stress and negativity. “Exercise can help regulate and dissipate in a productive way those ‘fight or flight’ stress chemicals in the brain,” says Kubiak.
Back And Put The Problem In Perspective
Maybe you’re disappointed that you didn’t get a promotion you were up for or concerned that money is a little tight this month because of an unexpected medical bill. Feeling stressed is a natural reaction. But try to take a step back and ask yourself: Will this issue still matter in a year? In five years? If the answer is no, take a deep breath and try to move forward. Keeping things in perspective is crucial to managing stress.
Also Check: Does Stress Cause Ringing In The Ears
