How to Control Stress

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Understand a bit about stress.

   Stress is physical or emotional tension or discomfort brought on by any perceived threat to our well-being.While some stress can be good — planning your wedding, for example — other types of stress can be hazardous to your overall health.
   
   In this article, we'll examine ways to curb the negative kind of stress.
2. 2

   Step 2: Recognize the symptoms of stress.Stress can manifest in a number of different ways.

   Be on the lookout for both physical and emotional signs of stress.
   
   Here are some common ways stress affects people:
   Physical signs Tension Loss of appetite Weight gain or loss Sleep problems Headaches, back pains, and stomach problems Non-physical signs:
   Feeling numb towards one's feelings Feeling powerless Anger Sadness or crying Inability to focus Worry , Short-term stress is fleeting but powerful.
   
   Just because we know it's fleeting doesn't make it any less immediate.
   
   Short-term stress can be caused by :
   Arguments Feeling overwhelmed with too much work in too little time Accumulations of small problems, like running late or getting a parking ticket , Long-term stress is more pervasive.
   
   In some cases, it can be brought on by a positive event in one's life, such as getting a promotion or having a child.Long-term stress is arguably more hazardous to one's health because it can stew and fester for such a long time.
   
   With long-term stress, the sympathetic autonomic nervous system (ANS) initiates a fight or flight reaction semi-permanently, without ever letting the parasympathetic ANS relax the body and fully take over.
   
   Here are some of the common causes of long-term stress:
   Death of a loved one or someone close to you Experiencing a long-lasting illness or caring for someone with a long-lasting illness Financial difficulties Chronic problems at work or at home , Dealing with stress is a difficult arrangement.
   
   Sadly, taking drugs or abusing alcohol in order to deal with stress doesn't do anything to fix the stress.
   
   In the long run, using drugs and alcohol as a crutch actually creates more problems than it solves., It may seem like stress is a constant in your life, but there are ways to keep stress from encroaching on your happiness in the first place.
   
   This is more than just stress management, or what you'll find below; this is stress prevention.
   
   How do you do it? Plan ahead.
   
   If you have a bout of short-term stress before every midterm, for example, it's worth planning ahead.
   
   Start studying a couple days before you normally do, and study when your concentration is at its peak.
   
   Plan out your social engagements so that you have a break every so often.
   
   Planning ahead will sometimes prevent stress altogether.
   
   Create an order of operations.
   
   Assign priorities to certain tasks, and get the high-priority tasks done first and the low-priority tasks done later.
   
   Signing up for health insurance and signing up for the latest soccer tournament should not have equal priority.
   
   Prioritize accordingly.
   
   Prepare for potentially stressful events.
   
   If you know a stressful event is on the horizon, prepare for it mercilessly.
   
   That way, when it comes time to give a presentation, for example, you'll feel confident that you have what it takes to deliver it effectively.
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   Step 3: Realize some of the causes of short-term stress.

4. 4

   Step 4: Know some of the causes of long-term stress.

5. 5

   Step 5: Do not use drugs or abuse alcohol in order to deal with stress.

6. 6

   Step 6: Know that stress can ultimately be prevented.

Detailed Guide

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