The Causes Of Your Stress And How To Deal With Them

Are you under a lot of stress? Several different factors can cause pressure, or anxiety, in your day to day life. 

You can suffer from different types of stress. For example, it can be wearisome when you have to deal with an increased workload in the office. You can be under a lot of tension when you've just given birth and are transitioning to parenthood. 

Sometimes, you have to deal with multiple stressors that may seem quite impossible to survive. It is during these situations that you might feel the most upset and frustrated. However, your body will respond to it by making you feel various symptoms that include extreme emotions such as depression and anger. 

Stress affects you in several ways, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Sadly, these effects come in varying intensities as well. 

Symptoms Of Stress

No one is exempted from stress or life challenges. Everyone deals with it their own way. However, when it begins to alter your life and affects your relationships with the people around you, then you need to know how to deal with it. 

While it is true that the causes of stress at work affect everyone differently, they usually share common signs and symptoms. Here are the signs to look out for:

•  Anxiety and feelings of worry
•  Overwhelming feelings of sadness
•  Lacks concentration
•  Mood swings
•  Being short-tempered
•  Irritability
•  Low self-confidence
•  Depression
•  Eating more or less than what you used to
•  Dizziness
•  Nausea
•  Lack of sex drive

All of these are symptoms that a person may experience when under a significant amount of stress. If you are experiencing any of these for a prolonged period, it is best to get intervention today.

Causes Of Stress

Before you consider different stress management programs, the first step is to identify what is causing your stress. It could be anything or anyone. Here are a few factors to consider.

Workplace pressures

Even if you love what you do, there will always be times when it doesn't feel right. You want to do things correctly, but sometimes, what you produce does not seem to meet the standards that have been set by management. 

Perhaps, it could be when one of your teammates does not seem to care for the project as much as you want them to. Or maybe it is all about the additional work passed on to you recently. All these could be contributing factors to the stress you feel right now. 

Expectations you have of others

Whenever you expect people to do this or that or be this or that, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. While it may be difficult not to expect anything from others, you must learn to try. Expecting people to be how you want them to be won't always work out for the best. They are their own person. It's best just to let them be. 

You set your standards too high

You may expect yourself to always be at your best. However, you also have to give yourself some room to grow. Whenever you are setting expectations for yourself, make sure that they are doable within the given timeframe. Don't set the bar too high. 

For example, give yourself a deadline as to when you are going to submit your project to your managers. Make sure that you work on it little by little every day until the goal is met. Do not allow yourself to procrastinate. That's never really an option. 

How To Protect Yourself From Stress

Allow yourself to enjoy the benefits of stress management. You know you deserve a good life. Once you've identified the sources of your stress, here are a few things you can do to lessen the tension. 

Tip 1: Always choose to eat healthily

Did you know that when under high stress, we tend to reach for more unhealthy foods? But if you keep in mind that you need to choose to eat healthily, you are in for a lot of other treats. 

Healthy eating not only reduces the risks of diet-related medical conditions, but it also helps improve your mood and protects you from feeling sad and depressed. 

Tip 2: Avoid smoking or drinking when you're stressed

If you love going out and partying a lot, go ahead and have fun. However, it would be best if you tried to avoid drinking alcoholic drinks. It would help if you quit smoking too. 

Even though they seem to help in reducing tension, they really do not. They only make you feel worse than when you started. 

Tip 3: Engage in physical exercise

How often do you exercise? If physical exercise is not part of your day to day life, then start integrating them today. Exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress. Go for a run in the morning or take a nice quiet walk before you go home. You will see that even a slight change in your physical activity will help improve your overall health. 

Tip 4: Go out and enjoy life

Take the time to relax. Always try to strike a balance between doing the work you're expected to do and taking some time off. Remember that it is okay to prioritize self-care too. 

Tip 5: Be mindful

Mindfulness is an approach in life wherein you focus more on what you think and how you feel in the moment. Mindfulness meditation means finding inner quiet in order to calm yourself. Concentrate on how your experiences affect you. 

Be more understanding of yourself and experience the difference that it brings.