STRESS AND ITS CAUSES
Stress can be referred to as an emotional, physical and psychological state of being which is so intense that it hinders our ability to function properly, exhaustion is also a major factor of stress. In this world that we are living in there are thousands of problems that can lead to someone having a stressful life. Some people thing that only persons in high ranks such as lawyers, politicians, general mangers, Judges have stress. This is definitely not so stress isn’t any respecter of persons; it comes to us at any age or time in our life.
We can see stress with our eyes, meaning if someone is stress out we can know, because of individuals’ physical appearance and reaction. Some individuals may have the same burden to carry, but different levels of strength. E.g. a housewife may have plenty work to do on a daily basis and she won’t even complain. On the other hand a next housewife may have the same amount of chores to do as the first house wife mentioned, but this one would complain to almost everyone how much things she has to do. I said this to say that everyone carries around their load in different ways; it depends on how much courage and strength you have to deal with the things life offers.
Sometimes we cause our own stress by over working ourselves, crossing our limitations, one thing we must learn is not to abuse or limits. When we over do this brings on stress because we are only made up to take a certain amount.
STAGES OF STRESS
Stress does not sneak up on its victim, capturing him or her in an unpredictable surprise attack. As humans we can detect when something is not right with us. Stress passes through stages until it reaches its highest level.
§ The alarm stage
When we hear the word alarm we know that it is alerting us of something. Therefore when stress reaches alarming stage it is notifying us that something is there, that needs to be on guard. To identify this stage your physical behaviour would change. Your potential drops due to the stressful situation (e.g. too much work, difficulty completing task, etc). Sometimes is only when the stress becomes overwhelming that’s the time the individual, may now realize he/she is in the alarming stage. This is where you have the opportunity to pull yourself together, before things get worse.
§ Resistance Stage
When stress goes beyond the initial alarm stage, the person enters into the resistance stage.
E.g. If a business owner tries to complete the backlog of work his employee/employees might have left behind for himself. Remember the day just have 24 hours and out of that we need some rest. This business man wants to meet all his business requirements so he pushes himself to the limit. Which in the end causes frustration. He/she becomes drained and their productivity drops and a lot of their energy would be used up.
§ The exhaustion Stage
This is the final stage of stress. Depression and anxiety is characterized by fatigue.
Fatigue: this doesn’t have to do with how some one feels after a long days work. Even if the businessman sleeps for a whole day this would not relieve him. This kind of fatigue is accompanied by nervousness, irritableness, tension, and anger.
A person would get very anxious even if the occasion doesn’t call for anxiety.
Depression is referred to when a person lack motivation, self esteem; they won’t even find pleasure in fun activities. Sleeplessness and negative thoughts (e.g. suicide etc).can trigger off a person physically and psychologically.
CAUSES OF STRESS
There is said to be two types of stress internal and external.
First stress factors stems from external circumstances such as our environment, job, family, or studies.
Second stress this is the one we can produce for ourselves. The way in which we handle different situations, our personality, our temperament and level of self control can be all sources of stress. Our mental and physical health plays an influential part on the amount of stress we have.
Stress doesn’t have to be major it can be simple things that trigger off our stress level, these are some of the things that can stress you out (E.g. getting the kids ready for school, Wars in your country, tragedies such as tsunami, earthquakes, avalanche, losing something that is valuable, along with many other incidents that produces stress.
We have to pay very good attention to all the factors that causes stress in our lives. Because if we don’t we can end up with a nervous breakdown, which is a path to MENTAL insanity.
OCCUPATIONS WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF STRESS
Air Traffic Controller Businessman
Pilot Physician
Stockbroker House wife
Teachers/ Lecturers Construction worker
Sales person Lawyers
Judges Police Officer
Fire Men Captain
Prison Officer Coast Guards
Telephone operators Miners
The level of stress would vary in each occupation because some is more time consuming and needs a lot of our input for things to run smoothly. There are many more professions that are very strenuous and can bring on stress very strongly, but I only mentioned a few.
COPING WITH STRESS ON THE JOB
Handling stress is not as easy as it may sound. When we have to work in environments with hoggish managers and employees, which acts as though they established the company. Sometimes we feel like saying and acting the wrong way to them. This surely won’t solve the problem when we lower ourselves to others to become even.
Instead whisper a pray for that person. Try different relaxing techniques at work that can keep your attention away from those that tries everyday to upset, oppress and stress you.
Function on what you have to do. Try not to meddle in people personal business as this can cause you to add tension to your existing problems.
If perhaps another co-worker has less qualification than you and gets promoted before you do. Don’t get all frustrated and angry about it, Think about it this way in life everything is not fair and what you didn’t get in this life was never meant to be for you. Always keep in your mind that what is for you, there is no one that can take it away.
Let’s look at it this way if you had been promoted, you might have gotten proud and look down on others. While you are at a lower position it would keep you humble. Another thing is every day we complain, have you ever stop for a moment and think about those that don’t have jobs. There are so many people dying every day for food, they have no home, clothes etc. But you have a job you have something to eat everyday. Do you know what is to be hungry for weeks, months?
Whenever you think that you are in a bad situation there is someone somewhere who is worst off than you. Be grateful for what you have and stop looking at all the big things in life.
Wherever we go there will always be different types of people. Don’t think if you get another job it would help, it may in one or two instances but other problems would arise. There are some things that we as humans would never be able to stomach (e.g.
People who have no self value always looking for conflict, )
STRESSFUL EVENTS
Most of us if not all face stressful events sometime throughout our life span. Some think that only negative things can cause stress, but it has been proven that also positive things can cause stress. (E.g. if you are promoted on the job for a higher position, this means more would be required of you, because of your rank and also the new salary you would be receiving. Your stress level will surely incline when you have more responsibilities).
Negative effects of stress if someone loses their spouse, parent, grandparent, friend etc. by death. This can take a very negative toll on that individual, especially if the individual and the person that died were very close. In some cases some may turn to drinking, smoking just to help them cope with that present stressful phase that him/her may be going through.
FRUSTRATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
Some of it begins at home, then the everyday traffic we have to face makes us stressed and frustrated before we even reach to work, added to that when you reach to work you have to put up with your work mates who sometimes can be pretty annoying or some old machine, computer in the office that isn’t working efficiently. Especially when you have to complete a task for a certain time, this can be very frustrating, because it slows down your working pace and test your patience.
The environment has a very big part to play on how we react to stress. A noisy neighbourhood or workplace can send you crazy if you don’t have patience, temperance, your stress level will be sky rocketed for sure.
HAVING OUR OWN SPACE
Every human being and animals like to have there own territory to develop and live. Being to cluster can hinder one’s growth. (E.G. some people don’t like being amongst to many people. It can cause them to be nervous or react differently). The way our human natures are made up, we always look for a short cut or some way out of a problem. Rather than facing that problem we run or try to find a solution, which sometimes fails miserably. I think the best way to deal with any problem is to stand up and face it, even if you may have to shed some tears. Even though we may run from circumstances, ask yourself how far I can run, could you run away from your memory? NO!
Let’s say you had a child that died at a very tender age, as a parent you would feel the pain and sorrows that death has to offer. You may go on a trip away from the house for the memory of that child not to hunt you, but believe me when all the fun is over you would return to that same old problem.
We run too much from our trials and that’s why some of us never grow up. Most times we are the ones who cause stress on ourselves then we blame it on work, the kids, everyone but ourselves. Let us be men and women, not little cowards.
WHY THERE ARE SO MANY MARITAL STRESS
Some people think that marriage is a bed of roses; you know there won’t ever be a bad moment. That’s the biggest mistake you would be making if you are to marry. Everyone is different even if you are a twin. You won’t think the same. So when you marry is obviously the husband/wife would have different taught, ideas and ways. You have to decide that you are willing and able to deal with these challenges.
I believe many people only hear the nice part of the wedding vows and for the bad part they get deft deliberately. Priest/ pastors say for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer in sickness and in health. Some only hear for BETTER, for RICHER and in HEALTH. That’s why when trouble comes knocking at the door, you run away and ask someone else to get it.
Millions of divorces are because of what I said above. People are not willing to deal with there offences. If the husband looses his job. The wife packs up her bag and leave why she not able with the poor life. He gets sick; she is not able with that.
In order for things to work out you have to be able to understand each other, forgive gave in sometimes, we as humans hardly like to acknowledge that we are wrong. Always sticking fingers at others. First we have to know how to speak to each other, gave the person the respect he/she needs. In marriage communication is the key to keeping the love alive and surviving marital problems.
Gave the person a listening ear while he/she speaks chose the right time to speak, as the saying goes there is a time for everything .Some after marriage they don’t have anything say. Before the wedding they was talking more than their breath would aloud them to breathe.
HOW TO PREVENT STRESS
There are ways and means that can be used to help prevent stress. I would say that stress is like a cancer cell it lives in your body, it just doesn’t shows up itself. Things have to happen first to trigger it off. It also has no cure like cancer even if you can do certain things to lessen it. At sometime in your life it would pop up. There are times we all feel up and other times we are down.
One morning you would get up and just not feel like it, a sign of depression kicks in. You are so out of it, you would be grumpy with the children/friends/co-workers for no particular reason.
PREVENTIONS
o Don’t over work yourself
o Try your best not to get irritable
o Have less arguments
o Forgive and try hard to forget
o Identify your problems in the alarming stage
o Come to a compromise
o Be a better husband/wife/child
o Stay quiet if you have nothing good to say
o Have a very good spiritual life
o View others at their age group
BRIEFING ON PREVENTIONS MENTIONED ABOVE
Over working yourself can cause you to be awfully tired and this is not a good sign. Even if you maybe in a conflict at the moment try calming yourself down before getting all worked up, in a case where your husband/wife/children may upset you think about a better way to deal with them, it will only make the situation tense if you heat up an argument. Always try to maintain a forgiving attitude, remember that no one is perfect. Be the one who are always willing to settle disputes even if it means giving up your rights.
Take a moment sit down or take a cool walk outside and talk to yourself, find out what is your problem, why am I reacting like this? Sometimes in life we may compromise a bit just not to hurt the other party feelings, if you are having problems with your husband smoking, coming home late etc. See if you can get him to talk when he is sober. Two of you come to an agreement where you two decide to go to a counsellor for help. Who can help guide you two through your difficult times?
HAVE A GOOD SPIRITUAL LIFE
Having a spiritual background is really important especially in difficult times. That’s one of the fore most foundations you must lay, have frequent communication with God, read your bible and pray. God alone knows what each and everyone of us go through. There is NO doctor or physician/ psychologist that can fully restore you. They may be able to help, but Jesus is the one who can take away all your burdens.
When you are having problems at home and at work just whisper a little prayer. Children straying and don’t want to listen, when you develop a friendly communication with God. He would work to suit in your life; HE alone knows why everything happens to you. If you do as I say you would see a great difference in your life.
Many people don’t have time for God is just to jump off the bed in the morning without saying thank you God. If it wasn’t for him you would not have even made it to see another day. Put God first in your life. Some people only put him first when trouble comes, that is not right, know Him in good and bad times. If you want to be selfish and gave all your time to natural things that seems more important to you than God. When you do find the time to pray and he takes long to answer your pray don’t get upset, think about how you treat him.
LET STRESS KNOW WHO’S IN CHARGE
We are the ones that are in charge we have a conscience that lives within us to let us know wrong from right. You are the one that controls your body; let stress know that you cannot allow it to control you. Be the one in charge developing that kind of attitude and everything would fall into place. When stress wants to have you all gloomy, take another toll find some things to do that you like that would up lift you.
All the things mentioned above if you apply it to your everyday life there would be changes that you thought you could have never seen in your life.
Done By: Abigail Chandler
Date: 17/02/09
