What is stress? What is stress management?

Stress is a body reaction whenever we face a new threat, pressure, or situation. During this condition, we might experience faster breathing and muscle tension. Stress is felt by everyone, adults, and children, the differences being how they deal with and respond to their stress. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have stress, in fact, we may experience a burst of motivation during stress. For example, the stress of a deadline can help people focus and pay more attention because time is running out. We have all the experience of, "Oh, I've got to get tasks and such done," but not being able to find the motivation to do so until we're under pressure because it's due the next day or in a few hours, and then the burst of motivation appears out of nowhere. And that's just a tiny bit of an example.

It's not uncommon that stress gives us trouble. While acute stress is relatively easy to manage, chronic stress lasts longer, which if left untreated can lead to serious health problems. No one can manage the cause of stress itself. We could try to "run" from stress by:

• Smoking cigarettes

• Consuming alcohol

• Spend time sleeping

• Choose to ignore the main source of the stress

But that would only give us only a small time for a break. We need a real solution to deal with stress. That's where having stress management skills is important to make you happier, healthier, and more productive. The main goal of stress management is to maintain a balance in life. That way, we can keep up the good work and maintain healthy relationships with our relatives.

In fact, proper stress management can help us to be able to enjoy life and face the series challenges of life in relaxed manner. However, there are various techniques or methods for managing stress, and we need to find out which method works best for us and works for ourselves. I have several tips to share to help us manage our stress better.

1. Find out the causes of stress

Not everyone who experiences stress immediately knows the causes of the condition that they are experiencing. Especially if many things must be handled and done every day. How can we get rid of stress if we don't know the root of the stress?

Therefore, one way of stress management that we need to do is to find out what are the causes of stress. Each individual may have a different experience, so we need to pay attention to what we've been experiencing recently.

For me, losing a lengthy gaming match causes a great toll on my mental health. Playing games should be a fun experience. But every time I lose it's hard to think straight, my muscles tense, and I tend to have negative views of the situations. From that moment I need to take a break. I practice deep breathing and drink some water. For a long time treatment, maybe I have to cut my gaming time in half, play a different game, or choose another activity.

It's an example of we could identify our cause of stress. Someone maybe needs to keep a journal for about one to two weeks to identify what situations or conditions make us feel depressed. Then, understand how we have responded to the situation so far.

We can be more specific in picking techniques to manage stress in the future if we continue to learn what provokes stress and also what methods have proven to be the most helpful so far.

2. Adapt

If you feel that the cause of stress is not something that can be avoided or changed, the right stress management is to face it and accept it. By adjusting your mindset and perspective on the causes of stress, you can manage stress on your own.

For example, if you're feeling stressed because you're stuck in traffic, try to look at the situation in a more positive light. When you're stuck in traffic, you can pause to listen to your favorite song while enjoying some alone time.

It took some time and practice but we have to be aware that we cannot control all the things that happen or will happen to us.

3. Take a break to do things you love

In such a tight schedule, don't forget to take time to rest and do things that you love. It doesn't have to be lengthy, or massive. Several things can help you get rid of stress, namely:

-Play with pets.

-Exercise regularly.

-Talk to friends or loved ones.

-Listen to the music you love.

-Drink hot tea or coffee.

The reason is, that this could be a method of stress management that is quite effective for you. With this, you can be better prepared to deal with the various causes of stress that may come your way. there are many other simple things you can do in between your busy schedule. Do not underestimate the time to take a break because loving and caring for yourself is an obligation that you must do for better physical and mental health. If you still don't have time or have no interest in anything try to stop for a while and breathe. Maybe, it's time for you to think that you must have one hobby.

Last, contact the expert for stress management advice. If you think you've tried various ways to manage stress and nothing works, don't worry. The reason is, the level of stress you experience may be severe enough and stress management at that level requires special assistance from professional experts.

Try discussing with the therapist you meet about the various causes and symptoms of stress that appear. That way, the therapist can more easily determine the therapy strategy that best suits your condition.

I hope this article will found you helpful so far. Please remember to take care of yourself.