Stress is known to be a normal part of your life. The requirement of your body to react or adjust in any changes of the environment is stress. Your body reacts physically, mentally and emotionally. There are good and bad forms of stress which are all rooted from your thoughts, your body and your environment.
The positive stress, known as eustress, can be made from positive events in your life such as responding to a surprise marriage proposal, getting a salary increase and etc.. It keeps your body alert and even ready to avoid unfortunate circumstances. While the negative stress, which is called distress, happens to a person facing life challenges without relaxation in between. I’m sure we are all familiar with the “stress-reliever” excuse when somebody goes out to party or spends money on an overly priced spa. But this is actually true. It is indeed beneficial for all of us to relieve our bad stress from time to time. It depends on our emotional preference though, sometimes a quality time with the family could be a relief too.
So How Does Stress Affect Your Health?
Distress can cause physical symptoms. Your body senses that something is wrong by the way you think, feel or act. For instance, a person can experience high blood pressure or ulcer for a particular stressful event i.e. death of a loved one. Here are some of the symptoms that can tell your emotional health is out of balance:
Headaches- Insomnia
- Palpitations
- Stiff neck
- Excessive sweating
- Upset stomach
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Sexual problems
- Back pain
- Change in appetite
- Chest pain
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Dry mouth
- Exhaustion
Out of balance emotional health can weaken your body’s immune system, making you more prone to sickness. Also, when you are stressed, you have the tendency to over-eat, eat junk foods and rely on alcoholic beverages or on smoking.
I just reckoned all of the things I did when my life was in that stage. My personal relief was to be alone and I talked to no one. I understood all the lyrics of all the saddest songs in the world. It was a torture, and comforting over a few bottles of alcohol. The crying moments alone made it worst. It was a crazy move I know and I don’t want to go back to that stage again. Finally when I shared my anxiety and loneliness with my friends and health advisor, I’ve collected some good alternatives to overcome it:
#1 Express yourself (in good ways)
It is ok to let your loved ones know what is happening to you. Even if they don’t tell you, they worry about what they see in you. That’s the start. Your friends can come along too when you need some shoulders to cry on. But they can only listen and their knowledge about overcoming it is limited to what they know and learn from their experience. If the situation calls for it, go see a doctor, a counsellor or any religious advisor for a much more meaningful advice and support to improve your emotional health.
#2 Focus on positive things
You work for a living. It is important to remember and make it a habit to leave any work issues at work and not bring it at home. Sometimes we tend to get affected negatively of the things we have handled the whole day, and if we bring it at home this can ruin all the quality time left for yourself and for your family for that day. I’m not saying you just pretend that everything is ok. It is ok to deal with negative feelings but embracing them full time is neither healthy nor good for your life. When you feel down, focus on the good things that make you smile that day or even yesterday or last year. Laughter can help. Make time to enjoy little things that make you happy.
#3 Keep that positive outlook in you
The only constant thing in this world is change, so you also have to learn how to deal with all sorts of changes that happen in your life. Learn to accept things, if it is not meant for you to have then deal with it. When God closes the door, He always opens a window for you. In short, don’t deal too much with the things you can’t have, instead try to be positive that something greater is coming if you face failure of any kind. Be resilient.
#4 Calm your mind, body and soul
It is important to keep an eye on how or what method helps you to keep yourself calm from the outside world. There should be time for yourself to meditate and free yourself from physical and emotional stress. Meditation helps and there are stress-relief programs combined with expertise out there that are worth to try. I keep on coming to a good Melbourne nutritionist for her program and it has helped me cope with lots of my health issues. Yoga is also helpful. Volunteering to any church or charity related activities can help too. It depends on your preference. Finding the peace and tranquility in yourself to overcome emotional stress is really important.