Living with high levels of stress narrows the ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.,
Stress is a psychological reaction of a human body and mind to a real or imagined threat, event, or change. Stress can be both internal (thoughts, beliefs, attitudes) and external (loss, tragedy, change).
Stress is a physical and emotional state always present in the person, one which is influenced by various environmental, psychological, and social factors but uniquely perceived by the person and intensified in response to which environmental change or threat occurs internally or externally and the person must respond.
It is something experienced when we feel overwhelmed or under threat and is common and experienced by many. It can help to be motivated and deal with daily life demands. Sometimes stress can be prolonged and become unhelpful. It can affect one's mood.
Stress management helps break the hold stress has on life. It allows you to be happier, healthier, and more productive. It starts with identifying the sources of stress in life. However, this isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. While it’s easy to identify major stressors such as changing jobs, moving, or going through a divorce, pinpointing the sources of chronic stress can be more complicated. It’s all too easy to overlook how one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors contribute to everyday stress levels.
Mental Health Specialist Sagar Poudel mentioned the saying “Never ignore a person who is in any kind of stress or problem because when I get replaced by we, illness becomes esteem, relationships and how they function.
According to him, stress can be positive as it keeps us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between stressors.
Poudel further talked about how having interests and hobbies makes life productive and can help intellectually and keeps unnecessary stress and anxiety away. “People who take part in leisure activities have fewer negative emotions and are less stressed”, he says. The study even found that our heart rates are lower when we engage in our hobbies.
Carving out time for activities one enjoys is an easy way to improve mental health and overall emotional well-being. Hobbies help decrease stress and also give a sense of mastery and control. Activities such as gardening, listening to music, cooking, photography, hiking, dancing, etc, are associated with improved mental health and depression reduction.
He also added that people often do not notice the effects of stress on their bodies. Noticing signs and symptoms is the first step to taking action. People who experience work stress due to long hours may need to take a step back. “People should review their working practices now and then”, says Poudel.
Most people usually have an activity that helps them relax. Poudel suggests engaging in such activities more often to maintain stress. “If your daily life is being affected by stress, you should seek professional help. A doctor or psychiatric specialist can help”, he suggests.
Basundara Tripathi, recently a SEE graduate student from Kapilvastu, feels that the requirements from one class alone can be daunting. Most teachers ask students to complete homework assignments, and readings and prepare for exams. In addition, some require students to write research papers and journals and participate in out-of-class activities. Combine all those activities and multiply them by four, five, or six other classes. You can now recognize how stressful it can be for students even before college. However, not all academic stress comes from the professor. Some of it comes from poor time management, and some of it comes from the parents or guardians of the students.
Sujan Sigdel who is a college student, studying bachelor's in social work talks about how well-meaning parents often put unnecessary stress on students. They may think they are helping them by placing high expectations on them. But many times, it creates higher stress also.
Families are not perfect. Imperfections in a family may lead to an overload of stress. Some issues faced by families can create stress for students, including divorce, family finances, and poor communication.
Poudel says, “You can start with the on-campus counseling department. With a counselor, you can create a plan of action to help you beat stress”. This may include weekly counseling, or it may include using other methods of destressing, he adds. Campuses offer counseling services to students. Some colleges have established connections with external agencies to help students treat stress, stated Poudel.
Some agencies provide peer mentoring to students. “This allows them to get help from people of their age, and other college students, who have succeeded at overcoming the stressors of college”, says Poudel. If further help is needed, one may choose to take part in longer-term counseling on campus. “Or, you may find changing your residential surroundings to a more therapeutic environment is needed”, stated Poudel.
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