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Health Awareness - Stress Management
INTRODUCTION
HOW STRESS AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS HARM YOU?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS?
CAUSES OF STRESS?
STRESS RELATED PROBLEMS
HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING CAN BE HELPFUL?
SELF HELP STRATEGIES FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH
STRESS MANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
Once we hear from the doctor that we have
some kind of heart problem, the first thing that comes to our
mind is "I will never be the same again". We feel terrified and
frightened, and deny it in the beginning. Some of the questions
that come up to our minds are
>> How long will I live ?
>> Will my life be the same as before ?
>> Do I have any danger when I walk or go to
work ?
>> What should I eat ?
The basic feelings you experience at this
point are
>> Worry >> Hopelessness >> Fear >> Dullness
>> Anger >> Worthlessness >> Depression
Denial is one of the ways in which we learn
to deal with difficulties and difficult aspects of our
environment. We all use denial in our lives to some extent, but
it can have negative impact on our well being. Research has
confirmed that individuals who accept their illness have been
able to deal with it in better way.
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HOW STRESS AND
NEGATIVE EMOTIONS HARM YOU?
Stress refers to the pressures on the
individual that are in some way perceived as excessive, or
intolerable, and also to the physical and psychological changes
in response to those pressures. A slight degree of stress is
necessary to work and motivate us to meet our demands and needs.
But if stress increases beyond the threshold level it starts to
affect us in various areas. Social life becomes impaired. The
person does not like attending social gatherings - marriage,
child-birth, parties etc. His physical health starts to
deteriorate day-by-day. The person is prone to various diseases
such as Allergy, Angina pectoris, Baldness, Cancer, Diabetes,
Heart attack, Hypertension, Peptic ulcer, etc. His behavioral
life gets disturbed, the person becomes aggressive, obsessive,
has difficulties in sleeping, there is an alteration in his food
intake-the person starts to smoke, drink and have drugs. His
mental life also is affected. The person finds it difficult to
maintain concentration and take decision. He tends to forget
things. There is an increase in his negative thinking.
Stress affects people of all ages and income,
and in all spheres of life. All these areas can be dealt
successfully if one desires to come out of it.
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS?
Physical Symptoms :
• Increased heart rate, blood pressure • Dizziness
• Tingling Sensation • Muscle
contraction-aches, pains, headaches
• Stomach Ulcer • Nausea
• Frequent Urination, Diarrhea • Physical
illness-asthma, skin rashes, cancer, etc.
Mental Symptoms Behavioral Symptoms :
• Difficulty in concentrating, making
decisions, • Accident proneness
• Impaired memory-forgetfulness • Difficulties in sleeping
• Increased negative thoughts • Alteration in
food intake
• Depression • Excessive drinking, smoking,
drugs
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CAUSES OF
STRESS?
1. Hurry-sickness
2. Environmental ill-health
3. Losing of loved ones
4. Frustration at work
5. Crisis in love relationship
6. Financial worries
7. Family pressures
8. Illness
9. Victims of violence
10. Low self - image
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STRESS RELATED PROBLEMS
Smoking :
It is totally self-inflicted and an worst
risk factor. Despite the fact that every packet of a Cigarette
and advertisement warn us : smoking can seriously damage your
health... People are even aware of the diseases caused be them
but they still smoke.
1 in 8 smokers die of heart disease. Smokers
have higher chances of death and complications. Their recovery
is delayed. Smoking and tobacco must be stopped.
Alcohol
People generally drink in order to find a
solution to their problems. They often take a drink to relax but
they do not know that they are starting to walk up another
escalator that is going down. It only gives us temporary relief
not permanent. So alcohol should be avoided.
Eating Disorder
Another way we may attempt to produce changes
in our feelings is to alter our eating habits. Slowly, almost
imperceptibly, we start eating too much or too little. Anorexia
and overeating are stress - related illnesses.
Drugs
Chemical dependency upon drugs is a physical
problem, which usually originated due to stress handled in
increasingly useless and destructive way.
Sedentary life style
It is a major problem of today's fast and
stressful life. People have neither the time nor the priority
for exercise. The less active you are the more likely you are to
get a heart problem. Regular exercise will help you to reduce
your BP, stress, BL. Sugar level, etc. and thus your risk to
heart disease. Psychological problems reduce enthusiasm,
willingness to play sports and do exercise.
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HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING CAN BE
HELPFUL?
A psychologist can help the patient to deal
with his stress by teaching him techniques on stress management.
A psychologist can conduct educational classes on risk factor
reduction and lifestyle changes and help the patient face their
problem. A psychologist can conduct question answer sessions,
slide shows, individual and family therapy & in this way help
the patient and his family to face the trauma which they are
going through and even help them reduce their anxiousness.
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SELF HELP STRATEGIES FOR BETTER
MENTAL HEALTH
No one lives in a state of constant or
complete mental health. By its very nature, life challenges us.
We worry. We encounter frustrations and setbacks. Just as we can
do a great deal to preserve our physical health, we can take
steps to meet and solve day - to - day psychological problems
effectively.
One way to begin is by gaining an
understanding of what mental health truly is Freud defined the
essence of psychological well-being as the ability to love and
work. Self - care can contribute enormously to both physical and
psychological health.
Exercising
Exercise has proven to be good not only for
the body but also for the mind. Workouts such as walking,
jogging improve the mood of the individual. Weight-lifting
boosts spirits, improves sleep and appetite, reduce
irritability and anger, and produce feelings of mastery and
accomplishment. Exercise is also found to be effective means to
reduce anxiety. In addition to distracting individuals from
their tension, regular workouts enhance the sense of well being
and improve over-all health.
Eating Right
Both the body and mind require good nutrition
to run efficiently. Poor eating habits,-skipping meals, wolfing
them down, munching on junk foods - can make people physically
uncomfortable and psychologically uneasy, unable to concentrate
on tasks at hand, relax or enjoy being with others. A healthy
balanced diet is essential to a good felling as well as to good
health.
Talking to your self
All of us silently "talk" to ourselves
everyday. Commenting on how we look and act or ruminating over
problems. Negative form of self talk-criticizing one self only
heightens anxiety and tension. It is far better to focus on the
things you like about yourself or those that you do well.
Keeping a psychological journal
A psychological journal is different from a
conventional dairy. Rather than focusing on the who, where, when
and how's of life, it emphasized the why's. Writing about
problems and concerns can ease anxiety and help individuals work
through painful feelings.
Cultivating Humor
Humor, which often enables us to express
fears and negative feelings without causing distress to
ourselves or others, is another hallmark of mental health and
may in fact, enhance physical well being. King Solomon declared
that" a merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken
spirit drieth the bones". Even in the face of critical or fatal
illnesses humor can help people live with greater joy until they
die.
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STRESS MANAGEMENT
Although stress is a very real threat to
emotional and physical well-being what matters most is not the
nature of a specific problem or incident but how an individual
handles it. Here are a few ways by which you can handle stress
effectively.
>> Call a time out-stop the activity that was
causing stress until you feel calm.
>> Move to another room.
>> Remember a favorite scene from your past
happy days.
>> Talk to some one about your problems.
>>
Relax :
Sit quietly and breath deeply for two min
put your hands on your stomach and make sure that it goes out
every time you breath in and in every time you breath out.
>>
Speak
:
Talk to some one about your problem
>>
Family and Friends :
Have some time for your
family and friends. Go out with them on weekends.
Participate with them in
family affairs.
>>
Set
realist goals :
Be aware of your limitations and
based on them set out for goals for your self.
>>
Time-management :
Think of all the important decisions you have
to make in the next few months and how many of them are urgent.
Do this once a month. Every evening sit down and write down the
things you would have to do the next day and how much time would
each thing take. And cluster the activities that you could do
together. Always allow some time gap between activities.
It is a very common reaction. "Will the chest
pain come back?.... Will the surgery work?..... Will I be able
to return to work?... Will I be the same person I was?....
Sometimes fear is not verbalized, but is expressed through
restlessness, irritability, sleeping problems or repeated
dreams.
Try to talk to your family, doctor, or nurse
about your fears. Often they can help clear up any
misconceptions you may have. As your recovery progresses, and
you begin to prepare for discharge you will probably find you
are already beginning to feel more confident about yourself.
Anger and resentment over why this happened
is also a common response. Frequently patients express it by
losing patience and snapping back at family. You may feel
frustrated by your family's overprotection. Be patient. As you
feel more secure and optimistic, they will too.
As your recovery does drag on, your may feel
depressed at times. Your life may seem over, or you may think it
is too late to accomplish all that you had been dreaming about.
This is normal. It takes a lot of energy to cope with all you
have been through. So try to understand why you feel so "let
down". You may even find that you become tearful or
cry-something you hadn't experienced before. Try not to let
these feelings get the best of you. They are temporary, and
usually go away in 4-6 weeks. You should begin to see a gradual
improvement as you participate in more normal activities.
Try relieving the boredom of this "inactive"
period by choosing activities that will relax you, or ones you
never had time for before (like mending puzzles, photography,
reading, scrapbooks.) Talk to your family about all the
feelings. They are experiencing some of their own fears about
your health, and may even feel guilty that somehow they
contributed to your problem. Ask your doctor to talk to them as
needed.
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