Managed badly, stress can ruin life

Dr Mazvita Machinga Mental Health
THIS article is important because we should work to prevent illness, diseases or problems, rather than wait for a problem and then attempt to resolve it. As a psychotherapist, I am observing a disturbing trend of how increased stress levels are causing distress in many people. Not managing stress well is taking a toll on people’s physical and mental health.

In fact, chronic stress is directly linked to countless health issues, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, cardiac problems, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, and depression. It is also related to adverse social problems such as divorce, suicide, marital conflict, violence, substance and alcohol abuse. Stress related problems have caused and continue to cause death of many of our loved ones.

All people experience significant amounts of stress in one way or the other at some point in their lives. The issue is not why I experience stress, because stress is inevitable. Our complex modern society has greatly increased the amount of stress people are exposed to. Instead, the issue is, “managing how stress affects you” and “changing how you react to stress.”

Sixty-five percent of individuals who visit our psychotherapy rooms are having stress levels higher than what we believe to be healthy. Furthermore most of them tend to be dealing with stress in unproductive ways. Remember stress contains both positive and negative aspects and may affect one positively or negatively. But long-term consequences of constant stress are damaging to well-being.

As stated by stress specialists: “if stress is constant and unrelieved, the body has little time to relax and recover. The stress button keeps getting pushed, continually releasing stress hormones when we don’t need them, putting the body into overdrive, compromising your immune system and sabotaging the ability of your brain to maintain working memory and concentration. In this article, I talk about health ways you may want to adopt to address stress in your life.

As highlighted by Victoria Tennant, an educational consultant, “Stress is neutral – it is a person’s perception of the event that determines their response. Stress is positive when the person feels stimulated and able to manage the situation. This positive response prepares the body for action and activates the higher thinking centres of the brain.

A positive response to stress can provide the energy to handle emergencies, meet challenges, and excel. On the other hand, stress is negative when a person feels threatened and not in control of the situation. These feelings instigate a powerful reaction – affecting both the brain and body in ways that can be destructive to physical and mental health.”

As difficult as it is to find a way to ease the psyche when life is a pressure cooker of stress, taking a moment to self-care is extremely important.
a) Setting realistic and manageable goals
b) Exercises such as, a simple walk, lowers stress hormone levels in your body and are best ways to reduce negative impact of stress.
c) Figuring out what is most important when faced with a challenge and prioritising.
d) Learning self-soothing and calming activities e.g. mindfulness, safe places, prayer etc.
e) Increasing positive self-talk and reducing cognitive distortions.
f) Accepting that there are events that you cannot control and those you can . Knowing the difference pays.
g) State your feelings and beliefs instead of becoming angry. Be assertive instead of aggressive.
h) Maintaining healthy sleep hygiene and eating habits.
i) Do not rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviours to reduce stress , instead seek help
j) Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
k) Seek treatment with a mental health professional trained in stress management techniques to learn healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life.

For more information on stress management strategies and coping with various other mental health issues contact [email protected] or call 0771 754 519. Dr Mazvita Machinga Ph.D. is a trained and qualified Psychotherapist in Mutare who offers professional counselling and psychotherapy.