Stress

Stress is a word that seems ever present in the vocabulary of the modern world. In theory we in the developed world have lives that are much more comfortable and blessed than previous generations but how does that tally with increasing levels of depression, mental health challenges and work sickness.
 
Not all stress is bad and in the right dose stress can be a motivator. When stress and challenge meet perceived ability it can be a great combination. It’s when demands exceed our self-perceived ability to cope that things get tricky.
 
The analogy of a herd of antelope is the clearest way I’ve seen a natural stress response described. The antelope stand quietly chewing grass in the sun. A predator appears, adrenalin kicks in and they run for their lives. Once out of reach of the threat, they stop, look around and return to grass chewing. That’s the way our threat response system is designed to work – short bursts of life saving energy.
 
The problem is that in the modern industrialised world with information overload that system is being triggered constantly and in ways it wasn’t meant to be. Job deadlines, office politics, aggressive colleagues, sick children, news headlines about a distant tragedy, car horns, ambulance siren, police cars, stabbings, murders……the list goes on!
 
Life has become more complicated but our basic physiological reaction is the same. Our poor adrenal systems are overworked and this can have progressively toxic physical and emotional impact.
 
Stress is a spectrum. Sometimes it’s totally manageable and even beneficial, other times the effect is unpleasant for a while but it passes and life returns to normal and unfortunately sometimes the effect can build to be overwhelming, with longer term impact. Perception and tolerance of stress is subjective and reflects an individual’s unique life experiences to that point. 
 
How stress manifests will also be individual. Potential physical signs can include fatigue, headaches, frequent illness, digestive problems and insomnia. Emotionally, anger, fear and sadness are possible symptoms. Behaviourally, loss of confidence,   agitation, detachment, denial, poor concentration, hypervigilance and rumination are just some of the possible symptoms. This list is not exhaustive!

Stress prevention

Some tactics for stress control include:

• Planning regular breaks away from desk in the work day.
• Establish healthier work/home boundaries – switch that mobile off!
• Develop stronger coping skills – both emotional (eg. conflict management, managing negative self-talk) and practical (eg. time management, training).
• Explore which relaxation techniques work for you – yoga, mindfulness, walking, breathing can all be helpful.
• Healthy balanced nutrition is key – too many of us feed the stress system with stimulants like coffee and alcohol which is highly counter-productive.
• Get moving. Exercise really does help – even though it may be the last thing you feel like! 
• Develop a better understanding of your values and needs and design your life to meet those needs and feed your soul.
• Social interaction is a key source of support. This can be especially important for those who live alone. We are social creatures and there is significant truth to the saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. When we feel heard, understood and supported our ability to cope and move forward is enhanced.

I think one of the most important things is to actually know where you are on the stress continuum. Part of the problem with stress is that it is cumulative and progressive. There comes a point when perspective is lost, each day feels like groundhog day but actually the impact is increasing. Knowing where you are on your own subjective happiness scale is really important. Checking in with yourself regularly to assess where there might be imbalances in your life that are building gives you the opportunity to take early action and head potential issues off at the pass.