Counting to Ten: Stress Control
Stress is a problem that plagues the lives of many people. From teenagers to professionals, parents to millionaires, stress is a silent, sometimes deadly enemy. Modern life is fast-paced and full of obstacles, and many individuals, in order to compete, forget to protect their minds and bodies. Stress is both mental and physical; it is comprised of symptoms that occur when the body is simply overwhelmed by sleep.
Lack of sleep, lack of time, lack of nutrition and a general lack of caring causes an internal breakdown that quickly begins to affect external life. Luckily, stress control can save a lot of wear and tear on the body, and can even save lives. Like exercise and healthy eating, stress control should be practiced daily; if stress is not allowed to grow, its deadly consequences can be stopped before they ever have a chance to win.
Taming the Beast
Stress control can be achieved in a variety of ways, but perhaps the safest and most efficient way is individually. Self-control strategies help any individual reduce anxiety and prevent stress without having to resort to outside sources. The techniques are simple: counting to ten, taking deep breaths, writing in a journal. However, these techniques can move mountains; by taking a moment to not dwell on the stressful situation, the stress seems to disappear.
Stress escalates when people cannot escape the stressful situation, when they dwell on it and become consumed by it. However, some stresses cannot be relieved by these stress control strategies. Large, life altering events, such as divorces, deaths, moves or job losses may not be cured by counting to ten. But for those everyday stresses that quickly pile up until they become chronic anxiety, self-control strategies can be a big difference, and save the body a lot of pain.
When events occur that cannot be relieved internally, external stress control methods can be employed. Sometimes anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications can help individuals deal with chronic stress. With the help of these medications, individuals can deal with their stress until the situation changes; once life has returned to normal, they can hopefully stop taking the medication and return to their regular routines.
Aside from medication, therapy can also be a huge help, especially if the stress is caused from relationships. Couple therapy or family therapy cannot help the individuals deal with their stress, but can also help to alleviate whatever problems are producing the stress. Conflicts and fights can be talked out in a controlled setting instead of being allowed to explode in the home; in this regard, therapy can be both a stress control strategy and a stress prevention strategy. Still, every individual is different; but if every individual can find a successful stress control method, he or she will live a better, more fulfilled life.
