Stress: Let's Beat It!
Stress is an inevitable part of our lives, and we must know it well if we want to conquer it.
Let’s Examine Ourselves for a Moment
When did you feel stressed last time? If I ask this question myself, my answer would be today, just a few minutes ago. And as a Ph.D. student, I dare to claim that I live with it. But what’s entertaining is that I don’t try to escape from it anymore as I used to a few years ago; instead, I take it as a hurdle; overcoming it will only make me more vigorous than ever, and believe me, you too can do the same!
What is Stress?
According to Mayo Clinic-
“Stress is an automatic physical, mental and emotional response to a challenging event. It's a normal part of everyone's life.”
The UK Mental Health Foundation defines stress as-
“Our body’s response to pressures from a situation or life event (called a ‘stressor’).”
A ‘stressor’ can vary hugely from person to person and differs according to our social and economic circumstances, the environment we live in, our genetic makeup and physiology. Sometimes the source of a stress can be in our control i.e., taking a test or abnormal sleep behaviors, or it can be beyond our control i.e., a friend’s death or a physical disease.
Stress in Numbers
The American Psychological Association (APA) has been publishing periodic reports on stress in America since 2007.
In 2022, APA reported that current world affairs made at least 80% of Americans (8 in 10 individuals) feel stressed (see infographics!). About 87% said they have been through continuous stresses over the last two years, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, money (about 80%) and economy (about 65%) were the most significant sources of stress in people between 18 and 43.
Types of Stress
Acute Stress: You experience it when you have a deadline ahead or a test, or you get a call from your child’s school, etc. This type of stress doesn’t hamper your career or relationships.
Episodic Acute Stress: You experience these mini-crises when you take things more overwhelmingly than they should and overthink matters or events that make you draw unwarranted conclusions.
For instance, you made a minor mistake and explained it overwhelmingly to your boss. Even though your boss is not upset, you may overthink that you will lose your job, become homeless, and die on the streets.
Chronic Stress: In this case, you experience stress for a longer time (at least for years!) that results mainly from unavoidable and beyond-the-control situations such as war, poverty, racism, death of a loved one, etc.
Chronic stresses severely impact one’s career, relationships, and overall quality of life.
Why do we feel most stressed in our 20s?
It’s because we lack an experience in repressive coping in our 20s, which only happens once you go through a stressful event.
The three most stressing burdens for those who are in their 20s are:
Uncertainty about the future
Economic insecurity, and
A feeling of being locked into a commitment at work or home
Happify- a New York-based emotional-welfare company- analyzed data from 88,000 people who benefited from their service in 2015 and reported that most people experienced severe stress in their late twenties and early thirties.
However, it doesn’t imply that your stress level declines significantly in your late thirties and forties; in fact, you experience more frequent and heavy stresses.
The only thing that sets you apart from your twenties is that you become adept at coping with stress as you sail through your thirties and forties. This psychological trait is popularly known as the ‘Repressive Coping.’
“Repressive coping style: You learn to prioritize and nurture your positive emotions and put aside your negative ones, therefore, resulting in mastery over your emotions and stress.”
Though repressive coping was initially introduced in the 80s, the Happify report still testifies its contemporary validity.
Three Universal Doses for Destressing Yourself
Regardless of your age, if you balance these three things, you are on your way to achieving victory over your stress-
A well-rounded physical health
Listen to your body and make sure you adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
Tips: food is the best medicine, eat wisely; drink a lot of water, and have enough sleep; breathe deeply oftentimes.
An upbeat personality, and
Divorce all negativities and start incubating an upbeat personality.
Tips: quit smoking and drinking; stop unnecessary scrolling down your screen and start reading good books; make more human connections.
A conquered microcosm
Yes, you read it right- “microcosm,” literally the prefix ‘micro’ means ‘extremely small, something invisible to naked eye’ and the suffix ‘-cosm’ means ‘world or universe.’ It’s pretty impossible to have a meaningful life unless you adjust your internal world, aka your invisible world. It sounds philosophical yet natural.
Tips: practice meditation regularly, reduce your expectations, and learn to be detached.
It’s rare to find a person in this modern world- either a college-goer, a company manager, a professional basketball player, or a newly-become mother- who has not heard of or is unfamiliar with “Stress.”
Stress is just a part of our life, and we can beat it if we maintain sound health, a cheerful personality, and a calm and still mind.
It's just awesome Mama.. it touched my heart and it's the way of live a sound life...you are always right... I have no words to describe how I feel now... the news latter is just takes me high... in this knowledge I have find the way of live like a saint life....
Great report👍
You are the best one
💜👍
Great post Jewel! You are so right, stressors are inescapable but we can overcome them with the right strategies!