By: Gabriel Garza
We all experience stress at some point in our lives, and it has negative and positive effects on our minds, feelings, and bodies. It is how we interpret the stress given to us that determines if we can handle it or feel overwhelmed. Philomena Nwajei, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) certified, breaks down the definition of stress. In her opinion, stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension, strain of pressure, that makes one feel angry, frustrated, or nervous. It affects our entire being mentally and physically. Stress can significantly influence the mood and behavior that we may portray in our own lives.
The negative situation that can cause stress:
-Illness, hospitalization, divorce, relationship problems, loss of a job, death in the family, or general hardships.
-The positive situations that can cause stress:
– Big events such as weddings, starting a new job, meeting deadlines, or residential movement.
The thing to understand about a person’s stress is how it is started. Understanding where your stress is coming from is a good start for your personal stress management system. The first thing about managing stress is to be able to identify your triggers. You can look back to past triggers and begin to think about the strategies you can use to overcome those situations, which can also help you in your present situation. Look and find out how that trigger makes you feel, whether it be anger, guilt, sadness, or negative feelings. Acknowledging how you think about your feelings can be done in many ways. Philomena Nwajei recommends that you start to journal since “journaling can be a safe space for one to express and process your thoughts and feelings.”
Here are some tips to relieve stress:
-Engage in healthy habits.
-Avoid drinking alcohol.
-Avoid caffeine.
-Exercise as much as possible.
-Practice meditation and relaxation daily, such as deep breathing exercises.
Here are some tell-tale signs of stress manifesting in our lives:
-Lack of appetite or overeating.
-Change in sleeping patterns such as excessive sleeping or lack of sleep.
-Muscle tension, jaw pain, headaches, frequent mood swings, concentration, lack of focus, and can also cause somebody to feel overwhelmed with different things they come across.
Positive sides of stress:
-Improve cognitive performance.
-Improve focus on a task.
-Forster a positive mindset towards the goal.
-Create a natural feeling of energy.
-Improve creativity and resourcefulness.
According to Philomena Nwajei, “focus on things that you can control. Do not over-stress yourself on what you cannot control or what you cannot change. It is essential to understand that you cannot see stress as an unhealthy feeling.” Some individuals produce their best job when stressed, but when stress becomes chronic and starts to interfere with everyday functions, it is time to seek help. Professional counselors are also an excellent way to help you start your stress management. Their specialty is to help the patient/client recognize the opportunities they have for themselves and take care of themselves so that they will be prepared to handle it properly when stress interferes with their life.
