How to help you overcome or deal with Stress

In College as well as being a EMT, there are many times where a stressful situation may be put on us. Situations like having a test come up or having a tough call ( whether the call can be tough because you know the person or tough because of what the call itself is for). The key to when we get put into positions like these is to learn how to find a way to keep your stress level down, as well as ways to handle the stress in a healthy way when you have it.

Stress can be very dangerous to your body

"Stress becomes dangerous when it interferes with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period of time. You may feel "out of control" and have no idea of what to do, even if the cause is relatively minor. This in turn, may cause you to feel continually fatigued, unable to concentrate, or irritable in otherwise relaxed situations...." 

"  If the cause of your stress is temporary, the physical effects are usually short-term as well. In one study, the pressure of taking exams led to increased severity of acne among college students, regardless of how they ate or slept. The condition diminished after exams were over. Abdominal pain and irregularity have also been linked to situational stress."

      (  Both of these from American Psychological Association)
 

Now for people under stress and who are old enough to be in college or even older than I am sure they understand what stress feels like. Stress can be short term traffic, test, or even a new job or date. Or stress can be long term like finances, family, and sometimes work too.

The key is to keep your stress level down, as much as you can that is. There are many things that you can do to help you keep their stress level down. According to HelpGaurd which is a non profit organization that helps people resolve health issues. They state that the first thing you need to do to resolve your stress issues is to figure out what exactly is stressing them out. Then if they can try to cut that out of their life, if they can't then just try to reduce the amount they have to deal with it. Now  what is causing their stress is not always the true cause. So identifying what is starting their stress can be difficult.

Once they have figured out what is causing your stress you need to find a way to reduce their stress level. Know most people find ways that may help them temporary, but in the long run it can hurt them. According to help guard  people will most likely treat stress in a unhealthy manner. They will -

• Smoke
• Drink too much
• Overeat or under eat
• Zoning out to your TV or computer for hours
• Separating yourself from your friends or family or things you once did
• using pills or drugs to relax
• sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling every minute of the day to avoid the problem
• Taking it out on others( lashing out, angry outburst, physical violence)

To deal with stress you want to do the four A's
"Avoid the stress, Alter the stressor, Adapt the stressor, and Change the stressor."( Smith and Segal)

"Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself... Healthy ways to relax and recharge

Go for a walk. Spend time in nature. Call a good friend. Sweat out tension with a good workout. Write in your journal. Take a long bath. Light scented candles.

Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea. Play with a pet. Work in your garden. Get a massage. Curl up with a good book. Listen to music. Watch a comedy.

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury." ( Smith and Segal)
 

 Stress use to be a big problem for me. To the point I would have to go to the doctors a lot and have to curl up in a ball because my stomach hurt so bad. I still occasionally get my stomach aches but I find that the more I listen to music I like and make time for myself the more relax I become. As well as becoming better at handling stress and keeping my stress level down. Life will always give you stress you just have to find the best way for you to overcome your stress.


 Weiss PHD, Sara, and Nancy Molitor PHD. "Mind/body Health: Stress." American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.

Smith MA, Melinda, and Robert Segal MA. "Stress Management." Helpguide.org. Help Guide, Jan. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.