subject: Stress Easy To Treat Once The Real Issues Surface [print this page] To start a discussion with anyone in our modern society on the subject of stress management is to invite a stream of information on the causes and effects that stress can have on our lives. A typical conversation could contain examples of stressful situations across every facet of our existence, from work to family to health to ideological and political differences, finances, friends, romance etc. Equally present would be suggestions for relief and may include taking up a sport or hobby, doing regular exercise, walking the dog, spending more time at leisure activities and less at work, taking a meditation or relaxation class, doing yoga or ti-chi to name a few, each one a favorite with someone for relieving stress.
A certain amount of stress is healthy. It gives us the stimulus we need in order to set and achieve our goals, and take up challenging tasks. It stimulates the mind and body, and without it, human beings can become lethargic, unmotivated and depressed, requiring the kind of counseling psychologists provide. However, left uncontrolled, stress can become overwhelming and cause hypertension, heart problems, anxiety, insomnia, migraine and other serious medical issues.
Stress becomes unhealthy when it seems to an individual that there is too much of everything happening in their life - too many demands on their time, too much work, too much worry over finances, career issues or family problems and too much to remember or think about. Even though they work so hard, and have more worry in their lives, this is never adequate and it always seems there is no end to see. The one element that will transform the situation is the one thing they don't appear to have - control.
Stress management is the process of examining a situation, identifying the stressors and establishing some mechanisms to gain control, so that responses to situations become a conscious decision rather than an emotional or reactive one. Unmistakably, this is never as easy as it seems. As humans, we have an infamous pattern for accepting superficial solutions instead of going deeper into ourselves to find a realistic cause.
Once the cause has been found, there are many different strategies and techniques for managing stress, in fact it could be said that this is the "easy" part. The hard part is the self-examination that brings to light the key issues, then taking responsibility for the behavioral and physical changes that are needed to gain control. It is pointless to blame other people and situations. This approach hands a person's power over to someone or something outside of themselves when what is needed is to accept that only through personal change will these stressors be brought back into balance.
This type of self-analysis is best conducted by professionals who can help people look at their attitudes, habits and thought processes, to find where the self-sabotage is taking place. With the help of a Psychologist, people with stress problems will be able to identify their issues, and any number of available strategies and methods will be recommended to bring the stress in their lives under control.
