There is a lot of talk about knowing managing stress because this alteration is usually associated with something harmful, but it does not necessarily have to be so. The stress is the body's way of reacting to a challenge: it can prepare to flee from a threatening danger, but it can also feel the pressure before a sports competition, when there is little time left to hand in an assignment at work or when preparing for exams. We notice the stress because the heart rate increases, the endocrine system produces more hormones and the brain generates more neurotransmitters.
The stress is bad when this alteration is prolonged in time. There are also situations that overtake us and we can not managing stress. It is then that the anxiety. At this point, many people resort to anxiolytics, drugs that act on neurotransmitters and attenuate the stress and the anxiety. Ideally, it should not come to this point and I hope that the tips in this article will be useful to you in order to managing stress.
Factors that can cause stress and anxiety
Factors capable of producing stress and anxiety are multiple and diverse. They depend to a great extent on each person. Here we will only point out some of them:
- Uncertaintynot knowing what will happen, can generate stress. A clear example I have seen these days in the elderly, frightened by the current political situation. They wonder how the current situation may end up affecting them.
- Bad news in the media. Sometimes it is much healthier to turn off the TV and not follow the news.
- Not making ends meet. Economic hardship is a stressor. It is evident that many people have seen their purchasing power reduced in recent years. They need to work longer hours to achieve the same level of income and this is detrimental to their quality of life.
- To overwork We have to add to this the change that new technologies have brought about in our lives. The smartphones and applications like WhatsApp keep us connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This can be a factor of stress in people over a certain age. In young people, however, it is commonplace. stress not to be connected!
- The christmas holidays of the last few days are also a factor in the stress for many people: missing a loved one, facing Christmas for the first time after a separation, worrying about whether they have spent too much money?
- It is also common to post-holiday stress. It is often hard to start working after a few days off.
Recommendations to take it easy
- Manage time well. The recommendation to dedicate 8 hours to work, 8 hours to rest and 8 hours to live may seem very simple. We are in an era in which many people focus on the the trade of earning more and forget the craft of living.
- Set aside some time for your hobbies. Listen to music, read or do any activity that makes you feel good and helps you recharge your batteries. Dedicating time to leisure is essential.
- Sleep the necessary hours. They are not the same for everyone. There are those who have enough with 4 hours and there are those who go just having slept 8 hours.
- Exercise. It is necessary in order to feel good, to cope with the stressThe new, frenetic pace of the big city and always keep the state of mind afloat.
- Eat well. A healthy and balanced diet is key. You should eat only the calories you need. If you eat more, you will put on weight. If you eat less, your strength will falter. The popular saying "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" seems simple, but it is accurate.
- Forget toxic habits such as tobacco or high-proof alcohol.
- You know that "shared sorrows are less sorrows". If you share your worries, you will feel more relieved. You will see that there are many other people who are going through the same thing and that will help you to relativize the problems.
- Natural remedies if necessary: valerian, passionflower, etc. Plameca has different dietary supplements to take it easy.
José Durán Florit
Plameca Medical Advisor (Member 08-08073-8)
Photo: © drubig-photo
