Stress Management Tehniques

Stress Management

What Is Stress Management

Stress management is the use of various techniques that may help manage or control your levels of stress, particularly chronic stress. Certain techniques of stress management can be learned and done individually, while others may require the help of a professional, such as a doctor, therapist, social worker, counselor, or an alternative medicine practitioner. Many people also find support for stress management in groups and group activities.

Learning how to manage stress, especially chronic stress, is becoming an issue among many employers. Schools are also starting to teach stress management to their students, in order to improve rising rates of academic stress.

What Causes Stress Management

What causes stress can differ considerably from person to person. Something that may not bother you may cause severe stress to someone else, and the other way around. Stresses can be individual, or they can be several small things adding up to one big stressor. There are also routine stresses and traumatic stresses, acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) stresses, all of which affect people in different ways. Stresses aren’t always necessarily caused by a “bad” situation, they can be caused by seemingly happy events or events that you’ve chosen, such as marriage, moving, graduation, promotions, becoming a parent, and retirement.

When you experience stress, your body releases hormones that are meant to help you cope. These hormones, including cortisol, trigger your fight-or-flight response. These hormones are supposed to protect you by pushing you to react to the stress that you’re facing. Your body reacts to the hormones by tensing your muscles and increasing your heart rate or pulse, making you ready and alert, to react. Stress becomes a problem, however, when the stress reactions don’t resolve once the danger or perception of danger has been removed, and the feeling of over-alertness doesn’t go away.

Acute stress or short-term stresses start and stop suddenly. An acute stress can range from narrowly missing being hit by a car while you’re crossing the street or having a fight with someone you love. The stresses trigger the hormone release but the sensation should go away once you have overcome the stress.

Chronic stress is caused by situations that affect you over a longer period, such as financial issues, stressful situations at work, or relationship difficulties. The hormones may be released but because the stress doesn’t go away completely, your body doesn’t know how to cope with that constant feeling of anxiety or worry.

Here are just a few examples of other situations that can cause significant stress:

Death of a loved one
Divorce
Illness or injury
Being a caregiver for frail or ill relative or chronically ill child
Moving
Buying or selling a home
Hazardous event like fire, flood, natural disaster, or car crash
Finances
Job
Pregnancy
Becoming a parent
Job change
School
Exposure to excessive noise or other stimulation

Stressful situations, particularly traumatic events, may lead to a more severe problem called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With PTSD, you may re-experience the event, have nightmares, or experience flashbacks. You may find yourself thinking of the event for no reason. Avoidance of anything that may trigger ideas or thoughts of the event can add to the stressful feelings.

Risk Factors For Stress Management

Diagnosing Stress Management

Symptoms of Stress Management

Prognosis

Screening

Prevention

Techniques for Stress Management

Successful stress management techniques vary considerably between different people. While some may respond well to traditional methods of talking things out or distractions, other people need medication or to be proactive and have techniques ready and waiting to be used if they’re needed. As well, many people find that they need a combination of techniques, as some may work in some situations but not in others. The important thing to keep in mind is that it may take practice for some techniques to work for your and you may have to do some trial-and-error too, to find which ones work best. Here are some suggestions:

Lifestyle changes. Making changes in every day life activities can make a difference in how your body reacts to stress. These include:

Exercise
- Walking
- Going to the gym
- Joining a team sport
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
Eating a healthy diet
Connecting with loved ones
Quitting smoking
Stopping or reducing alcohol consumption
Getting adequate amount of sleep
Getting enough alone time
Getting out of the house and socializing
Taking up a hobby

Counseling. Seeing a counselor or therapist may also be helpful. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that helps people perceive what is causing their stress and how they react to it.

Medications. Several medications for anxiety have proven to help some people with severe stress, but many doctors feel it shouldn’t be a first-line treatment, that medications should be tried if counseling is not effective, for example. Also, it’s important to understand that not everyone responds in the same way to anti-anxiety medications, so it may take trying a few different types before you find one that is effective for you. Examples of anti-anxiety medications that may help with stress management include:

Antidepressants. Examples of antidepressants used to treat anxiety disorders include:

Citalopram
Escitalopram
Fluoxetine
Paroxetine
Sertraline
Venlafaxine
duloxetine
Amitriptyline,
Imipramine
Nortriptyline

Benzodiazepines. This class of medication works more quickly, and is usually used for relieving acute anxiety. They can become habit-forming, so they should be used with caution.

Alprazolam
Clonazepam
Diazepam
Lorazepam

Other types of medications that may be used that fall into the following classes:

MAO inhibitors
Anticonvulsants
Beta blockers

Support groups. Joining a support group, particularly if your stress is coming from being a caregiver or from a health condition or illness.

Complementary and Alternative Treatment

Relaxation techniques not only encourage a clearing of the mind (distraction), they can have a physical effect on the your body as well, such as lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, and relaxing your muscles that may have tensed up.

Mindfulness. This is a technique that encourages people to be in the moment, to identify what is happening at that time, to take their mind off stress-related issues. Mindfulness works best when it’s been practiced and learned during non-stressful times, so it can be called on when needed.
Meditation. Like mindfulness, meditation encourages the mind to move away from stressful issues. Like mindfulness, meditation is best when learned and practiced during non-stressful times. There are many ways to learn meditation, with therapists, mobile apps, videos, books, and audio.
Guided imagery. With guided imagery, you are encouraged to bring your mind elsewhere, to imagine a place you want to be. Again, like mindfulness and meditation, this should be learned and practiced during a non-stressful time in order to be effective during stressful periods.
Deep breathing exercises. Taking the time to do deep breathing exercises helps relax both the body and mind. This can be done during the stressful situation or after. It can also be practiced when there are no stresses, which encourages your body to respond to deep breathing exercises when you need them.
Muscle relaxation techniques. As with deep breathing exercises, working on actively relaxing your muscles distracts your mind and encourages body relaxation. This can be done during a stressful situation, but should be practiced when you aren’t feeling stressed, so you can understand how your body feels during relaxation.
Yoga. Listed above as a form of exercise, yoga also encourages relaxation.
Acupuncture. To perform acupuncture, the practitioner inserts fine needles into specific parts of the body that are believed to conduct energy. This allows for the body’s energy to flow, promoting relaxation and healing.
Massage. Swedish massage, the lightest of massages, encourages relaxation as the massage therapist works to relax your muscles. It is believed that massage can help decrease cortisol levels in the body.
Aromatherapy. Many people report a calming sensation with the scent of lavender. Other natural oils that may help relax you include:
- Bergamot
- Cedarwood
- Chamomile
- Geranium
- German frankincense
- Jasmine
- Marjoram
- Roman frankincense
- Vanilla

Herbal and natural supplements. A number of supplements can be helpful to those who suffer from stress—but be sure to speak with your doctor first to see what is right for you. If you take prescription medicines, check with your pharmacist to be sure that the supplements you want to try don’t interact with your medicines, either prescription or over-the-counter.

Valerian. According to University of Maryland Medical Center, valerian may be helpful for some people in managing stress. However, it should be used with caution and not used with standard sedatives as it could intensify the effects.
Kava. Commonly used to reduce anxiety and stress, the medical center issued a warning regarding kava as it has been found to be related to liver failure in some people. Check with your doctor to see what is right for you.