If you feel that Sunday evening brings with it anxiety about the coming work week, if your boss has disrupted your plans with her critical remarks, or if you can't take your mind off a negative email that has arrived in your inbox, it means you need effective ways to regain your emotional balance.
I know I'm sure you'd rather drop it and go to the Bieszczady Mountains, but there are many other methods that can help you cope. How do you deal with stress? We present our guide.
How to deal with stress?
Identification of sources of stress - The first step to dealing with stress is to identify its sources. It could be work, relationships, financial problems or something else. Once you know what is causing you stress, you can start to develop coping strategies.
Lifestyle changes - there are many lifestyle changes that can help reduce stress, such as:
- Regular exercise - Exercise is a great way of rozładding stress and improving mood.
- Healthy diet - eating healthy foods can improve your mood and give you more energy to cope with stress.
- Sufficient sleep - When you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to be stressed. Take care to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol - Caffeine and alcohol can make stress symptoms worse.
- Relaxation techniques - there are many relaxation techniques that can help reduce stress, such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing.
Spending time with loved ones - Spending time with loved ones can help you relax and feel better. Talk to friends and family about what's bothering you, or simply spend time with them doing enjoyable activities.
Seeking professional help - If stress is hard to manage, it is worth seeking professional help. A therapist can teach you coping mechanisms and help you solve the problems that cause stress.
What is stress?
Stress is the body's response to events that disrupt its balance, burdening or exceeding its ability to cope effectively. It can be defined as a state of strain on your mental regulatory system that occurs when you are threatened, hindered or unable to achieve goals and tasks that are important to you.
What stresses us out?
Stressors, or stress-inducing events, can have different sources, such as physical problems (e.g. illness, natural disasters) or social problems (e.g. family problems, job loss). Responses to stress can vary and include changes in the physiological, psychological and behavioural domains.
Why do we get stressed?
Stress is nothing more than our body's response to a threat or pressure. It triggers a surge of adrenaline, which begins to affect the nervous system. In the face of stress, the body sets in motion a series of reactions that, on the surface, seem contradictory. On the one hand, we experience physical symptoms of anxiety, such as trembling hands, excessive sweating and an accelerated heartbeat.
On the other hand, we become more focused on potential threats, our senses sharpen and our reactions become faster and more precise. These seemingly opposing phenomena are the result of stress hormones, primarily adrenaline and cortisol, whose levels increase in such situations.
How does stress affect our working lives?
Stress is the greatest enemy of an active working life and can effectively block even the most volatile minds. However, it is worth noting that stress is not always negative. There is also so-called eustress, or positive stress, which can energise, motivate and excite. It is important to find ways of dealing with stress that are effective for the individual and help maintain mental and physical health.
How does stress get in the way of our working lives and achieving our goals?
Here are the most important consequences of chronic stress at work:
- Reduced productivity and concentration problems - stress causes distraction, difficulty concentrating and remembering, which negatively affects productivity and the quality of tasks performed.
- Professional burnout - chronic stress is a major cause of professional burnout syndrome, characterised by emotional exhaustion, cynicism and an understated sense of achievement.
- Interpersonal conflicts - stress can lead to irritability, impatience and aggressive behaviour, making cooperation and relationships with other employees difficult.
- Difficulties in decision-making - stress makes it difficult to think clearly, analyse situations and make sound decisions, which can negatively affect the achievement of career goals.
How does long-term stress damage the body?
Long-term stress has a very detrimental effect on the human body and can lead to many serious health consequences. Here are the most important effects of chronic stress:
- Weakening of the immune system - stress weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infection and disease.
- Sleep disorders - trouble falling asleep, waking up early in the morning, insomnia, sleeping too much.
- Exacerbation of autoimmune diseases - chronic stress can exacerbate the symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's disease, Graves-Basedow disease or psoriasis.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease - stress affects the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and heart attack, by increasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Metabolic disorders - prolonged stress can lead to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, due to increased cortisol secretion and insulin resistance.
- Gastrointestinal problems - stress can cause disruption to the digestive system, leading to problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ulcers and constipation.
- Mental disorders - chronic stress is a risk factor for the development of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders and insomnia.
In order to effectively deal with the effects of stress, it is worth taking care of your wellbeing as well. You can find effective techniques for taking care of your own energy in one of our webinars -. How to protect psychic energy?
Strategies and techniques for dealing effectively with stress
- Identification of sources of stress - recognise what triggers your stress and work to resolve or reduce these factors.
- Adequate diet - A healthy diet can help maintain physical and mental wellbeing.
- Physical activity - Exercise can reduce levels of stress hormones and trigger the release of mood-enhancing endorphins.
- Sleep hygiene - Sufficient sleep is crucial for mental and physical health.
- Work-life balance - Finding a work-life balance is important to reduce stress.
- Appropriate relations with others - Building healthy relationships can provide support during difficult times.
- Accepting what cannot be changed - learning to accept situations beyond our control can reduce stress.
- Breathing relaxation techniques - Breathing exercises can help to calm the mind and body.
- Meditation - The regular practice of meditation can reduce stress and improve concentration, and can be combined with stretching and yoga practice, for example.
- A different approach to a stressful situation - A change of perspective can help you to cope better with stress.
Above all, it is also important to learn to recognise stressful situations and avoid or minimise their impact on life.
How to deal with stress in the workplace?
How do you złreat tension in a professional environment? How can stress be reduced at work? There are various opportunities for company managers to influence stress levels in the company. Important stress management techniques include:
- Transparent communication at all organisational levels.
- Introduce a partnership approach to management, with an open door policy.
- Creating bonds within the team to replace harmful competition with cooperation.
- Regularly collect employee feedback on their job satisfaction and relationships within the company.
- Leadership training in building positive relationships with employees, resolving conflicts and motivating the team. NVC (Nonviolent Communication) can also be part of the training. In addition, consider organising regular workshops on dealing with stress in the workplace.
Our ways to cope with stress - Meeting Group
Life likes to throw stumbling blocks at us, which, in addition to being obstacles, also become stress inhibitors. So it is worth learning to keep them to a minimum. You can find out how to transform stress into energy for action in our trainings and workshops. We will show you how to combat stress during a webinar - Understand stress and feel relief.
Want to find out how we can help you? Give us a call or write to us!
Summary
To reduce your stress levels, it will be crucial to change your lifestyle and learn techniques to effectively quiet your mind even while you are at work. We know these techniques and would be happy to teach them to you too. Sign up for our courses and learn how to enter a new world without stress and worry.
