The article aims to define the causes of stress, symptoms, and coping mechanisms in managing stressful situations. Stress is a natural feeling experienced when the demands of a situation exceed the person’s adaptive resources. Stress thus acts as the body’s natural defense against dangers to oneself regarding goal attainment. Stress is categorized as a mental condition since it predominantly affects the brain. Stress can occur from daily situations such as balancing demanding work and life schedules, coping with long-term medical conditions, and managing relationships (Gangai and Mahakud, 2018). Additionally, specific events also lead to stress, such as the death of a family member or friend, divorce, financial issues, and family problems.
However, people react differently to demanding situations where stress triggers are specific to each individual. Personality is thus a crucial factor in determining the frequency of stressful situations. Optimistic and introverts are more stress-prone than pessimist persons as they exhibit more anxious behavior and have more expectations. Also, females perceive stress more often than males. There are various stages of stress ranging from mild to severe. Acute stress levels occur where the person deals with the threat. The symptoms of acute stress disorder include; moderate distress such as shaking hands and headaches. Chronic stress leads to sleeplessness and suicidal tendencies (Gangai and Mahakud, 2018). Ultimately, chronic stress leads to physical and psychological illness. Stress management is based on two concepts; Cognitive Behavior Stress Reduction (CBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBSR techniques emphasized include; social support, relation exercise, and time management.
Concepts from the Article
The concepts learned from the article relating to stress management techniques. Cognitive behavior stress reduction is a western management model which serves as an effective method of managing stressful situations. The model pays attention to an individual’s thought and behavior, thus altering the individual’s perception. CBSR helps people develop alternative thoughts to reduce psychological distress by challenging individuals to eliminate negative thoughts and adopt positive behavior (Alsubaie, Abbott, Dunn, Dickens, Keil, Henley, and Kuyken, 2017). CBSR involves therapy that tries to understand the specific triggers of stress, thus curbing the illness through affirmation to develop positive thoughts to counter the situation. Cognitive restructuring skills used include; listening to the client’s case, setting, and reviewing goals. The technique is heavily reliant on individuals being accountable to themselves.
The mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction technique is based on the eastern model of medicine. The method uses contemporary treatment methods that are readily available in society, such as support groups, exercise, and time management (Barattucci, Padovan, Vitale, Rapisarda, Ramaci, and De Giorgio, 2019). Mental wellbeing can be improved through supportive relationships. People are encouraged to develop social networks in the local community by joining clubs and religious organizations. Being part of a group can reduce stress development as other members provide support and pragmatic help when challenging circumstances occur. Exercises are divided into two progressive muscle relations and autogenic training. Progressive muscle relation uses chiropractic care that relaxes muscles and thoughts. Autogenic training involves techniques to control the physiological responses through visual imaginations. Autogenic exercise slows down the heart rate and promotes relaxation. Deep breathing is also an essential factor of mindfulness therapy. Time management is also helpful in managing stressful situations by planning schedules to dedicate resources to other interests. Priority management is emphasized to people working on demanding schedules which are precursors to stress and anxiety. Both methods effectively alleviate stressful situations; thus, individuals are encouraged to pursue them when faced with a straining situation.
