Deadlines, exams, projects, conflict with your loved ones, and even sleeping problems all contribute to one thing … stress! Negative stress, called distress, can make a person feel overwhelmed and hopeless about the situation, often leading to them giving up. Distress occurs if the pressure is severe or prolonged. People who experience distress think hypothetically, the ‘what if I fail,’ ‘did not succeed,’ etc., rather than resolving the situation or applying good coping skills (Centerstone.org, 2020). Also, this type of stress can negatively impact your body, feelings, thoughts, and behavior (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2021). In a survey conducted by Anderson (2006), the results show that most people that experience high-stress resort to unhealthy behaviors like comfort eating, poor diet, smoking, and physical inactivity to cope. However, stress is not limited to the opposing side. Positive stress, called eustress, can be generated by receiving a gift, going on a vacation, doing a hobby, or playing a game. Eustress makes a person motivated to accomplish and bring out the best results in the situation where the person sees the stressor as a chance to be better and perform well. While the stressors can be negative or positive, it is all dependent on the person’s mindset, how they think, how they perceive it, and how they process it. If a person processes stress negatively, that person also views it negatively, which means that their thoughts significantly determine the outcome.
It was discussed that poor stress management leads to unhealthy health behaviors like comfort eating, poor diet control, smoking, and physical inactivity. Comfort eating, termed binge eating or storm eating, occurs when an individual feels an overwhelming emotion they do not want to feel or when they are too hungry. Additionally, poor diet control, also termed fog eating, is anytime an individual eats without awareness. It is not enjoyable or purposeful; it's an unconscious munch that can result in overeating and poor nutrition or not getting enough nutrients. Another poor stress management habit is smoking or the action of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug. Studies have demonstrated that it raises the risk of contracting non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (Staff, 2020). Lastly, poor stress management causes physical inactivity, a term used for people who do not get the suggested level of physical activity, which leads to obesity, a condition of being overweight. That is, if they also use storm eating as a coping mechanism.
On the other hand, good stress management includes: sleeping early, maintaining a healthy diet, being physically active, and having a good mindset. Sleeping earlier is necessary to have optimal health, and it can positively affect hormone levels, mood, and weight which is also a key to performing well in school, work, and life in general. One of the four types of eating that maintains a healthy diet is fuel eating, when individuals eat food that supports their body's needs and wants, commonly known as clean eating. Furthermore, eating real, whole, natural, minimally processed foods provides energy and nourishment and makes your body feel good. Lastly, being physically active reduces the levels of the body's stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This also stimulates the brain's production of endorphins, chemicals that act as the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators (Harvard Health, 2020).
Stress seems a negative term but it isn’t always a bad thing. Changing how a person views stress will make them healthier since it can help them become open-minded; thus, they are open to learning new things or can come up with new solutions. When individuals encounter challenges and are overwhelmed by them—exams, deadlines, or family problems—they will believe it is a unique learning experience or opportunity. Additionally, good coping strategies are a healthy and efficient way to manage stress. This includes taking breaks from academic subjects every once in a while, including social media and eating healthy food, exercising, getting the recommended hours of sleep (at least 7 to 9 hours), knowing when you need more help, and avoiding overindulging in alcohol drinks, tobacco, and substances. This also makes an individual boost their mental and emotional well-being. As poor time management is a significant factor that causes stress, there is always this feeling that there are too many things to do with not enough time to finish them. This makes an individual feel panicked and anxious, making them lose attention. Put your time to use by prioritizing what is essential (e.g., family, deadlines) first, then spend the remaining time on something worthwhile. However, it is also crucial to know that stress can be felt even if there's hardly anything to do. The reasons for stress will always be there, and the sooner an individual accepts it, the easier their lives will become.
References
Anderson, N. D. (2006, May). STRESS AND UNHEALTHY BEHAVIOUR. Manitoba Psychological Society. http://redladder.ca/articles/Stress%20and%20Unhealthy%20Behaviour%20-2.pdf
Centerstone.org. (2020, November 4). Good vs. Bad Stress. Centerstone. https://centerstone.org/our-resources/health-wellness/good-vs-bad-stress/#:%7E:text=Stress%20that%20is%20characterized%20as,of%20hopelessness%20about%20the%20situation.
Harvard Health. (2020, July 7). Exercising to relax. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, March 24). Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987?reDate=24052022
Rage Comics. (2011). Desk Flip [Digital Image]. Know Your Meme. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/desk-flip
S. (2021, December 6). A Lens on Smoking, Noncommunicable Diseases, and Social Injustice. Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. https://www.smokefreeworld.org/a-lens-on-smoking-noncommunicable-diseases-and-social-injustice/
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