Stress is one of the most common things that affect nearly every person all over the world. Stress is defined as the response of a person’s body due to physical, mental and emotional changes within the physiological system of the body. The changes are caused by any personal, physical, marital or work-related problem. When a person has fever, headache or flu, he can take the right medication and find relief quite quickly, but there is no known medication for stress as it affects every person differently.
The change in stimuli or surroundings, the body of the person will react to the change, which is called stress. To counter the stress, the body reacts with physical, emotional and mental responses. Stress is quite common, and you may experience stress many times during the day although the duration may depend on the cause and type of stress. A person may feel stress from his thoughts, body, and environment. Many people think that stress always has a negative impact, but it is not true as stress can be positive and help a person stay alert, active, and motivated. Stress can motivate a person to prepare well for an exam, get the promotion he worked so hard for or running the last mile of the race. There are numerous moments, events, and situations that can cause stress such as
- Death of a loved one
- Losing a job
- Failing in the examination
- Increase in financial constraints
- Getting inflicted with severe injury or chronic illness
- Experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, or guilt regularly
- Any previous traumatic event that has been recurred due to some recent event
- Giving a presentation in front of office managers
- Giving a speech in front of a large crowd
- Having difficulty in deciding between different options
Many times a person feels stress from within his thoughts and emotions rather than any external factor. Fear and uncertainty also cause stress. You hear about some terrible news or see an accident; you are bound to think about it later in the day which can cause stress. Every person has expectations, and when things do not for as planned then people do feel anxious and depressed. The stress that you feel will change as you grow old and when your personality changes.
When you feel stress your body will respond and release a certain hormone to calm the body. The two modes that the physiological system is faced with are ‘flight’ or ‘fight’. Some of the common signs when a person is under tremendous stress are an increase in heart rate, the muscles tense, sweating, and breathing gets faster, but this is acute stress, and the body recovers from it on its own.
The stress that a person feels over a long period is termed chronic stress, and if not looked quickly, a person can develop health issues. The constant release of hormones causes wear and tear of the physiological system. Some of the common effects of stress are muscle fatigue, trouble sleeping, lack of concentration, and headache if the stress not treated than a person can be prone to weight loss or gain, high blood pressure, heart problems, asthma, and skin problems such as acne.
If you feel overwhelmed with stress than you must talk with a qualified doctor as many times, the symptoms of stress are also symptoms of chronic ailments. The doctor can prescribe some medicine and ask you to visit a counselor and attend therapy sessions. Some of the simple and easy solutions for dealing stress are:
- Counseling for stress problems. Talking with an experienced and trained counselor who is familiar with different types of stress and can come up with specific test and therapy sessions
- Meditating is also a popular solution as it allows a person to spend time relaxing and clearing the mind from negative thoughts and emotions
- Keeping oneself busy by doing the activities that a person is passionate about such as reading a book, watching a movie, playing sports, painting, and listening to music
- Talking with your family and friends can also help as a person is comfortable in confiding the problems they are going through
- Exercising regularly also helps a person to focus on the exercise and forget about the negative thoughts and emotions. After the exercise, the muscles and tissues soothe and helps the body to heal on its own.
Counseling helps people to deal with stress and counselor perform certain therapy which reduces the stress of an individual. The therapy session is mostly one on one session between the individual and the counselor, and it can also be held over the phone and an online session. The types of therapy include
- Behavior therapy
The behavior therapy emphasizes that a person focuses on changing an undesired behavior. The session helps a person face his fears and learn to accept them but take possible actions that reduce the stress level and anxiety. Behavior therapy is best for reducing the phobias and fears that cause stress.
- Cognitive therapy
Cognitive therapy and cognitive/behavior therapy are used to tackle stress, depression, and anxiety. Cognitive therapy is best in dealing with panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Problem-solving therapy
Problem-focused and problem-solving therapy is a method that helps a person to identify his current problems. The therapy has two parts, in the first part, the person deals with the emotional aspect and in the second with the practical aspect
Counselors give professional advice and assistance to individuals in managing their personal and psychological problems. The counselors deal with a wide range of individuals who have numerous stress problems which may be completely different other people also going through stress. The counselors are good listeners and first understand what a person is trying to communicate, then suggesting possible solutions and remedies. An expert counselor helps a person to
- Explore his thought, opinions, and feelings
- See things more objectively and with a calmer state of mind
- Take a rational decision among several options
Counseling becomes important for employees who have their performance going down due to stress. The pressure or conflict with fellow employees can develop stress, and a person tries to feel insecurity at work. The main purpose of counseling is to help employees build their self-confidence, self-control, and ability to think positively and act according to their skills and abilities.