What ever you do, or where ever you live, whether in the city or the suburbs, work in an office, A Entrepreneurs or live comfortable, or struggle to make ends. Stress is a reality that is increasingly affecting people's lives negatively. It is simple, "Anyone who does not no how to fight worry, will die young".
Stress is the number one killer in our society today and yet, it is neglected by both government, professionals and Administrators. As the need of man increases , the Burden of professionals and Business managers continue to increase.
Stress of modern life, poor diet ,excessive work demands, Lack of sleep, all play havoc with the natural balance of
In our country, Nigeria, the federal government always give quick response to any deadly disease dictated ,health workers will work round the clock to eradicate it. Yet ,stress, that is emotional and more deadly than HIV AIDS and Abola viruses are being neglected. A certain percentage of the population, suffer nervous breakdown, induced by stress.
What is stress?
The human body was originally designed to react to situation of danger- with surges of adrenaline, quickening of breath, sweating to cool the body, but situations no longer exist in "normal" modern working life, and the flood of chemical and physical energy released in stressful situations can lead to cellular damage and system- wide depletion of the body's natural defence resources.
While the nervous system and digestive organs particularly susceptible to the effect of stress, Research has linked stress with hosts of medical concerns, including Asthma, Heart disease, and verity of immune response disorders. Stress suppresses the body's immune system, making it subject to illnesses and reducing it's ability to fight off life threatening effects of stress.
According to Dr. Julian M .of the chartered phycologist, British psychological society, stress may simply mean ,Being subject to external forces or pressure and can be either positive or negative, depending upon the effect of the external force.
However, the word stress is often associated with negativity which hinders our ability to function. Based on the above, melgosa (2005:20) summaries , Stress is a combination of physiological and psychological reactions of the body when it is subject to heavy demands.
Anyanwa (1998:6) Believes that stress might vary from one generation to another. This he buttress by citing examples of the 17th century, which referred stress as a sort of adversity, hardship or affliction. This definition have been influenced by the happenings of that time, where religion help sway. But the 19th and 20th century approached the definition, expanded to include a goal or results.
Ejiogu ,defined stress as the unhealthy reaction of individual to a variety of factors affecting him at any particular time. By this definition, The author perceived stress as it concerns the Individual denote excessive environmental forces which by its action on individual causes harm. The author, generally sees stress as "wear and tear" within the body.
According to D's ouzo. Stress stress is the nervous tension that results from internal conflicts, on a wide range of external situation. The last two definitions of stress portray stress as having only the negative side which is not true.
Stress is not necessarily bad ,since at times, it helps the individual attain desired results or goals.
Based on all the above definitions, We can say that Stress is the nervous tension which has the tenancy to ginger one to higher productivity as well as to reduce one to lower productivity depending on the perception and response of the person.
Various forms of stress
As long as one is alive ,stress must be experienced, and the only way to be free from stress, is to die. Stress makes life worth living , it is a person's adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands on him or her. Stress is an adjustable demand that requires coping behaviour.
Certain amount of stress is necessary in order to accomplish goals or projects, it helps one solve difficult problems. Stress serves as a stimulus to help reach an adequate level of accomplishment and success, however, if the level of stress is greater than what the individual is able to support, he becomes stressed, his output decreases and situation, if not altered can become explosive.
Some people do not "suffer" from stress, instead, they seem to benefit from the spark which it adds to their lives. They produce better results using the amount of "stress"
Stress can be positive or negative.
Positive stress can be referred to as EU STRESS, examples include:getting pregnant, promotion ,marriage, and similar good things. The external burden or responsibility associated with this can be stressful.
Negative stress is called DISTRESS, examples include: Bad news, excessive pressure, in all worth of life. And this brings bad consequences in our lives, and that is what people think of, when they hear the word stress.
Distress is harmful because, it causes one to constantly re adjust or re adapt .Distress comes from from emotional frustration is more likely to produce diseases, such as Ulser, heart disease, Insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure. Research has shown that cultural differences can determine how stress affects people.
What causes stress
Causes of stress are called stressor, any thing that places demand on individual to adapt is a stressor. Stress has harmful effects on us ,and the recognition of this fact would require efforts at correcting the situation. The factors including,
a) poor living:living below expected standard of living.
b) the new worker stress.
c) Task demand.
d) Interpersonal demand.
e) Retirement, as contradictory, it may seem, stress can come due to too little activities.
Coming to terms with old age, without any hope can turn the last year's into a miserable experience.
We have three aspects, of stress.
1.Negative Stress (Distress)
a) Anxiety.
b) Worry.
c) Confusion.
d) Disappointment.
e) Hate.
2.Neutral stress (Stress)
a)Stimulation.
b) Conflicts.
c) Expectations.
d) Changes.
e) Deadlines.
3. Positive stress (Eustress)
a) Opportunity.
b) Achievement.
c) Creativity.
d) Challenge.
e) Promotion.
How To Cope or Manage Stress.
a) Watch what you eat.
b) Keep work and non -work life separate.
c) Excercise , good use of leisure hours.
d) Solicited the services of a professional.
e) There shall be Organisational Rewards and Recognition.
f) Delegate Duties.
There shall always be a time of "Get together" in your life, and family picnic is very important tool to combat stress. Apply this stress control methods, and you will live a happy long life.
No comments:
Post a Comment