Stress is an inherent part of human life. Cavemen experienced it as do people living in contemporary times. Stress is the body and mind’s reaction to a perceived threat or demand. It encourages a fight or flight mode in an attempt to deal with the situation.
Stress is Not Always Bad
In many ways, stress is nature’s way of protecting life and ensuring that one is alert and focused. It could save your life by getting you out of a potentially dangerous situation. Stress can also encourage you to perform well on a test or a presentation at work.
Physiological Reaction to Stress
When you experience stress your body begins to prepare for what it considers to be an emergency. It releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart begins to pump more blood, your blood pressure rises, and your muscles tighten. Even your sense organs become hypervigilant. Being in an almost constant state of stress can interfere with organ functioning and leave you vulnerable to disease.
The Dangers that Stress May Pose
Constant exposure to stress on all fronts of one’s life can be overwhelming and can wear you down. You may experience anxiety, feel fatigued, and depressed. Some other emotional symptoms associated with stress include getting frustrated and angry very quickly. You may also experience low social esteem and avoid meeting people socially.
Constant experience of stress can weaken the immune system leaving it susceptible to infection and disease. Some common physiological symptoms include difficulty sleeping, digestive and respiratory ailments.
The Importance of Stress Counselling, This form of counselling is valuable to anyone who finds themselves overwhelmed by the stresses in their life. Stress counselling is recommended in the workplace, in universities and schools. The fact that one considers speaking with a stress counselor is the most important step in the right direction. It means that one acknowledges that a problem exists, and is willing to look for viable solutions to deal with it.
When one speaks with a counselor, it is an interaction and space that is free of judgment. The privacy and confidentiality that the counselling process offers helps people talk about their deepest worries. The very fact that they can talk about issues that bother them helps people see them in a new light.
The counselor is likely to recommend several techniques to develop a productive approach to stress management. This may include mindfulness exercises, positive self dialogue, and more efficient communication strategies. Stress counseling can drastically improve one’s professional as well as personal life, and facilitate better self understanding.
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