Stress Management [Archives:2002/35/Business & Economy]

The Road Ahead
BY RAIDAN A. AL-SAQQAF
[email protected]
If you think that just by pronouncing the word “stress” might make you feel like “damn, @#$%^&!!!” then keep on reading. This article is meant for you.
Many of us suffer from stress nowadays. We struggle to keep pace with this rat race we live with & deal with the coupled stress. Although too much stress can cause us physical and mental disorders, the right amount of stress keeps us moving.
It is important to recognize the causes & origins of stress. First of all jot down the main causes of feelings such as anxiety, exhaustion or frustration in order to eliminate stress. There any many stress management techniques that would help you reduce stress. The following are a number of simple do-it-yourself techniques that are proved to be effective.
Anticipate stress.
Managing stress by preparing for it is done through planning, such as planning for examinations. Or by practicing for the stressful event, for example if you were giving a presentation, few rehearsals would help you control stress at the time of the presentation. On the other hand, there are situations that are likely to be unpleasant, and will not yield any benefit to you. In this case avoidance would be a better solution.
Take constructive action.
Make practical steps about the problem and what seems to be the stressor, knowing that you are on the road to recovery from a stressful situation can be helpful in reducing stress. It also gives a feeling of control.
Reducing the importance of an event.
Learn how to relax through developing a “take it as it comes” attitude. For example if you did not win this quotation, would it be the end of the world? Would a 10-minute delay really kill anyone? You need not go at full speed to be there on time, Relax!!!.
Physical exercise.
Along with its many other benefits, exercise is considered as a pleasant method to reduce stress as long as you enjoy doing it. For example, a 15-minute walk would help clear your head and is ideal for tension release.
Curing the rush mentality.
Scramble to meet deadlines & tight schedules, deal with conflicts, rush to appointments, and collapse at the end of the day on your family. Then wake up the next morning to start the same cycle all over again. Is this a life? There has to be a major self-effort to cure this rush mentality.
Every person has to practice an active technique of stress management to perform better, it doesn’t have to be something listed here or somebody else does, the important thing is to have the right amount of stress to keep us going.
Endnote: It is critical to practice an active program of stress management to get the right amount of stress needed.

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