Author : Aniket Zagde

Today’s lifestyle and the society we are in, we seem to thrive on performance, competition and perfections, which lead to an insurmountable increase in stress. Most often, though many may not know, that stress causes considerable damage that is often underestimated and suppressed. It is more of a social phenomenon that should be closely observed, examined and evaluated.

In these times we live in, society and the workplace put a considerable level of pressure on people. The signs of stress are widespread, and its consequences are numerous. In the early days, our ancestors used to say ‘work is health’, but we know that this holds no truth in today’s times and the ground reality is quite different.

There are two major factors that contribute to a great deal of stress:

1. 1. Major changes in values and social standards
2. 2. Difficulty in balancing work, personal and family life

Other important contributing factors are:

• Intensified workload to increase productivity gains
• Constant search for perfection
• Obsession with competition

Stress spares no one. It permeates to all strata’s of society and all age categories; no one can truly escape from it. It is seen that some people are more deeply affected by its outcome, depending largely on their personal, psychosocial, professional and health background.

But what is stress all about?

Stress is our body’s response to pressure. Many different situations or life events can cause stress. While there are several sources of stress, there are as many ways to react to it. Though, essentially stress is a human defence mechanism, it becomes equally important to not let it get the better of you.

Stress comes in different forms like physical, psychological, emotional, social, etc. To give an example, let’s say that a stressful event can either be a happy one like in the case of planning a vacation, a family function, birth, or an upsetting one such as the loss of a near and dear one, financial crisis and being in a difficult situation. The outcome can be either minor or significant, and either temporary or chronic. Each one of us reacts differently to the source of stress and to the different levels of stress, so it becomes the top most priority to identify and understand what your stress triggers are to better cope with it.

In the early stages, stress can cause symptoms such as palpitations, lump in the throat, anxiety, distress, etc. These symptoms are usually short term. But after constant stress over a prolonged period of time, it can be harmful to one’s overall health and well-being.

Symptoms of stress, to name a few are:

• 1. Loss of self-esteem
• 2. Digestive disorders
• 3. Sleep disorders
• 4. Irritability & agitation
• 5. Anxiety & depression
• 6. Burnout
• 7. Increased isolation
• 8. Work absenteeism
• 9. Lower performance

It is quite obvious that stress comes with negative effects but if it is properly managed, it can also have a good side to it. It is useful to increase one’s concentration as it contributes to creativity, increases productivity and helps develop new skills. There is not only one right way to manage stress; you have to find the method that best suits yourself.

Here are some useful tips to bust stress:

• 1. Identify the problem; when you identify it, it is easier to face it.
• 2. Recognize the types of events that cause you a great deal of stress and always be attentive to the symptoms of stress.
• 3. Share your problems with the people you trust. By expressing your feelings, your stress will be reduced.
• 4. Read up about stress-management techniques.
• 5. Release tension by exercising.
• 6. Establish priorities.
• 7. To add to the above useful tips, you can also support your stressful lifestyle with healthy supplements.

Stress infiltrates our society in countless ways; at the office, at home, in our relationships with others, and it can even affect our loved ones. We should arrest this problem by finding a suitable solution. But first, we must take the time to re-evaluate our stress level for the well-being of ourselves, our loved ones and our society.