Stress is an inevitable part of life. We all experience stress to varying degrees and handle it in our own way. Stress is an individual phenomenon. It is related to the way we see the world. And the way we see the world is a combination of our personality traits, life experiences, and the situation surrounding the stress-prompting case. However, we differ in what drives our stress responses. When a problem is construed as challenging or dangerous, our brain initiates a biological response to prepare us to escape or fight back. When we determine something is stressful, our body releases certain hormones which help equip our body and mind to run or fight a potential stressor. You have probably heard of this phenomenon as “fight or flight.” More recently, researchers have added a third response, “freeze”, where we cannot mount a defense or flee.
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Individualize Your Stress Management Plan
Because there are different types of stressors in our lives and our reactions to the same stressor are different, the response and individual stress management capacity cannot be the same. Personal and holistic approaches are required. For example, for some, the stress management plan may be multidisciplinary and involve family and professional assistance. For others, it may mean making changes in their workload or life. And for others, it may mean finding time for self-care practices.
A successful stress management plan includes understanding critical stressors in your life and finding ways to neutralize or remove them. Your stress management plan may include:
Learning to reframe or think differently about stressors.
Finding a way to eliminate or reduce the frequency or intensity of the stressor
Why We Need to Invest in Stress Management
When we invest in stress management, there are many benefits, including:
We are capable of a more realistic evaluation of the incident or situation that causes stress.
We are more creative in finding solutions to the situation.
We are more realistic in our ability to judge our capability to deal with the stressful situation.
We are more likely to ask for help when we are having difficulty dealing with stressors in our lives.
Overall, having the ability to manage stress can improve the quality of our lives and others around us.
For ideas on developing your personalized relaxation plan, see our blog: What are the Steps in Relaxation?
References
Sharma, S. (2022). Stress management. Journal of Ayurveda, 16(1), 1.
Lande, S. D. (2019). Stress Management and its Importance. RESEARCH JOURNEY, 85.
YALÇIN, A. S. (2020). Importance of Positive Thinking. Advances in Health Sciences Research, 170.