Thanks to COVID-19! What a hectic year we are living in! When the world economy is collapsing in many countries, people are losing their jobs, the graduation of many students is at a halt, communication and daily affairs are being disrupted suddenly, under the current circumstances getting stressed is not something uncommon.
More or less, most of us are having a chaotic year beyond our imagination.
If you are feeling lost and stressed due to COVID-19, we are here to discuss a few points with you about this intense topic and give you some tips on how to manage the stress in this pandemic.
Define Stress
Before giving you a bunch of advice on managing stress we want you to know what exactly is stress, what are the symptoms, and what it can do to you!
Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension or pressure that can be created from any thought or situation making you feel nervous, frustrated, or angry.
Symptoms
Signs of stress include changes in eating or sleeping habits, abuse of alcohol, tobacco, medications, or illegal drugs, avoidance of favorite activities, Behavioral regressions, difficulty with attention and concentration, excessive tension, increased heart rate, irritability, etc.
Effects of Stress on an Individual
Bitter truth is, no part of us, whether it is our mind, body, or overall wellbeing, is immune when it comes to stress. It is much more dangerous than we presume it to be.
Impacts on Mind:
- It can lower cognitive function.
- It can reduce concentration and attention span.
- People dealing with stress often struggle to remember certain actions or face, have difficulty in making decisions.
- Getting pessimistic
Impacts on Health:
- It makes people fatigued and lowers immunity.
- Stressed people often feel muscle tension.
- It may cause some serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart problems, and diabetes. You can use cbd oil as it is good at easing different health issues, including anxiety, depression, acne, and heart disease.
- Skin conditions, asthma, arthritis are also some health issues that may be caused due to extreme stress.
- Experiencing sleeplessness, headaches are some signs of stress.
Impacts on Overall Well being:
- Stress has a negative impact on one’s personality and affects mood.
- It creates nervousness.
- Stress leads to anxiety and depression.
- It makes people impatient
- Stressed people get irritated real quick.
- It also makes people quick to anger and sadness.
Managing stress
Let’s have a look at few ways to manage and minimize your stress:
1. Listen to Your Body
Try to understand the reasons for your stress and its impact on your physical and mental health. Acknowledge the symptoms and develop an understanding of your triggers.
2. Consciously Fight Stress
Think positive. block all the negative thoughts that may cause distress. Practicing meditation and mindfulness can be a good way to control stressful thoughts.
3. Limit the Use of Social-media
Limit your exposure to news coverage and social-media as some news may leave you overwhelmed and stressed. Spend less time on social media as excessive use of it has been proven to lead to stress and depression.
4. Maintain A Daily Routine
Discipline your life. This is the time when you need a well organized and planned life the most. Make a schedule and plan something big or small for each day to look forward to. Journaling is a good way to maintain daily routines and affairs and remain motivated.
5. Exercise Regularly
Exercise has the potential to fight stress and get better sleep. Starting the day with some regular exercise is an effective way to manage stress.
6. Clean Your Surroundings
Study shows cleaning helps to release fatigue, stress, and irritation. So we suggest you clean your rooms, shelves, and table from time to time.
7. Find Activities You May Enjoy
Find hobbies or activities that you may enjoy and can engage your thoughts. Whether it is spending time planting, reading books, or knitting, find one for you.
8. Learn New Things
This pandemic has brought a lot of idle time for many of us. Rather than draining the time doing nothing but worrying, utilize it by gaining knowledge and learning new skills whether it is a hobby or to benefit your career. It is said that knowledge and skill never go to waste, now or in the future, it pays off!
We would like to remind you of the fact that stress can’t possibly ever give you anything good. Rather, it will take away your energy, mental strength, and time that you might use in trying out different ways to solve the problem, finding new opportunities, learning skills, and self-development.
History tells us that every pandemic that once started was over at some point, sooner or later, so will it be.
So, rather than reminiscing about what could have happened if the COVID-19 didn’t break out, manage your stress, keep your hopes high and focus on what good can still be possible!
