People experience stress in one way or another. It affects the normal functioning of our bodies, and too much of it can lead to depression. Most people find different ways of dealing with stress, but the steps they take leads to more stress, e.g., turning to alcoholism, drugs or isolation. Strategies and theories are suggestions on how to cope with stress. However, for one to understand the best coping strategy or method, the person needs to be aware of the forms of stress to apply the theory or approaches. Stress affects our bodies, moods, and behaviors. Some of the ways most people have managed to deal with stress are physical exercise, having adequate or enough sleep, sharing with a trusted person and avoiding consumption of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
Stress is when a person experiences tension or strain emotionally or mentally due to exceptional circumstances are known as stressors that are demanding. Environment, relationships, academic activities, friendship, and failure, are examples of typical stressors. When stressed, the body releases chemicals and hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine which prepare the body for action. The reaction can cause the blood to divert to muscles and shut down unnecessary functions of the body like digestion. When the flow of blood goes only to the essential muscles that are needed to fight, it affects the normal functioning of the brain. The ability to think straight is affected and can hinder an individual’s work or life at home. Elevated levels of cortisol can increase blood sugar level, blood pressure and reduces libido. There are two different forms of stress, I.e., psychological stress and systematic stress and both are treated according to their category ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
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According to research, two theories have been postulated on how to cope with stress. They include Selye's approach which is based on psychobiology and physiology and Lazarus theory which is based on psychological stress. According to Selye's stress is as a result of the reactions in different events that leads to fatal consequences. His theory explains causes of systematic stress relating to stimulus events like cold, heat and toxic agents which when applied long enough and intensely can produce effects or changes in our bodies. The changes have stereotypical pattern of response to stress which he termed as (GAS), general adaptation syndrome which he further divides into three stages; Alarm reaction, stage of resistance and stage of exhaustion. In the first phase, there is an increase of adrenocortical activity. If there is the continuation of stimulation, the animal enters the second stage where it can adopt the environmental pressure. As resistance to other stressors increases, the animal enters the phase of exhaustion. Its ability to resist decreases and the animal can die ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
Lazurus theories on psychological stress suggest that stress is as a result of an individual relationship to the environment. Two processes are involved in transacting a person to his environment, i.e., cognitive appraisal and coping. His concept suggests that stress is experienced by a person when his expectancy brings a different outcome that leads to mixed emotions. People can deal with the stressors in the environment through motivations, values, goals and generalized experiences. On adaptation and emotion, he developed a theory of emotion that also includes an approach to stress. The method distinguishes between primary appraisal and secondary appraisal. Principal evaluation concentrates on individuals’ well-being, and secondary appraisal concentrates on the coping options of stress. Primary appraisals are distinguished into three components; Goal relevance which refers to issues that a person cares so much about. Goal congruence which defines the extent of events proceeding according to a person’s goal and type of ego-involvement that involves a person’s moral values, self-esteem, ego identity and ego ideal. Patterns in both secondary and primary appraisal lead to stress. The threat, challenge, and harm are distinguished as everyday stressors. Harm is when the loss or damage is psychological and has happened already. The danger is when the injury is expected to occur and the challenge is the feeling of demand that a person feels confident in mastering. Coping is an effort of behavior to tolerate internal and external conflicts and demands ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
Physical exercise is one of the ways of coping with stress. Exercise metabolizes stress hormones and restores the mind and body to a calm and relaxing state. An individual can reduce stress through taking a walk. Physical activity done every day before going to work or taking lunch or after work can reduce tension and improve the quality of sleep. Enough sleep is also required when dealing with stress. However, one should have enough relaxation before going to sleep. Stress can even interrupt one's sleep. The bedroom should be conducive to sleep, and anything that can remind an individual about stress should be removed from the bedroom. Other things that can disturb one's sleep are drinks consumed before going to sleep, for example, alcohol and excessive caffeine. Work that is mentally demanding should be avoided before bedtime. A warm bath and reading a good book can relax the mind before going to bed. The bedtime routine should also be developed. Another easy way that most people use to cope with stress is to talk to someone. Talking can reduce tension and distract thoughts that are stressful. Speaking to a colleague, friend or a trained professional can help a person find a solution to a problem ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
Not knowing how to manage time can be a standard stressor. When there are a lot of things to do in a limited time, things that are of much importance should come first. Everything should not be done at the limited time because it will be a burden. Other tasks can be delegated to others who can assist. Despite the workload, time for rest or relaxation should be included in one's plan. Another way of lowering one's level of stress is by applying problem-solving techniques which involves putting down the problems on paper and coming up with various solutions. The decision should be made on the bad and good points before selecting the best solutions. A diary should also be kept on episodes of stressful events. Records should be held on the action of that day, people who were present and the physical and emotional feeling of that day. The diary will help in understanding what triggers stress and the situations that can lead to stress ( Krohne, 2002).
There are many common effects of stress on the body, mood, and behavior. Stress causes the body to experience headaches, fatigue, chest pain, stomach upset, sleep problems, muscle tension and low libido. Someone who is stressed also experiences mood swings like irritability, anger, sadness, depression, restlessness, anxiety and lack of motivation or focus. When it comes to one's behavior, a stressful person exercises less often, withdraw socially, abuses drugs or alcohol, overreact, underreact and burst out when angry ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
In the world today, stress is the leading cause of particular health problems like diabetes mellitus, high hypertension, stomach ulcers obesity and depression. Some people develop poor eating disorder due to stress. They either consume a lot of food or lack appetite and starve. All these conditions can be manageable if a person learns how to deal with stress. Knowing how to manage stress can also enable a person to perform well at work and to relate well to people and more importantly the family. People should also learn how to identify everyday stressors in their lives so that they can be in a position to avoid them before it affects them. Another perspective that can be more functional in research is personality study, which involves paying attention to people’s actions and observing the way they respond to events that are very stressful ( Krohne, 2002; Pariat et al., 2014).
References
Krohne, H. W. (2002). Stress and coping theories. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences, 22 , 15163-15170. doi: 10.1016 / B0 - 08-043076-7/03817-1
Pariat, M., Rynjah, M., Joplin, M., & Kharjana, M. (2014). Stress levels of college students: the interrelationship between stressors and coping strategies. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 19 (8), 40-46 . Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol19-issue8/Version-3/F019834046.pdf
