Stress in Lanzarote

No time to take a break …. Go on, read this!

If you feel that you have more going out than you have going in then you are likely to be suffering from stress. No, not your bank account but the way you feel about the demands upon you. Some demands will be from other people and some will be as a result of the way you drive yourself.

A certain amount of stress can be tolerated because it motivates us to get things done. Too much stress and we could be in danger of becoming an adrenalin junkie always shooting between highs and lows. If not that then we try and cope on an even keel until we slowly burn out. Don’t wait until then to seek help or even admit (heaven forbid) that you might have a problem or need counseling.

Bad Stress
How can we know if we are suffering from too much stress? Trouble is often we are the last to see it. Typical signs of adrenalin dependency are sudden mood swings and bouts of irrational depression. Signs of burnout are feelings like; hate my job/life but just gotta carry on, can’t rest, unable to concentrate, short fuse. Other stress related symptoms include: Skin problems. Not eating properly – snacking and missing meals. Also drinking or smoking heavily. Stress can also cause to over indulge in other areas like extreme sports and even sex.

First of all we have to understand what causes stress. Basically fear, the fear of getting things wrong of not being good enough. The fear, and at the same time hatred, of low self esteem. The fear of being trapped by someone or something. While external events can be a source of stress its how we think about those events that causes the stress. No single thing has to be the cause of too much stress but in a bid to cope with demands going out we just keep allowing more and more stress in. Eventually the container gets full and starts to overflow.

Good Stress
The stress that gets us motivated is called by psychotherapists eustress (good stress). Without this there is a danger that life would be boring and we would have no purpose or care. Striking the right balance is crucial to live happy and fulfilled lives. That is not to say that life won’t bowl us a ball of stress out of the blue. Events that may quickly overtake us such as; divorce, bereavement, personal injury or illness, getting fired, pregnancy, a change in your partner’s health are considered highly stressful. In times like these it’s as well to meet the stress well balanced.

Balancing Act
So how do you get the balance right? Some of the ways to beat stress are straight forward. Ensure that you take regular exercise so that at the end of the day your body is ready to take your mind to sleep. The side effect of this is that a well exercised body will look better and this will always boost your self esteem.

Eat properly and regularly because when our blood sugars drop so do our spirits. The chemical balance of your body has a direct relationship with the balance of your moods.

Don’t fool yourself. Try not to avoid facing up to the causes of stress by doing other things. Blaming every man and his dog for your problems or drinking them to oblivion usually means that stress levels will continue to rise. Force yourself to take breaks and distract yourself throughout the day, especially if your mind can only think of the stressful things. Socialize with others and enjoy different interests. If you are too busy to even consider doing any of these things then you are too busy and you are avoiding the real issues. There will be a vicious circle here of stress – avoidant behavior – stress – too tired to sort it out just now – stress – eventual collapse of normal functioning.

Above all try not to bottle things up. Try and bounce any worries off other people and get a different perspective.  There is no avoiding some bad stress in our lives but by recognizing that fact we can be better prepared to handle it as it comes.

If you are still experiencing stress then you might consider talking to a counselor who will be able to work through the issues with you and offer practical and fun ways to relax and take care of yourself.

Another excellent article kindly donated by Andrew Leatham. You can contact Andrew via his website at www.reachingout.co.uk

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