Kate thought she had her childhood eczema under control. Then, her skin suddenly began to flare up. She kept a food sensitivity diary but found that she hadn’t been eating any allergy-inducing foods. Then, she remembered the bitter break-up she had just gone through with her fiancé. The more she bottled her feelings up over the fight, the worst her skin became.
Wei Min has never had acid reflux disease. But after delivering her child and having to cope with being a new mum, she began having frequent bouts of burning stomach pain and diarrhoea. When she returned to work after her confinement period, the attacks got worse and worse.
Tanya was getting less and less sleep every night. She had been promoted earlier than her peers and felt she had to work extra long hours to measure up. But the harder she worked the worse progress she made because she kept falling ill.
Sound familiar? These three women may be having different life experiences. But each obviously suffers from enough stress to have old health complaints or new ones upsetting her life and with a vengeance too.
Why is stress bad?
Actually stress isn’t always bad. Some types of stress are both natural and good because they help us stay on our toes.
Stress is the body’s way to rise to a challenge and meet a demanding or dangerous situation with increased focus, awareness, stamina and strength. The body responds to stress by producing the hormones adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones cause an increase in heart and breathing rates as well as blood pressure and metabolism. They also put the muscles on alert, make the liver release stored glucose for more energy and cause various other bodily changes, all designed to help us confront the danger quickly and effectively. Once the situation goes back to normal, the body returns to its usual, balanced state.
However, some types of stress, especially ongoing or long-term ones stemming from a hostile break-up or divorce, a loved one’s death or battle with terminal disease, placing too much expectations on ourselves and of course, job-related stress, can cause the body to over-react or stay constantly on alert, delaying the return to a healthy balance.
This type of stress wears out the body’s immune and nervous systems and makes us feel constantly overwhelmed, leading to all sorts of health problems.
What can stress do?
Among other things, too much stress can:
- Increase risk of infections.
- Lower the body’s ability to heal and recover from illness.
- Increase appetite for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.
- Lead to chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, perhaps even cancer.
Am I stressed?
The following are common symptoms of stress overload:
- Feeling constantly anxious, pressured or hassled.
- Always jumpy, irritable, moody and/ or exhausted.
- Problems going to sleep or staying asleep.
- Rapid heartbeat.
- Flare-ups in old or rise of new allergic reactions like eczema and asthma.
- Headaches and/ or unexplained muscle ache, stomach ache, chest pain or diarrhoea.
- Using sleeping pills, cigarettes or alcoholic drinks for solace.
Everyone reacts to stress differently. Some of us take out our anger on others. Others develop unhealthy habits like drug abuse or become withdrawn and depressed. Some are able to take it positively and seek help before it gets worse. Luckily, many of us are able to combat stress on our own and without it turning our lives upside down. You can too!
8 Bounce Back Strategies
Here’s how you can manage stress or even avoid getting stressed in the first place.
- Be realistic. No one is perfect. If you need help at work, don’t be shy to ask.
- Don’t overstretch yourself. Cut back on less urgent tasks. And solve the bigger, more pressing problems one step at a time. If your mind is in a clutter, write down a to-do list for the next day before bedtime. This can help clear your worried thoughts and prevent stress-induced insomnia. Setting a series of smaller goals instead of an impossibly big one can boost confidence too.
- Breathe. When you feel pressured, stay calm and take slow, deep breaths. Take an hour a day to do what you like most such as having a relaxing shower, reading a book or playing with your kids. Remember that your body needs about seven to eight hours of sleep every day to recuperate and recharge. A healthy amount of rest at night means less chance of feeling tired during the day.
- Be optimistic. An attitude adjustment does wonders for the mind and body. Look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. Always consider the positive side of things.
- Be good to your body. Stress can make you feel like eating more than you should. Food usually brings short-term relief but can cause long-term problems like obesity and diabetes. When you get the urge to overeat, do something active like brisk-walking or aerobic dancing. Staying fit helps too!
- Seek out a role model. Speak to or read about people who have beaten a major adversity in life. Use their advice on yourself.
- Don’t alienate family members and friends. Sometimes, speaking out is all you need to get back your sanity. Your closest friends and relatives can be a great pillar of support.
- Believe in yourself. Tell yourself that you can beat stress. Never doubt your abilities. Remind yourself of all the good things you have achieved in life, of misfortunes overcome and challenges you’ve faced head-on with excellent results.
With a little effort, you can achieve a more balanced state of mind. However, if you or someone close to you feels that your level of stress has become chronic or life-threatening, seek professional help as soon as possible.
Getting help:
Reach a caring ear at these hotlines.
Singapore Health Promotion Board: 1800 223 1313 (Mon – Fri, 8.30am – 5.00pm)
Mount Elizabeth-Charter Behavioural Healthcare Services: 1800 738 9595 (24 hours)
Sources:
http://www.epha.org/a/772
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/osu-sss112805.php#
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/53/61245.htm
http://www.webmd.com/hw/emotional_wellness/ta4209.asp
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/stress.html
