The Role of Lifestyle in Stress Management - Essay Example

The Role of Lifestyle in Stress Management Nearly everyone has experienced stress at one point or the other within his/her life time. At times, one feels stressed as well as drained whereby this person’s thoughts are centered on the fact that perhaps 24 hours are not actually enough in which he could finish the daily chores, no matter the same are connected with his professional work regimes or personal day to day work routines. Similarly, for a working woman, life could come in the form of a tricky situation in such a circumstance where stress has taken the toil 24/7. In fact she is walking a tightrope so to speak. Having said that one must understand that it is basically not easy to have management between a demanding job and taming children, not to forget the successful completion of household responsibilities as well. When one speaks to his colleagues or neighbors about the same, the result is that nearly everyone is passing through the same phase, it is just a matter of how much pressure and stress a particular individual can take, at a particular moment of time. Stress is indeed a very common problem. Just as all the good things in life, the comfort of modern living cannot be have on the part of the people without paying a cost for it. Among other things that have come hand in hand with the same, it has brought about the phenomenon of stress alongside it nonetheless. This problem seems to emanate all the same from the sort of commercialization that we are witnessing in the present times and not to forget the ruthless market economies and a senseless notion of consumerism attached with this. Especially true is the fact that spending money has become the sole criterion for success and achievement in the modern times. For a number of people, the rat race for acquiring money and material possessions is a symbol of success that they have achieved and it given more importance by the society in which we live in that aims to signify people by the standards as laid down by material possessions and the amount of money that one has. This rat race brings with it heaps of stress and tension and anxious living conditions are a manifestation of what can bring a person down every now and then. This kind of intensity was studied by the American Medical Association research which stated that stress forms up as the most basic cause of nearly 80 percent of all human illnesses – which accounts for a huge statement if not a huge figure so to speak. Lifestyle is something that a person or a group of individuals adopt or live within. It includes social relations, entertainment activities, leisure opportunities, the way they dress, party and so on. Moreover, a lifestyle also focuses on the individual’s different attitudes, his/her sense of values, beliefs, convictions and the overall world view that has been formed up as a result of living under the said lifestyle. The term lifestyle came about in the year 1939 courtesy Alvin Toffler. Having a peculiar lifestyle or the lack of it demonstrates that there is a genuine effort on the part of an individual to adhere to a specific set of behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. It also means that lifestyle takes into consideration the activities that the consumer does at the retail level and not only that but also the ones which echo the sentiments courtesy the purchase cycle in the mind of the eventual customers. Thus the potential consumers have to first understand and in a way adopt the lifestyle that is being discussed in the related scheme of things before we can move any further. In the world of business, by lifestyle we understand that there is a basis for targeting the right amount of consumers with the help of advertisers and marketers who need to tailor the message that is reached on to the customers through them in the first place. A person can change his lifestyle if he wants to but he has to undergo a lot of change within different regimes since there is a lot of pressure on him not to change. This change has to start from within where a completely different mindset is the basis of attaining success within the related regimes of change. Lifestyles cannot be changed overnight. They require hard work and planning and not only that but also a bit of luck to state as a matter of fact. One must understand that stress and anxiety are in all essence mental problems and that they develop as the mind chases as well as consistently circles around the same set of problems and concerns which could be of a common nature but in entirety keep coming back and forth until these are able to push all the remaining thoughts and create a niche in the form of a worry. What this does to the said person is to make him edgy and nervous and he starts getting hunches every now and then so much so that it becomes a part of his personality all said and done. A number of factors contribute to the said condition which include the genetics, brain biochemistry, strenuous circumstances and routines and learned behavior to state a few. A large number of people continue to suffer social deprivations in their lives which could be due to lack of basic health amenities, access to quality education and health facilities and the ever increasing joblessness and unemployment. The signs of a stressful society are apparent in the form of ever increasing crime rates which state more than a thing or two about the direction in which the society is heading nonetheless. Stress is the mental pressure which one experiences within his/her soul, which derives his energies out of the body and which has a long-lasting effect most of the times, both on the body as well as the mind. A large number of people face this kind of problem and try to overcome it by their own respective manners and fashions. The National Mental Health Association according to a survey stated that a large number of them are stressed people are so depressed, sad and heartrending that they are unable to work properly in their day-to-day lives. They encounter serious kinds of attacks frequently while some overcome them with consummate ease, depending upon the nature of stress one has to go through over a period of time. Stress also entails within it issues of anxiousness whereby it is regarded as another kind of mental illness, which tears down the mind and the body in different ways. Stress leads to different kinds of depressions within oneself on top. These problems of stress, depression and anxiety within students is basically due to the competitive academic pressure that they have to face every now and then in their academic and educational life, one that really bogs them down and takes the best out of their skin. One of the leading reasons behind stress and anxiety within students is the putting off of work and other stuff until the last moment, thus adding to the time problems and in particular affecting the mind and body. It has been one of the biggest time killers for students of late but some basic strategies can be adopted by students to overcome the very same. The motivation needed to complete the actual work until the last moment is the biggest thing, which stands between the accomplishments of work at the anticipated time. To get this motivation, one has to strive hard for scheduling his/her life in a basic frame of time. Students who are married or are supporting a family are the most stressed around in the colleges. They have to pamper their wards and the like and for that they usually face time constraints which really hamper their progress in colleges and eventually lead them to a situation where they have to study hard at the last moment, thus giving rise to unwarranted stress. It can also result in fatigue and tiredness, which does not prove helpful for the weak and underweight as they can easily become sick owing to stress tensions. Single parents are the most effected of the lot whereby they have to look up to their children first and then only think about something else. This ‘something else’ can obviously be related with their studies at the college as well as different academic competitions and the like. Senior students also go through this problem as their main focus is on getting good grades and achieving the best out of their available resources. Similarly, the students who get enrolled not long in the colleges also have to work hard so that they can come up to the expectations of all, more so the teachers and faculty. For that they take undue stress and eventually tire out and start to fail, thus leading to depression and anxiety within them. The most effective way to avoid taking stress is not to procrastinate at all. That means a student should start doing his work as soon as he gets it without thinking of the results or consequences. The other way to deal with this problem of mental activity is to get oneself motivated by just about anything which helps a person in his work by any means whatsoever. This can make him to do work even at the oddest of times. There are also health related issues attached with stress which one should take care of whilst going through student life. Considerable amount of sleep, having proper intake of breakfast, taking in of vitamins as well as fruits and vegetables are just about the right kind of approach one can develop to fight with the feelings of being stressed and anxious. Also negation in the case of alcohol consumption and using of condoms in birth related forms are pretty nearly the perfect tonic one can possibly employ to tackle with the troubles of stress, depression and anxiety. Stress can be reduced at work when employees know that the task they are putting their best energies at, are worth the shot and in the end, the same will help them to grow exponentially. In fact they must be apprised of their hard work and the rewards that they get. This is indeed a nice gesture which means a lot on the part of the hard working and committed employees and workers. The hard working employees should balance their work commitments with their physical and mental needs as 100 percent commitment can only be made possible when there is zest and enthusiasm from within and not when a person is made to do one thing or the other by force or against his wishes. The reason why one should believe this approach will work is because in the initial sense, it will build a strong rapport between the firm and its employees and also it will convey a strong message that the organization does not compromise on the needs of the employees who are working for it day in day out just for having that extra bit of work completed by them. It also means that the organization is thorough and professional in its approach and is not willing to surrender in a rat race when the talk goes out loud of competing within the relevant industry or even with companies just for the sake of nothing but competition. The intensity within organizations is pretty much understandable but the madness should not be substituted on the part of the employees and getting work done out of them so that the figures could be reached and new records could be broken within the shortest possible time is nothing but insanity to say the least. Other useful stress removing remedies are accounted for in the form of exercising regularly, having an intake of healthy diet, taking proper sleep, developing trustworthy social support regimes and more than anything else enjoying quality family time. It is true to state that stress affects people at all levels which could include the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral stages. The physical indications entail the speech difficulties and complexities, headaches, ulcers, infertility issues, fatigue and sudden weight loss and gain matters, high and low blood pressure, gastric problems and so on. The emotional variable looks at the irritability, depression, insomnia, jealousy, lack of interest in certain job and hostility to name a few. The cognitive and perceptual symptoms include the habits related with forgetfulness, lack of concentration, reduced creativity levels, disorientation, attention deficit syndrome, self esteem aspects, blurred vision and so on. Therefore it would be right to state here that the role of stress in the growth of mental problems is immense and that this could tantamount to severe complexities in the coming times. What mental health means is the fact that the individual can withstand the stressful aspects related with day to day life issues. Related studies and surveys into the field of emotional stress regimes have stated that it contributes towards the aggravating half of all medical problems if seen in the broader perspective. There is little doubt in the fact that stress is the single most fundamental reason related with all the emotional problems. In order to control the prevalence of these mental disorders, one needs to put stress on hold at all times and work till the levels he can best afford to have. The most important thing is to understand that there should be a balance or homeostasis in everyone’s life. In the end, it is significant to outline the fact that there is a dire need for having a balance between the professional life and the personal life of a human being as he has to give in his best on both the fronts so as to have a worthy lifetime. A balance is must between the family commitments and professional duties so that the end result is one which is both satisfying for the individual himself and the family and work colleagues that he is attached with. If a person neglects any aspect of his personal or professional life, then he is sure to get the problems attached with the missing aspect of these lives and there would surely be repercussions in the wake of the very same. There could be problems in the form of distressing situations at work, the boss getting unhappy for all the wrong reasons, the colleagues feeling agitated with this person’s behavior and so on and so forth. Similar is the case when one speaks of the person’s personal life where the wife and the kids start to get agitated by the differing domestic situation and more than that there are fights within the house itself which leaves a lasting impression on the minds of each and everyone concerned. All said and done, stress management is pretty intrinsic to a person’s mindset and his eventual approach that he wants to have in the wake of a good and sound time. BIBLIOGRAPHY Flanagan, Catherine M. (1990). People and Change: An Introduction to Counseling and Stress Management. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Author Unknown. (2007). Lifestyle Changes for Stress Management. URL: http://www.ceridian.co.uk/hr/nav/employee_assistance/stress_management/1,4102,392,00.html Mcnamara, Sarah. (2001). Stress Management Programme for Secondary School Students. Routledge Falmer Catherall, Don R. (2005). Family Stressors: Interventions for Stress and Trauma. Brunner Routledge Scott, Elizabeth. (2007). Top Five Changes for a Healthy Life. URL: http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/lowstresslife.htm Desmond, Paula A. (2001). Stress, Workload and Fatigue. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Author Unknown. (2007). Building Relaxation Techniques into your Life. 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