Stress is something that happens to everyone. Even those that have the whole world under their feet get stressed from time to time.
It is inevitable that you would get stressed if you live in a city where the pace is almost always high. For example, people living in Lagos, a city that often experiences more than two rush hours everyday, are likely to get stressed.
What is stress?
According to MedlinePlus, stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.
We tend to associate stress with physical tension but emotional tension actually contributes to most of our stress.
Is stress bad for my health?
Well, stress itself is not completely bad but too much of it is. In any case, ListAwe’s answer would be yes! Stress is bad for your heart. Stress that stays around for weeks or months can cause damages to your immune system. It could result in high blood pressure which is often followed by hypertension. In reaction to stress, your body releases epinephrine (adrenaline). Epinephrine, when in high concentration can cause damages to viral organs like your heart and lungs.
How do I know if I am stressed?
The symptoms of stress are often manifested in our emotional state. The symptoms of stress are depression, anxiety, loneliness, irritability and anger.
In the physical state, stress is manifested by feelings of tiredness, high paced breathing, sudden jerking of your body parts and sudden movements of your skin.
What should I do to relieve stress?
Stress, when identified should be gotten rid of as quickly as possible. Knowing that you have stress is one thing but getting rid of the stress is another thing. Not many of us know how to get rid of stress.
In order to understand better, I will tell you what I do to relieve my stress. I am an average human being so this should be applicable to most of us.
Here are the five simple activities I do to relieve stress:
1. I listen to soothing low paced music
Music helps to get rid of stress but it can also add to stress to. It works both ways. Whether your stress is eliminated depends on what type of music you listen to.
Generally, it is advised for people with stress to listen to music with slow beat and a lot of soft musical. Songs that bear resemblance to lullabies should be selected.
2. I gossip with friends
Gossipping or talking (for those who think they don’t) can help you relieve stress. Of there is something worth gossiping about, you should it with a friend.
Speaking about friends, it is one of the ways to relieve stress although it would not be mentioned in this article. So, those of you who are reading this who do not have friends should make one. Having friends is rarely a bad thing.
3. I ride my bicycle around town
This is a cool way to relieve stress and exercise at the same time. Riding a bicycle would get you fit and take away you stress too. If you do not have a bike, you can walk around town with someone.
4. I talk to myself
No, I am not insane. I am a completely normal person. It might sound weird to you but talking to yourself actually helps to relieve stress. Talk to yourself about something that excites you. Avoid any topic that reminds you of the stress you have. It works for me, I guess it should work the same for you.
5. I seperate at least 3 hours for nap
Sleeping would help you relieve stress. Even babies know this. However, the night sleep is not something I recommend. It is too casual. Do something different, something your body is not accustomed to. That something, for me, is taking a nap. I never sleep in the afternoon unless I am sick or emotionally disturbed. However, when I am stressed out, I use this activity which I would normally not do to help myself out.
Thanks for reading.
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