Dealing with stress

As you may or may not know, I recently started a new internship; which is proving to be a really great and valuable experience and opportunity. Although I have been mostly thrilled to start this new chapter in my life, I''ve been extremely stressed, because naturally, there are more responsibilities and demands that go hand-in-hand with the launch of a career. I think, for the most part we overlook the amount of adjustment and transformation it takes to transition from being a university student to entering the working world; or experiencing any life change for that matter. Most of us deem stress as a bad thing but stress, when managed adequately actually helps to keep us safe and protect ourselves. Also, stress is not always a response to negative life events like job loss or being stuck in a traffic jam, stress can also be in response to positive life events such as gaining a new employment opportunity or being a newly-wed. Stress is the way our bodies respond to real or perceived threats or pressure. When we are placed in highly demanding or pressure situations, our body''s stress or what is commonly known as, our ''fight or flight'' response is triggered. This biological response stimulates the release of stress hormones or chemicals known as cortisol and adrenaline. The physiological response that follows are that your heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, muscles tighten, and breath quickens and your senses like sight for example, become sharper. Pressure to pass an exam, for example, can create stress that motivates us to study because of the fear of failure. Or the pressure of work-related deadlines can motivate us to prioritize important tasks and work more efficiently which allows us to thrive in our careers. However, stress can have an extremely adverse effect on our bodies, relationships and lives in general when not dealt with in a way that is healthy for both our minds and bodies. Unfortunately, the body distinguishes very poorly between life-threatening events, such as an imminent car accident and daily stresses such as being stuck in traffic; causing the mobilization of the fight or flight response, even when it is not necessary. This repeated experience of the stress response can lead to a condition of chronic stress which can be detrimental to mental, physical and emotional health. Various health issues that can occur or be exacerbated by high stress levels are depression, anxiety, weight problems, frequent headaches, digestive problems and heart disease to name but a few. In spite of the doom and gloom that I''ve just laid out before you, stress can be managed and dealt with in a way that allows us to live our best lives. Setting time to rest and relax, regular exercise, deep breathing exercises, eating healthy, sleeping well, proper planning and time-management are all stress reducing and releasing methods that can be applied into your daily life. We all owe it to ourselves to manage our stress levels in a way that fosters thriving and not simply surviving at this life thing.



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