How to Manage Stress Successfully

Stress or tension is the process of adaptation from one person to the demands of the environment. If the demands are greater than the resources possessed, the stress increases.

Conversely, if there is little demand, there is no challenge or excitement, which leads to apathy.

If too much demand or the wrong type of demand is present, then one reacts with physiological changes such as sleeplessness, rapid heartbeat, heartburn or headaches. Individuals have different ways of reacting to stress so the symptoms vary depending on the person.

Too much tension causes a sensation of not being able to cope with the work that accumulates every day, and you begin to feel anxiety, uneasiness and fear. If there isn't enough tension a person starts to feel that they have too much "free" time in their hands, which is boring, nothing happens and then start feeling down and depressed and consequently thinks that life is meaningless.

Stress is not necessarily negative. For example many people say that when they give speeches in front of large audiences, they feet tense. The heart rate quickens, faster breathing and nervousness is felt in the stomach, but at the same time enjoying the excitement and all these feelings move people to talk since that initial tension is what gives them energy.

Another example of how stress can build up is when taking an examination because the anxiety one feels produces adrenaline, which benefits the person, however, an overproduction of adrenaline could have the opposite effect: A lack of ability to concentrate. One of the main factors causing stress at work is the relentless passage of the most varied and endless activities.

Another significant source of tension is the result of expectations of tasks we have missed either on own or with someone else. Also we get to work in a state of tension sometimes due to family problems. We get upset because we are concerned about our sick child, for our wife or husbands job, or we can be angry due to an argument we had with a friend.

Stress also arises from concern for problems that never come to pass. For example, some people feel anxious before flying, because they are afraid that the airplane could crash, or experiencing stress before an interview because they fear failure.

An important way to cope with stress arising from expectations that are unfulfilled is to identify the expectations and see what would be the reason why he could not fulfill them. Once you have done this you may look for a solution to establish a strategy or a way to fulfill these expectations.

You can also ask yourself how reasonable the demands from others or yourself are. If you think they aren't reasonable, maybe you can compromise in order to change them.

This is what one must do to avoid unnecessary stress, set achievable and realistic goals whether in life or at work. If you set yourself up for failure because the expectations weren't realistic in the first place we are just bringing stress to our lives on our own.