The Dangers of Stress and How To Manage It

This is a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense. The body functions in a cyclical manner. There are periods when it functions at a peak and there are periods when it needs to rest and replenish its energies to face more challenges of future activities. Through relaxation, the body is reenergized. It is then able to restore the brain processes of focusing attention and performing subtle cognitive and social tasks.

A lot of stress in our lives causes great havoc to our body system. Some of the negative effects of stress are:

i. Muscular tension-

This is the physical condition of stretching or overworking the muscles. The muscles, like machines, needs time to rest to replenish their energies to work for the body. If this break or rest is denied it, it puts a strain on it and can cause its breakdown. If this does not even happen, the efficiency of the muscles will be drastically reduced and the individual will start experiencing short term sicknesses. A long-term effect may have serious consequences such as stroke or render the individual paralyzed.

ii. The reduction of the flow of energy-

Stress causes the body to lose a greater quantity of energy to undertake its activities. This weakens the immune system which is supposed to protect the body from foreign substances and pathogenic organisms. This makes it very easy for the individual to be attacked by diseases.

iii. The feelings of fatigue-

Fatigue is a temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work. It is boredom that results from overexposure to work. When this occurs, the individual begins to experience tiredness which can be disastrous to his health. Working in this state can cause a person to commit serious mistakes in the course of work.

iv. The reduction of flexibility and range of motion in the body joints-

Stress can also cause the joints of the body to be stiff and may cause it not to enjoy its natural flexible manner of working. This reduces its speed of work resulting in the individual slowing his or her pace of work. It can cause the person to lose his employment because he works below the standards and expectation of his employers and thereby affecting his mental health.

v. Strain and injury-

Strain and injury are the visible end products of stress. The victim of stress usually exerts himself or herself too much to be able to perform even a simple task. If the task to be performed is physical in nature, the stresses person vigorously attends to the work resulting in injury. Stress has been the cause of numerous accidents, injuries and in some cases death in workshops, firms, industries and on our roads. Therefore, do not yourself good and maintain your healthy lifestyle by taking a rest or relaxation whenever you feel stressed up.

Stress is part of humans because we all toil to make ends meet and to take care of our families. There is, therefore, the need to manage stress. Stress can be managed through deep relaxation and massage.

i. Deep relaxation - a way of resting and enjoying yourself. It helps in keeping away from external detractions and to restore the lost energies that the body needs to function effectively.

ii. Massaging/touch therapy - the act of pressing and rubbing the body manually with the hands or mechanically with a machine, to help them relax or to reduce pain in the muscles or joints.

A creative person has to use his/her own imagination to come out with something new. He needs to have critical thinking, innovative and problem-solving skills. When the body is stressed up, fatigue sets in and critical thinking etc. are affected. This makes it very difficult for the creative person to come out with fresh original ideas. The artist should not get stressed up in any way since it can affect his abilities to create or bring new things into existence.

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