What is stress?

The human brain is designed to signal an alarm when it perceives an emergency. In the event of an emergency, your body emits a hormone that tenses up your muscles or accelerates your heartbeat and breathing. This is your body’s response to stress, which is an essential mechanism for survival. In other words, without these responses to stress, your very survival can be threatened.

Stress becomes a problem only when the response persists even after the emergency has passed, or when your stress signals seem to occur arbitrarily even without cause.

The key is thus to make an appropriate degree of stress work to your own advantage, while avoiding excessive stress

<Am I vulnerable or resistant to stress?>

Even under the same stressful situation, some people seem to adapt well while others experience difficulty.

• react sensitively to criticism and easily feel hurt in their pride.
• have unrealistic desires or excessively high expectations.
• think in a self-abasing manner.
• be competitive or ambitious about accomplishments.
• become easily angry or excited.

• be easily satisfied and is less interested in accomplishments.
• have a positive self-image.
• be less competitive and harmonize well with others.
• be relaxed and do not get excited too easily.

Excessive stress can lead to these symptoms

When you are under stress, your body’s immune functions deteriorate. Common symptoms include a feeling of depression, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of confidence, difficulty of concentration, lowered academic ability, excessive drinking, and gastric ulcers.

These symptoms desist once the stress disappears, but in some cases they can persist for several months and in severe cases can last a lifetime.

<Reducing Your Stress>

If you’ve tried your best but continue to experience repeated failures, learning to accept this outcome and give up on that particular goal can also be considered a courageous decision. The moment you give up on one goal may turn out to actually be the beginning of new opportunities. You should consider whether your goals are excessive or whether you have pushed yourself too hard beyond your limits. Assess your own desire, give up on goals that are unrealistic, and set your priorities. When establishing your priorities, begin with objectives that have a greater possibility of success.

“I can’t fail.” “I’m sure this won’t work out.” Rigid convictions such as these are based on irrational thinking. Train yourself to think in a more positive manner.

Stress is closely related to your physical condition. Inversely, by managing your body, you can find comfort for your mind. Physical techniques for managing stress include deep breathing, muscle relaxing training, meditation, and yoga. Regular exercise (at least three times a week for at least 15 minutes at a time) and a healthy diet can also help you cope with stress.