Stress Management Inner Peace

Question: Discuss about the Stress Managementfor Inner Peace. Answer: Introduction The world is moving so fast that it is detrimental to our health. So the possibility of achieving what human beings crave: harmony, inner peace, emotional and psychological balance. A recent study conducted by Oxford university shows that stress is one of the most common cause of chronic diseases such as diabetes (Greenberg, 2006). Stress is caused by an uncontrollable quest for progress, crazy traffic, high cost of living, strife in the family among other factors. The term stress means tension and has become a concept that is too broad and ambiguous. Hans Selye came up with this term in 1935 termed stress as a reaction by organisms to harmful agents of a chemical or physical nature. Stress occurs when people perceive the demands of life as too difficult. According to (Greenberg, n.d.)A person becomes tense and feels anxious and the heartbeat becomes more rapid. Stress causes a lot of problems to the human body: one, there is a tendency to get sick when one is stressed; this is because stress activates the immune system of a person. According to psychologists, when stress becomes chronic, the effect is depression. White blood cells are reduced in the body and the body become vulnerable to conditions as simple as cold. Stress also causes digestive disturbance. When one is stressed, the large intestines are irritated which leads to bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. It also causes heartburn, ulcers and irritable bowel. Stress has also been known to cause weight problems, although it produces varied effects on weight in different people, the overall result is that one can either lose weight or gain weight as a result of appetite loss or gain. Chronic stress has also been associated with insulin resistance development which is a major factor in diabetes. An individual who is stressed suffers loss of concentration, both at home and work, is prone to accidents and becomes inefficient in carrying out their duties. Severe stress leads to memory loss which sometimes can be permanent (Lehrer, Woolfolk, Sime, 2009). It also leads to a decrease in sexual desire for both men and women. During pregnancy, stress can lead to labor alterations and has also been associated with premature births and low birth weight. This ,in turn, increases infant mortality. Managing Stress This begins with identifying the source of stress, it may sound easy but knowing the source of stress is not always easy. For example when there is a lot of demand in your job ,rather than stressing about the boss, its better to create a work schedule to be more effective. Secondly, regular work out is one of the most effective ways of relaxing the mind and body (Teh, Archer, Chang, Chen, 2013). Also, exercise is known to improve the mood of a person, however, it is necessary for one to do it regularly like 2 hours of swimming on a daily basis. Another way of managing stress is eating well, a regular well balanced diet will help one feel better in general. This may also improve your moods and energy. As recommended by doctors, the meals should be full of vegetables, whole grain, fruit and lean protein. Other ways of managing stress are managing ones time well , taking more time to do things that you love and talk about your problems with friends and family. Conclusion stress has devastating effects and we have the responsibility of taking care of our bodies and reflecting on the thoughts that may lead to stress. It is the sole responsibility of a person to arrest stress on the onset in order to avoid diseases such as hypertension and diabetes which are some of the leading causes of deaths in the world. References Greenberg, J. (2006).Comprehensive stress management(1st ed.). Boston, Mass.: McGraw-Hill. Greenberg, J.Comprehensive stress management(1st ed.). Lehrer, P., Woolfolk, R., Sime, W. (2009).Principles and practice of stress management(1st ed.). New York: Guilford. Teh, H., Archer, J., Chang, W., Chen, S. (2013). Mental Well-Being Mediates the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Perceived Health.Stress And Health,31(1), 71-77. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smi.2510