Stress
At times, life is stressful! It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed with life and its challenges, curveballs and demands. Stress, which can manifest itself as a physical or emotional tension, is your body’s natural way of responding to a situation where you feel overloaded and have a sense of everything being too much to cope with.
Stress is your body’s way of protecting you. But there’s a difference between short term stress and chronic stress. Short term stress can be productive and positive in the sense that it can help you achieve better in an exam, hold a speech at a family gathering, meet a deadline or escape a dangerous situation. Long term stress or chronic stress can lead to serious health problems and should be taken seriously. This typically occurs if you experience monetary problems, marital or other family related issues or have too many and too difficult tasks at work.
What is stress?
Stress can be defined as an overburden of your resources, mentally as well as physically. Such overburden occurs when demands from outer or inner sources become larger than the resources you have; it may also be due to a discrepancy in how you live your life compared to how you would like to live your life.
It is estimated that between 250,000 and 300,000 people suffer from debilitating stress in Denmark each year. For many, it can be difficult to see and to realise that they suffer from stress; however, it’s important to deal with as it can lead to serious health issues.
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And it can be dealt with. With cronic stress, it’s of paramount importance to have professional help in dealing with recovery so any longterm side effects can be avoided. By understanding the stressors in your life, and obtaining the right coping mechanisms to overcome them, you will be able to handle short term stress in the future without experiencing chronic stress.
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I can help you on this journey. Contact me today for a free 30 minute consultation on how to minimise your stress.
Stress in expats
Moving is often stressful, even if you are only moving a few blocks. But completely packing up your life in your home country and then setting up in a foreign country is probably one of the most stressful events, you can embark on. Unlike most domestic moves, the stress in expat life can feel relentless and can be taxing on your mental capacity.
However, the chaos of setting up can also be a part of the charm of expat life. And once you’ve gotten through the move, there’s a whole new city, country, and life waiting to be explored.
Symptoms of stress
As stress often creeps up over time, it can be difficult to see it yourself. Below is a list of symptoms that often are present if you suffer from chronic stress.
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Headaches
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Difficulty concentrating
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Short fused and irritable
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Forgetfulness
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Diarrhea or constipation
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Sexual problems
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Muscle tension
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Stiff jaw and neck
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Tiredness
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Insomnia or over sleeping
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Increased use of alcohol and the like
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Decreased or increased appetite
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Weight gain or loss
Consequenses of stress
When stressed, your body releases hormones to mobilise your resources – primarily adrenaline and cortisol. The surge of adrenaline is what makes your brain more alert, your heart beat faster, creates butterflies in your tummy, sweaty palms and tense muscles. You breathe faster and become more focused. In the tail of adrenaline comes cortisol helping the brain and body to mobilise and perform at their best. It’s easy to appreciate how this works in one’s advantage if you are in danger or need to perform. However, with chronic stress, your body is on constant high alert and with a sustained high level of cortisol, serious stress symptoms and health issues can occur. These health issues include:
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Heart disease
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High blood pressure
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Instability in diabetes management
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More prone to infections
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Worsening of asthma
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Headaches
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Menstrual problems
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Accelerated aging
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Alzheimer’s
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Gastrointestinal problems
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Shorter life expectancy
What can be done to relieve stress?
Therapy can help you deal with the symptoms of stress; help you understand and deal with the stressors in your life and provide you with an awareness of your triggers and how to alleviate these in the future.
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Contact me today to hear how I can help you.