Stress management

Stress is part of everyday life for every working person. In addition, there are various circumstances such as a strenuous family and professional life, the noise of the big city, the fast pace of life, high expectations and demands, bills that have to be paid, and the desire for recognition and a career.

All of this puts people under great pressure. If it persists, it can have negative effects on mental and physical health. The stress increases and the body reacts with different stress symptoms. This can lead to chronic and mental illnesses. In order to avoid all of this, it is necessary to manage the stressors. Applications and therapies of this type fall under the term Stress management.

What is stress management?

Stress management is understood to mean methods that are intended to reduce stress or completely eliminate it. Body and mind always interact with one another and create an inner balance with which the person meets his environment. If this is thrown off course, various disorders occur that also change relationships with other people or influence one's own performance.

External and internal burdens that humans can no longer cope with due to constant stress are reduced by stress management. This includes different models for coping. They deal with the promotion of a higher quality of life than a management of the mental, emotional and physical aspects that are to be positively influenced. These were gradually developed over the course of research into stress-related circumstances.

There are various theories for how stress develops and processes. The American physiologist Walter Cannon developed the term "fight-or-flight". He dealt with stress research for a long time and described the reaction of a rapid emotional and physical adaptation of many living beings to certain dangerous or stressful situations. Cannon examined the processes of such a stress reaction in reactions of animals that felt threatened. In its day, the background was the war and post-traumatic stress disorder of soldiers who fought in World War I.

What happens in a "fight-or-flight" reaction is initially the release of adrenaline. Heart rate, breathing and muscle tension increase. With constant stress of this kind, hormones that stimulate the metabolism are also released. If this stress reaction occurs too frequently or continues, it can lead to the breakdown of the organism.

The Hungarian physician Hans Selye developed a theory of stress in the 1930s. He pointed out the adaptation syndrome. This shows a general reaction pattern of the organism ‘as soon as it is exposed to prolonged stress stimuli. These can be noise, hunger, pressure to perform, heat and other psychological stress. While the body develops an increase in resistance for a short time, physical damage can occur in the long term, which can even lead to death. Selye summarizes three stages of such a burden. The alarm reaction takes place first. The body releases stress hormones in order to develop enormous amounts of energy.

Blood pressure and heart rate are increased. At the same time there is also an increased release of amino acids into the blood, which are converted to glucose in the liver. This in turn causes blood sugar levels to rise. This is followed by the resistance stage, in which the body strives to reduce the stress-inducing stimuli. Released stress hormones should be broken down and the body returned to a normal state. The third stage is that of exhaustion. With constant phases of increased activity and hormone release, long-term damage can occur, which manifests itself in the form of serious illnesses.

Function, effect & goals

Stress can be a burden, but it can also be an incentive. The only thing that matters is that it is broken down and does not last. If a vacation or a short distance from everyday life is not enough, there are ways to deal with stress.

There are various training methods for stress management in psychotherapy. Such are u. a. systematic desensitization, cognitive therapy, conflict or time management, self-regulation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, coaching, floating or focusing-oriented psychotherapy. All of these forms of therapy strengthen your own self-confidence, deal better with stress, relieve inner tension and fears, and thus relax the body and mind. However, the methods must be tailored to the character of the stressed person and their living conditions. Several methods can also be combined with one another.

Stress management can start with simple breathing techniques that release tension and reduce stress. In systematic desensitization, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation are used to cope with stress, to reduce fears and to bring about mental relaxation. By loosening the individual muscle groups, body and mind are specifically strengthened. Autogenic training is also useful to control and regulate the nervous system better. Various types of massage can relieve physical pressure, as can passive or active meditation exercises.

Coping with stress takes place in people themselves, in the environment and in the body. Whatever stress external conditions trigger, internal, stress-generating patterns also cause. Here you can learn to accept yourself better, lower your expectations, even learn new manners that make it easier to meet other people and help you to better cope with conflicts or rejection. If the causes are known, the situations can be specifically addressed. Likewise, some people need to relearn how to relax themselves and enjoy life.

You can find your medication here

Risks & special features

Stress always triggers a chemical reaction in the body. Stress-related illnesses start with high blood sugar levels, headaches and stomach ulcers. If the stress persists, skin, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases, sleep disorders or chronic diseases such as neurodermatitis occur. The thymus and lymph glands shrink.

Psychologically, a failure to cope with stress usually causes anxiety, depression, cognitive or emotional disorders in many areas. Long-term stress can lead to disorders of wellbeing and a distortion of perception and thinking. Irritation, insecurity and aggressiveness are emotional manifestations. The performance decreases sharply, exhaustion goes hand in hand with excessive demands.