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Stress affects different people in different ways, which can make it difficult to recognize and should not be confused with pressure. Many people experience pressure on a regular basis and a certain amount can be good for you, as it can increase your levels of concentration. Stress however, in not good for you.

Stress may occur when perceived demands are either too great or too small. Demands may come from work or home situations and a combination of factors may make what would be normal events or hassles more difficult to deal with, and stress can be experienced.

At work factors can be things such as too much or too little work, a long hours culture or encouragement to take work home. Also poor relations with manager, colleagues or subordinates can become more challenging to cope with. Bullying and harassment are also possible stress factors. Lesser factors such as insufficient training to perform your role or a lack of opportunity to help in decision making can lead to stress.

At home some of the main day-today issues can lead to you feeling stress. These may include having relationship difficulties, financial problems, caring for children or elderly relatives. Even managing domestic tasks such as housework and home repairs and renovations can become stress factors.

Major life events are also common causes of stress. These include: starting a new job, moving house, getting married or divorced, starting a family or death of a close friend or relative.

It is important to understand that being in any of the above situations does not necessarily mean it will lead to stress as it is your perception of the demands, that these sort of events place on you, that will be key to how you react. It is also important to remember that what may not be seen as stressful at one time may well cause a different reaction at another time.

You need to learn long-term coping strategies to manage stress. However, it can be a challenge to learn new methods and may take time. Therefore , it is essential you learn some fast ways of managing potentially stressful situations in the short-term.

There are three steps to take when you feel the pressure is getting too much.
1) Take a break from the situation as soon as you can and let your heart rate relax, while you take some deep breaths. Relax with a glass of water and if possible go for a walk or take a breath of fresh air.
2) Make sure you calm down before trying to resolve the situation. This will give you time to look at things from a different angle. It may help to talk to a colleague about the situation.
3) Think through your options and decide on the best way to tackle the immediate issue.

The above strategies will improve your ability to manage stressful times in the short-term, but to increase your defenses, against the longer-term negative impacts of stress, you need to improve your resilience.

Everyone has their individual coping strategies but if you find yours are insufficient you need to improve them. The are several ways you can do this such such as:

Physically improving your health and diet.

Behaviorally improving yourself by taking courses relating to time management, assertiveness etc.

Socially improving yourself by creating a better work life balance maybe by learning some relaxation techniques.

How you approach life can have huge impact on the way you deal with stress. Thinking in a positive way during a stressful situation can create confidence to cope with it. While negative thinking is not only destructive but can be a stress factor in itself. Learning to think positively can put you firmly back in a position to take command and deal effectively with the impending pressures of daily life.

Learn more about this author, S L McClutchie.
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