Causes of Stress and Coping Strategies
Causes of Stress at Home
- Death of spouse, family, near relative or friend
- Injury or illness of any family member
- Marriage of self or son or daughter or brother or sister.
- Separation or divorce from partner
- Pregnancy or birth of a new baby
- Children's behavior or disobedience
- Children's educational performance
- Hyperactive children
- Sexual molestation
- Argument or heated conversations with spouse, family members or friends or neighbors.
- Not sufficient money to meet out daily expenses or unexpected expenditure
- Not sufficient money to raise your standard of living
- Loss of money in burglary, pick-pocketed or share market
- Moving house
- Change of place or change of city or change of country
Causes of Stress in Children
Common causes of stress in children include good things as well as bad things. Some good stressors including winning an award or getting straight As on your report card. Negative stressors include going to a new school, death, or illness of someone in the family, divorce, moving, and even something as simple as taking a test.
Causes of stress in children can have many consequences, so it is helpful to teach your children how to handle stress. For example, taking a deep breath, talking to a teacher or family member, think positive and simply relaxing are great ways for kids to handle stress.
Coping with Stress
Strategies to alleviate stress in your daily life
Physical activity
Try physical activity. When you are nervous, angry or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis or working in your garden, are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve that "up tight" feeling, relax you, and turn the frowns into smiles. Remember, your body and your mind work together.
Talk about it
Share your experience of stress. It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher or counselor, can help you see your problem in a different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. Knowing when to ask for help may help to avoid more serious problems later.
Know your limits.
If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don't fight the situation. Learn to accept what is for now, until such time when you can change it.
Take care of yourself.
You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. If you are irritable and tense from lack of sleep, or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should ask your doctor for help.
Make time for fun.
Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.
Participate and get involved.
One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it's all happening. Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, get involved. Offer your services to a neighborhood or volunteer organizations. Help yourself by helping other people. Get involved in the world and the people around you, and you will find they will be attracted to you. You're on your way to making new friends and enjoying new activities.
Check off your tasks.
Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming, and as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do and do them one at a time, checking them off as they're completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.
Must you always be right?
Do other people upset you - particularly when they don't do things your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; it's better than fighting and always being "right." A little give and take on both sides will reduce the strain and make you both feel more comfortable.
Emotional release
It's OK to cry. A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might even prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they also release tension.
Create a quiet scene.
You can't always get away, but you can "dream the impossible dream." A quiet country scene, painted mentally or on canvas, can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. Change the scene by reading a good book or playing beautiful music to create a sense of peace and tranquillity.
Avoid self-medication.
Although you can use drugs to relieve stress temporarily, drugs do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Drugs, in fact, may be habit-forming and create more stress than they relieve. They should be taken only on the advice of your doctor.
The best strategy for avoiding stress is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. For a while, tune out your worries about time, productivity, and "doing it right." You will find satisfaction in just being, without striving. Find activities that give you pleasure and that are good for your mental and physical well-being. Forget about always winning and focus on relaxation, enjoyment, and health. Be good to yourself