Applied Stress Management. Approaches to Stress Management

Applied Stress Management
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Applied Stress Management
Stress can be described as something that describes the physical and mental wellbeing of a person. In psychology, stress is described as the psychological, physiological, as well as behavioral response by a person whenever they perceive a lack of equilibrium between the responsibilities they are bestowed with and their ability or wherewithal to fulfill those demands, eventually affecting their health when the response is extended. There common symptoms of stress that include severe fatigue, excessive abuse of alcohol, lack of sleep, aching of muscles and joints, rapid changes in emotions, loss of appetite, and sometimes a headache. While all individuals experience stress at different levels, it is possible to control and manage their impacts on our health. Every task we engage in can lead to stress, which needs to be managed through evidence-based to prevent adverse effects on someone’s life. Having stress management skills is essential for survival in a world that is changing rapidly. Various issues can cause stress to a human being. Some of these include financial problems, loss of employment, divorce, death of someone, getting involved in an accident, and other traumatic events.
It is essential to note that the way we manage stress is important because it defines how effective we are in our relationships, businesses, work responsibilities, studies, and other day-to-day activities. There are numerous impacts related to stress on a person’s health, productivity, and social abilities. People with severe stress can exhibit breathing problems, which causes low oxygen concentration in the blood. There is also medical evidence noting that high levels of stress increase cholesterol levels in the human body. Other symptoms of stress include the decreasing rate of sexual drive, frequent heartburns, indigestion, and hardening of body arteries. It is also believed that stress decreases the performance of white blood cells, which are important in assisting the body to fight pathogens and viruses suspected to cause diseases (Quick, 1997).
Every person can learn how to manage stress and ensure that they lead a healthier life. Stress management entails several approaches as well as psychological therapies that are intended to control the severity of the stress. The main objective of stress management approaches is to enhance the functioning of the body and ensure that minimal health impacts are resulting from it. As outlined above, there are several physical and mental impacts resulting from stress. They basically depend on the environmental factors or causes of stress and may differ for each individual. In ensuring that there is the effective management of stress, psychologists ensure that therapies are customized to suit the individual needs. Several stress managements tools have been accessed and evaluated and are known to enhance the health of a person. There is a need to personalize these approaches to suit the individual’s case. The stress management approaches utilized by healthcare professionals, and psychologists are comprehensive and aimed at preventing any physical, mental, or health-related harm on a person (Quick, 1997).
Approaches to Stress Management
There several stress management models used by physicians, psychologists, and other professionals to reduce the levels of stress in patients and other individuals. There are also self-management models that can be used to ensure that there are positive health outcomes during the period a person is experiencing stress. When choosing a particular stress management therapy, it is essential to acknowledge that not all approaches will work for a particular case. In this regard, it is important to continuously try another model whenever a particular approach fails.
Action-Oriented Approaches
These approaches usually focus on initiating actions in order to change or reduce the impact of the stressful situations. For example, when working in an office with massive workloads, you create incentives for effective work and time management. Another action-oriented approach is to avoid multitasking while handling tasks. Working on one thing at a particular moment can enhance productivity and ensure that there are positive results. It will, however, minimize unnecessary stress arising from multiple engagements and the urge to finish everything at the same time. There are several actions that people can undertake to ensure that they minimize their stress levels. These actions include taking routine exercises, journaling thoughts and feelings, meditating, keeping pets, and finding hobbies. Action-oriented approaches require a person to be very assertive, communicate clearly, and be empathetic to others. There is also a need to detach from gadgets and find a quiet time each day for meditation and reflection. Time management is also essential for stress reduction, especially in cases where the main cause of stress if massive work and short deadlines (Morrison and Payne, 2003).
Emotion-Oriented Approaches
These are very important whenever the stress experienced arises from the way you understand or perceive a certain situation. It is believed that much of the stress experienced by people arises from excessively thinking about a situation negatively. The main objective of emotion-oriented approaches is to transform how we perceive or understand certain situations. There is a need for constant affirmation and positivity during the time of stress. Another aspect that is important in this type of approach is cognitive restructuring, which is a technique utilized in understanding negative emotions as well as challenging the incorrect beliefs about a certain situation. Another model used in emotion-oriented approaches to stress management is the use of the ABC Technique. This was initially created by psychologist Ellis. The ABC stands for Adversity or the event that is causing stress, Beliefs or the response to the event causing stress, and Consequences or the outcome of your beliefs and response to the event causing stress. When you are more optimistic about your response or beliefs, the chances of better health outcomes are higher (Morrison and Payne, 2003).
Acceptance-Oriented Approaches