Executives and middle managers alike are exhausted by their brutal schedules and the intense demands on them.  More and more people are suffering from stress and even the number of people being admitted to NHS hospitals as a result of stress is on the rise.
                     
While all of us will have experienced symptoms of stress from time-to-time the effects can take its toll on each individual in a significantly different manner.  What could be considered as a major problem for one person may be little concern to another.  Here is our guide to ensure you fall into the latter category.
 
Understanding Stress

Understanding how stress affects you can be an important process in learning healthy coping techniques.  Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure, the pressure manifests itself and when you feel unable to cope it can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body works.  You may feel anxious, irritable or low in self esteem, and you may have racing thoughts and worry constantly.  Other signs can include sleeping problems, sweating, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating.  You may feel anxious, irritable or low in self esteem and you may have racing thoughts or frequent worrying.  Physical reactions include losing your temper easily, consuming too much alcohol or acting unreasonably; you may also experience headaches, muscle tension pain, or dizziness.
 
Relaxation

There are a multitude of different relaxation techniques which allow you to dismiss or keep calm during difficult situations, from minor things like taking a nap to more long term relaxation techniques, like participating in yoga or meditation.  In a business environment, more ideal ways to manage stress levels can involve taking short walks on your break or semi regular vacations to rejuvenate yourself.  Another simple technique that can be done during work, involves listening to soothing music whilst working if possible or making your workflow easier to cope with.  Outside of the workplace, massages are an option or taking up the Chinese martial art Tai Chi.  Meditation is another example of an activity which allows the participant to relax over a longer period of time whilst giving them a routine escape from a demanding environment.
 
Physical Activities

A regular workout such as yoga, running or Tai Chi can help provide relief from physical and mental burdens.  It allows the participant to escape from their difficult surroundings via the means of physical activities.

Ranging from taking a walk to doing gardening work, there is a variety of different workouts and activates to suit.  If you’re feeling stressed and it's causing you to become irritated then a more physical type of activity may be beneficial, such as using a punching bag, kickboxing or training weights at a gym.  Whether running on a treadmill, on the spot, on the countryside or city road space it can allow you to mentally and perhaps physically run away from your problems.  Other ways physical activities can help with pressure, is in giving you a routine which enables you to maintain a healthier lifestyle, counteracting one of the many causes and symptoms of stress.
 
A problem shared is a problem halved

Many research studies have demonstrated that sharing your issues with others can help in causing stress levels to decrease.  Either one to one or in a group environment, discussion, or emotional releases such as laughing or crying are all positive ways to express your troubles and gives you the opportunity to discuss the issue at hand with others, if shared with the right person you can usually decrease existing and potential stress by coming up with solutions for the problems.
 
Writing about your problems can have a positive effect, as it will allow you to evaluate your issues.  Simply writing for 10 to 15 minutes a day about hectic events and how they made you feel can be extremely beneficial, or keeping a stress related journal.  This can help you find out what is causing your stress and the levels you currently experience.  After you evaluate this, you can find better ways to cope and find solutions.

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