Management of stress-related problems

Md Atikur Rahman In recent times, many people are suffering from stress-related problems. Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger - whether it's real or imagined - the body's defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the "fight-or-flight" reaction, or the stress response. The stress response is the body's way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life - giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you're attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV. A number of factors are contributing towards the rapid increase of stress-related problems in modern life. Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress is not always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you're constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. If you frequently find yourself, feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, it is time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognise the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects. The very training that shapes our attitude towards life and profession has a implication in modern-day stress feeling. Ever-changing business, environment, high competiton and rat race in the job market, challenging job environment -that is long hours, meeting deadlines, achieving targets, financial problems, relationship difficulties etc. -- leave people on their toes. The growing intricacies of the modern world are compounded by the change that pervades all aspects of our lives. Among others, rapid technology change has a direct bearing on our skills. Every few years, the existing skill-sets become obsolete and the problem that all concerned fear about, is joblessness. Job and income-related uncertainty are the cause of a major pressure on professionals. Ambitious and achievement-oriented people are reported to suffer more from stress-related problems than people who are easy-going and have a happy character. Finally, growing population in cities puts more pressure on our immediate environment and resources. As resources become scarce, they also become more expensive. This adds to the pressure. Last but not least, competition in all phases of life increases the problem manifold. Although factors behind stress are on the rise, we must try to contain them. We have to learn to manage stress and live with it as healthily as possible. Probably, the most important for this is awareness education. Health services can, for example, embark on a massive awareness campaign aiming to make individuals and families aware of some of the contributing factors that increase people's threshold of coping with stress. Importantly, there should be some definite initiatives to reduce stresses in workplaces. Being organized can help in meeting deadlines and long hours of work should not become a regularity. It is advisable not to promise something that is difficult to keep on competitive attitude should be contained so that it cannot cause damage. Above all, spending quality-time with families will help to relax. Holidays, leisure and amusements should be promoted in lifestyle. A certain point to be noted here is that, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. The writer is Librarian, BIFT, Uttara, Dhaka and can be reached at email: atik@bift.info