LIFESTYLE AS A WAY TO MANAGE STRESS

We all live in a stressful age. Stress not only comes from our jobs but from the constant changes that we face daily. Our society is fast paced, where changes are constant and we rush from one place to another, has-negative effects on our health and wellbeing. The distress that we experience on a daily basis plays an important role in the development of many diseases. Many studies have been indicated stress in ones life to be a contributing factor in early death from various ailments. It is frightening for us as it has been found to be related not only to poor quality of life but also with the occurrence of a large number of diseases including the likes of cancer, coronary heart diseases and to some extent even AIDS. It is known that emotional, psychosocial and anxiety stimulated stress produces increased plasma concentration of adrenal corticoids and other hormones through neuro-endocrine pathways. These corticoids concentrations injure elements of the immunological apparatus, this may leave the subject vulnerable to the action of latent oncogenic viruses (viruses causing cancer) and newly transformed cancer cells.

This is what we can say physiological reactions to stress but, stress has an all round effect on the personality of the individual. It might be psychological or we can say that the root of any type of stress is basically psychological because we respond accordingly in the way we perceive or cognitively appraise certain stressful situations.

Stress is inevitable. Without some level of stress our lives would become bored and depressed. Because each of us is unique in our ability to cope with stress, therefore finding a balance between our personality and the level of stress we face daily is the key to maintaining stress. Handling stress effectively involves the development of physical, psychological and spiritual buffers that positively mediate the effects of stress in our daily lives. Strengthening one’s body through exercise and eating a healthy diet can increase the body’s ability to handle stress.

By developing a social support system and positive outlets for our stresses, we can increase the amount of stress we manage. By changing our internal dialogue, and learning to love and forget ourselves, we can decrease some of the stresses of our life. Developing a sense of humor and enjoyment of life is another way to deal with stress. Seeing things as a learning experiencing can be a way to put a positive spin on things and decrease some of the effects of the stressful event

For stress has to stay with us and us with it. As Selye has rightly said, “complete freedom from stress is death” and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, also realizes that in order to escape “The heartache and the thousand natural shocks. The flesh is heir to”, death is the only solution. But we will live, face, ‘manage and even use stress to fight diseases and attain a high quality of life.

 Dr. M.N. Rahman

JEMTEC, School of Law

Greater Noida