Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders

We talk about being "stressed" when we feel like we are overloaded by our worries and concerns and everything is becoming too much for us to handle. Stress is a perfectly normal reaction to a situation that we think of as being threatening to us and is something we all experience at one time or another. Indeed a little stress can be a good thing, getting us motivated to work hard and to do a good job. Too much ongoing stress, however, can damage our health and we need to find ways to manage it before it can do us harm. 

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some information on stress and how to deal with it.

What causes people to stress? Each of us experiences different things as stressful and some of us deal with stress with less difficulty than others. So while one individual may find her work stressful, another may actually enjoy the same work situation. There are, however, some common things that cause many people to become stressed. These include:

• Family problems
• Money problems
• Bereavement (i.e. the loss of a loved one to death or divorce)
• Relationship problems
• Illness
• Job problems
• Moving home
• Pregnancy
• Fear of crime and criminals.

Stress is a normal physical response to a situation that makes you feel threatened or uncomfortable in some way. The human body reacts by releasing stress hormones into your system, including adrenaline, when it perceives itself to be threatened. Hormones such as adrenaline are a means to call the body to action and they put us in what is known as the ‘fight or flight' mode. Our heart beats more quickly, muscles tighten up, breath quickens and our senses are sharpened. We are, in other words, prepared for an emergency situation.

This all helps us when it comes to needing to perform at work or on the sports field and it is perfectly natural. However, having your body in such an ‘emergency state' for long periods of time, day-in and day-out, can cause permanent damage to its systems over time.

Life in today's world is full of stress and for many people it has become so ordinary that it is a part of their lives. Yet stress can disrupt the normal functioning of nearly every part of the human body. Indeed, being too stressed over a long period can raise the blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, weaken the immune system - making one sick more often - and speed up the aging process. Stress is linked to abnormal heartbeat, heart disease, diabetes, stomach ulcers, low fertility and problems during pregnancy. It can also help cause mental conditions such as anxiety and depression. Some individuals who are stressed eat too much and can become obese while others lose weight and become undernourished.

Stress can therefore cause or at least exacerbate a long list of medical conditions. It is important to learn how to deal with it before it has a harmful effect on one's mind and body.

So if you find yourself overly stressed, do not ignore the problem. Rather get help to overcome its negative effects. If you are concerned you are not coping with the psychological effects of your day-to-day stresses, contact a doctor, clinic, counsellor or psychologist. Check to see whether your medical scheme offers mental health benefits and allows visits to mental healthcare professionals such as psychologists, who can really help you to deal with the daily stresses in your life. All GEMS options now offer such a benefit.

Stress is largely caused by feelings of a lack of control over a certain situation or feeling. One important way to deal with stress therefore is to either get control of the situation or of the feelings that are causing the stress. Often we cannot control our circumstances but we can certainly control how we are going to respond to and think about our circumstances. Those who are able to gain a sense of control over their thoughts and feelings tend to feel less out of control and therefore less stressed.

The following can also help us to reduce the levels of stress in our lives and to cope better with stress:

• Develop a network of supportive friends and family. They can support you during times of stress.
• Find out what kinds of situations stress you out and try to manage those situations better. Gain a sense of control over your circumstances.
• Learn what situations you can change and what you cannot and put your efforts into those you can change. Work at accepting those circumstances you cannot change.
• Learn to manage your life better by organising your time. Make sure that you prepare yourself properly for those circumstances that cause you to become stressed. Learn what the situation involves and how you can best get through it.
• Exercise is one of the best de-stressors. Get some exercise three or four times a week.
• Try to develop a positive outlook. Those people who have a positive outlook tend to have less stress in their lives.
• Learn to be assertive and to say no. Say no to ensures that other people are not able to push you around and take control of your life. Remember that assertiveness is not aggression; it is simply about setting your boundaries and not letting anyone else cross them.
• Make time for yourself by taking up hobbies or other interests that you really enjoy.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Good food can help ‘stress proof' the body. Avoid too much coffee and tobacco, both of which are stimulants.
• Get enough rest and sleep.
• Don't rely on alcohol, illegal drugs or addictive behaviour to help you deal with stress. They will only make your stress worse in the long run.

The negative effects of ongoing stress are not to be underestimated and everyone should take care to ensure that they deal with it appropriately. Stress should not be allowed to continue long term and cause damage to an individual's health. Stress levels can be reduced through modifications to one's lifestyle and by changing the way one deals with other people. People can learn to manage their stress and lead happier, healthier lives.

For any GEMS member queries, please contact the GEMS Call Centre on 0860 00 4367 or visit our website at www.gems.gov.za. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and wellbeing.

Sources
1. ‘How to Deal with Stress', Medical News Today, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php.
2. ‘Managing Stress', Health24,
www.health24.com/medical/Condition_centres/777-792-3728-3727,22205.asp
3. ‘Understanding Stress - Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Effects,' Helpguide.org, www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
4. ‘Tips to Manage Stress', WebMD, www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management.