We all experience anxiety and stress in our daily life. There are different solutions we use to deal with these: some of us try to play games at sites like Ice Casino PL, and some of us try to calm down with meditation and yoga. Below we will share some suggestions for dealing with these problems, but first, we need to get to the root of the question: why do we experience so much stress and anxiety?

The Reason for Anxiety and Stress

Although stress and anxiety are often referred to as a negative state, they have a very vital and protective meaning in human life. They are basically an "alarm system" that is activated in the body of the person who sees a threat. In the past, this threat was a wild predator. Nowadays, it can be anything that makes us nervous in daily life.

In times of danger, the nervous system releases cortisol (stress hormone) and adrenaline. Thanks to these hormones, the body goes into an "alarm state". The heartbeat accelerates, the muscles tense, breathing increases, and the body becomes ready to fight the danger. This response of the nervous system is called the Fight or Flight response and is activated automatically. With the accelerated blood flow, the person has to fight or flee in order to survive. However, in daily life, although almost no one is confronted with a wild predator, cortisol and adrenaline are still released frequently because our nervous system thinks that there is no real difference between a predator and an angry boss.

The body and mind find it difficult to discern how dangerous the events of daily life are. When we receive signals of internal or external danger, our "Fight or Flight" response still gets activated. At the time of a promotion or in relation to a job whose deadline is approaching, our nervous system behaves in the same way as when a ferocious predator approaches. Therefore, it puts us on alert often. It activates our alarm system physically, emotionally, intellectually, and behaviorally in order to survive in the face of impending "danger". Being constantly alert and trying to deal with danger starts to become quite tiring in the long run and reduces functionality. The individual may become unable to continue their routine work. A vital alarm system, when used too much, reaches a position that impairs function and negatively impacts psychological well-being.

How to Deal with These Problems?

First of all, these problems should not be underestimated: stress and anxiety can be so serious for some people that they prevent them from continuing their daily lives. If you think this applies to you, too, do not hesitate to seek professional help.

In psychotherapy sessions, the first thing patients are taught is breathing exercises. If you breathe intensely with the right techniques, you can control your body's fight-or-flight response, or at least make it less affect you. However, for this technique to work, it must be used before stress/anxiety factors. So, the second thing taught in psychotherapy sessions is recognizing stress/anxiety triggers. These will be different for everyone. For some people, a confrontation can trigger stress; for others, it may be a promotion. The important thing is to find your own triggers and try to minimize the effects with breathing exercises as soon as you realize them.

Whatever the reason, the ubiquitous advice is also effective at reducing general stress and anxiety. So, getting good sleep, eating healthy, exercising, and socializing will make you less stressed and anxious. However, they will be useful for anxiety disorders that do not have a specific cause and are caused by the general difficulties of daily life. If there is a specific reason for stress and anxiety, it is necessary to identify that cause first.

Stress and anxiety can also be caused by problems such as marriage, divorce, job loss, loss of a loved one, unemployment, etc. These problems cannot be cured by "healthy eating". Here, stress is not a cause but a result. You will not be able to get rid of stress without solving the problem that caused it. Therefore, it is possible to divide stress and anxiety avoidance methods into two:

  • If these problems are caused by the challenges in your daily life or work, you can cope with stress or at least minimize its effects by using breathing exercises and methods such as sleep-healthy eating-exercise-socialization.
  • If these problems are caused by traumatic events, you need to learn how to deal with these events. Stress and anxiety will not go away unless the traumatic event is resolved, and in such cases, it may be best to seek professional help.

Remember, too, that stress and anxiety can be used for creativity: in some cases, these issues can even make you more successful. In other words, if you had a completely stress-free life, it would sure be a very boring life. The important thing is not to get rid of stress but to know how to manage it.