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Tsungai Chekerwa-Machokoto
I HAVE noticed an interesting trend lately in our society. More and more people are suffering from mental health issues, the intake of anti-depressants has increased dramatically and it leaves me with the question: is there a way in which people can manage their stress levels before they spiral out of control?

What do our local people do to manage stress? Do we acknowledge that we are stressed or do we brave it? What can be done to assist the nation?

The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that puts high demands on you can be stressful. Of course, not all stress is caused by external factors. Some of it is self-inflicted.

One of the things that I know for sure is that generally, people have a problem with accepting unfavorable changes that happen suddenly in life. I’m not an expert in this field, but I have witnessed people who when they lose their business for instance, they want to maintain the same lifestyle they had when everything was going well. While it can happen for a few months, it is certainly not sustainable. Soon they realise that things have really changed and that their money is not enough to continue that way. They become stressed because they think people are laughing at them and enjoying their downfall. While it might be true for some cases, people’s eyes should not alter our lives to that extent. This brings me to my next point.

To what extent should we let people’s perceptions alter our lives? The truth is that every single living human has struggles of their own. These struggles differ from person to person but the fact remains, people struggle. Things are not usually what they seem to be. So one might think that everything is happening for the next person, when in actual fact that person has just mastered how to manage their own struggles well. If you were to talk to that person you think has no problems, you might be shocked by what you would find out.

Everyone has different stress triggers. Financial stress tops the list, according to surveys. Work stresses are the largest for those who work. Causes of work stress include being unhappy in your job, having a heavy workload or too much responsibility, working long hours, having poor management, unclear expectations of your work, or no say in the decision-making process. Working under dangerous conditions, being insecure about your chance for advancement or risk of termination, having to give speeches in front of colleagues, facing discrimination or harassment at work, especially if your company isn’t supportive is also a cause a cause for stress.

Life stresses can also have a big impact. Examples of life stresses are the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, increase in financial obligations, getting married, moving to a new home, chronic illness or injury, emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem), taking care of an elderly or sick family member, traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or violence against you or a loved one.

Sometimes the stress comes from inside, rather than outside. You can stress yourself out just by worrying about things. All of these factors can lead to stress.

When you regularly hear about the threat of robbery attacks, global warming, and toxic chemicals on the news, it can cause you to feel stressed, especially because you feel like you have no control over those events. And even though disasters are typically very rare events, their vivid coverage in the media may make them seem as if they are more likely to occur than they really are. Fears can also hit closer to home, such as being worried that you won’t finish a project at work or won’t have enough money to pay your bills this month and especially fees for the children.

How you view the world or a particular situation can determine whether it causes stress. For example, if your television is stolen and you take the attitude, “It is well, I will get a new one in time, good thing is that they didn’t hurt anyone,” you’ll be far less stressed than if you think, “My TV is gone and I’ll never get it back! What if the thieves come back to my house to steal again?” Similarly, people who feel like they’re doing a good job financially will be less stressed out by a big upcoming project than those who worry that they are incompetent.

No one is perfect. If you expect to do everything right all the time, you’re destined to feel stressed when things don’t go as expected. Change is another one.

Any major life change can be stressful. Even a happy event like a wedding or a job promotion. More unpleasant events, such as a divorce, major financial setback, or death in the family can be significant sources of stress.

Your stress levels will differ based on your personality and how you respond to situations. Some people let everything roll off their back. To them, work stresses and life stresses are just minor bumps in the road. Others literally worry themselves sick. When things go wrong they start to wish they were someone else with more luck etc. One thing goes wrong and they literally fall apart and wallow in their misery.

My grandmother once told us of a story that is very common. People were told to put their problems into bags and drop them off at a point agreed on by all villagers. They were all to go and pick a bag of problems that would be lighter than theirs and go home and open the bag.

The villagers were happy to let go off their problems and rushed with their bags. They made the exchange and ran home to find out their lighter problems.

Upon opening their bags, it was interesting to see that each person had returned with their own problems! Every other bag was too heavy for them and the one they thought was lighter than their own, turned out to be their own problems.

The lesson was that, be content with what you have and do not ever compare yourself to the next person because you have no idea what really goes on with them. It is a lesson I have tried to internalise throughout my life although I must admit, sometimes it is really hard. Especially when you think you have done everything right.

Stress affects your health. The effects can be avoided by managing the stress.

When you are in a stressful situation, your body launches a physical response. Your nervous system springs into action, releasing hormones that prepare you to either fight or take off. It’s called the “fight or flight” response, and it’s why, when you’re in a stressful situation, you may notice that your heartbeat speeds up, your breathing gets faster, your muscles tense, and you start to sweat. This kind of stress is short-term and temporary (acute stress), and your body usually recovers quickly from it.

But if your stress system stays activated over a long period of time (chronic stress), it can lead to more serious health problems. The constant rush of stress hormones can put a lot of wear and tear on your body, causing it to age more quickly and making it more prone to illness. I’m sure you have seen people who look much older than they are. When you talk to them they tell you the catastrophes that have happened to them in their lives and how things are still terrible.

If you’ve been stressed out for a short period of time, you may start to notice some of these physical signs: headache, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, upset stomach, irritability and more.

When stress becomes long-term and is not properly addressed, it can lead to a number of more serious health conditions, including depression, high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat, hardening of the arteries, heart disease, heart attack, heartburn, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain, weight loss, changes in sex drive, fertility problems, flare-ups of asthma or arthritis,  skin problems such as acne or eczema the list is quite long.

Managing your stress can make a real difference to your health. One study showed that women with heart disease lived longer if they underwent a stress management program. Accepting that you are stressed and need help is the first step that will help in managing the stress. Pretending you are stronger than whatever is stressing you really doesn’t help. I know that in our culture it us uncommon for a new widow to go for psychosocial therapy. The advice from the elderly members of the family is said to be enough coupled with time. But the reality is that therapy is necessary for someone who has lost a loved one, especially someone you would have lived with in that house for years. Time doesn’t heal everything.

We come across a lot of stresses in our day to day lives. Some stress is caused by external factors and some by internal ones. The reaction to situations depends on a person’s personality. It is critically important to manage stress well as it can affect your health in a large way. Therapy is very important to help people manage stress and should become a part of our lives because nobody is strong enough to handle continuous unfortunate events in one lifetime.

We should take care of our health because without it, life is endured and not enjoyed as it is meant to be.