Chronic Stress

Stress is one of the important emotions we frequently experience in daily life. Individuals need optimal stress levels to perform many tasks in daily life. Overcoming stressful events strengthens the psychological resilience of individuals.

In fact, stress is one of the most important emotions that arise in all kinds of challenging experiences. It causes the levels of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to increase in the body. These hormones reveal the body's reactions to stress. It is impossible not to encounter experiences that trigger the stress response in our daily lives, such as increased heart rate, sweating, tightness in the chest, flushing, redness on the face. The biggest of these experiences is the Covid-19 epidemic process that we have been in for more than a year. In this process, the daily lives of almost all of us have changed. Many reasons that I cannot list, such as job changes, changes in living conditions, restrictions, inability to socialize, fear of contracting the virus, keep our stress level constantly active and intense. Any situation that increases the psychological pressure we feel affects our stress level intensely.

Some Experiences That Trigger Chronic Stress

• Financial difficulties

• Problems experienced in relationships

• Problems experienced in marriage

• Mourning processes

• Changes that create a high risk perception in people

• Health problems

• Tasks that require a high level of focus

Chronic stress can affect the whole body with its symptoms and greatly impair functionality. It can increase the possibility of making mistakes in important tasks and push people into challenging situations in business and academic life.

What are the Symptoms of Chronic Stress?

• Appetite problems

• Feeling tired all the time

• Stomach and intestinal problems

• Sleeping problems

• Difficulties in concentration

• Frequently experienced State of irritability

• Headache

• Rapid and disjointed thoughts passing through the mind

• Loss of sexual desire

• Loss of self-confidence

• Being more susceptible to infections and diseases

 

What Can Be Done to Cope with Chronic Stress?

• By identifying the situation that creates stress, you can produce problem-oriented solutions.

• Once stressful situations are identified, previously applied and effective solution techniques can be reviewed and put into practice.

• If the solution found does not work, try another solution. You can try to develop a strategy. It is not an expected situation that the same paths lead to different results.

• Breathing exercises performed in times of stress will help you calm down in those moments.

• Paying attention to your physical health can help you live a healthier life and reduce the stress you have about this situation.

• Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to cope with stress. Research has shown that exercise increases the production of new brain cells. It will affect your mood positively.

• Staying in the moment by learning exercises that will strengthen your concept of 'here and now' will positively affect your stress level.

• The social support you receive from your environment will reduce your stress level. Being together with your family, friends, and people who love you will help you relax by taking your attention away from stressful situations.

• You can reduce uncertainty as much as possible by making short and long-term plans. Such as taking language lessons, saving money to buy a car, exercising regularly to lose weight.

Living in isolation during the pandemic period; It causes us to return to ourselves and face our fears in our present and past. This can increase our stress level considerably. In order to cope with this situation, we need to direct our minds to other activities and abandon our old habits. Adapting it to home conditions as much as possible and keeping in touch with our loved ones via the internet will strengthen our psychological resilience.

Treatment of chronic stress; It is carried out by evaluating individual situations such as the person's personality structure and the problems experienced. For this reason, it is very important for people to undergo a comprehensive evaluation before starting treatment. A combination of medication and psychotherapy is often recommended in treatment. The effect of these two types of treatment gives more successful results.

If the situation disrupts functionality and it is difficult to cope, expert support should be sought.

 

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