Feeling Pressure? How to tell when pressure turns to stress

​Pressure: Modern life is full of expectations, fears, hope, beliefs, hassle, disappointment, frustration, demands, and deadlines!  Pressure can be termed as short-term stress that helps us to perform at a higher level, it can improve our memory and our immune system, and it is something we can all cope with in small doses as it can help up to perform and achieve and motivates us to do our best.

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‘If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying?
 If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying?’
 Shantideva (8th-century Indian Buddhist)

Pressure: Modern life is full of expectations, fears, hope, beliefs, hassle, disappointment, frustration, demands, and deadlines!  Pressure can be termed as short-term stress that helps us to perform at a higher level, it can improve our memory and our immune system, and it is something we can all cope with in small doses as it can help up to perform and achieve and motivates us to do our best.
The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors.  We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as being over-loaded with work or an illness; however there are positive stressors such as getting married or buying a house.  Whether the stress is negative or positive each individual responds differently to each situation.  Some people roll with the punches, while others crumble at the slightest obstacle or frustration. A person is likely to experience an event as stressful if their own coping mechanisms are deemed to be inadequate, leaving them feeling out-of-control with the situation, either alone or with help.  Some even thrive on the challenge of living a high-stress lifestyle, although it’s been said that a candle that burns twice as brightly only burns for half as long.  Does this sound like you? Many people only assess their work-life balance when something has gone terribly wrong for them; such as health complications or a divorce. Other’s see their family life running away from them, not making the birthday party of their own child, not being at the school play.  It sometimes can be a wake-up call to those individuals, realising what is really important to them and prioritising accordingly.

Managing pressure effectively - Even if you feel like the stress in your life is spiralling out of control you can always control the way you respond.  Managing pressure is about taking control of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment and the way you deal with problems.  Managing your stress/pressure is about changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can, taking care of yourself and making time for rest and relaxation.  With practice we all have the power to reduce the impact of stress as its happening.  You can learn to spot stressors and stay in control when the pressure builds. You may not be able to eliminate it but you can control how much it affects you.

Are you off balance? Sometimes it’s difficult to recognise that you are struggling and that you may be out of balance, or you may be having difficulty recognising that you have a problem.  Here are some signs and symptoms that may help you: 

Signs - difficulty concentrating, difficulty in making decisions, denying there’s a problem, avoiding difficult situations, being snappy and argumentative, loss of sense of humour, finding it difficult to talk to others, feeling irritable, feeling depressed, fearing failure, taking no interest in life or friends, feeling neglected, feeling that there’s no one to confide in.

Symptoms - sleeping problems, waking up around 3-4am and not able to get back to sleep, fast shallow breathing, headaches, constant tiredness, feeling anxious, feeling nervous, lack of appetite, craving for sweet sugary foods, restlessness, often perspiring, dry mouth, cramps or muscle spasms, high blood pressure, constipation or diarrhoea, indigestion or heartburn and grinding teeth at night.

The key is turning off the pressure/stress response through breathing, relaxation, exercise, prioritising tasks and cutting yourself some slack when you’re feeling overwhelmed in life by work, home life or the ever-ticking clock.
 
Now is the time to take some positive steps to help you turn things around. See my top tips for coping with pressure!  Read Liz's Top Tips for Stress and Pressure Relief
 
Be Well
 
Liz Shield