How to cope with STRESS?
Uhm. . .what is STRESS to begin with?
It's funny how I was assigned to write about the coping mechanisms of STRESS…. but little do I even know what "STRESS" means. But I’m still going to write about it, now…three hours before this piece is due (STRESS at its best aye).
It's been a little over 2 years since I have been contemplating what the heck STRESS is.
Is it an emotion? Is it something unnecessary - physically, mentally, or emotionally - that I’m doing that's driving my brain whack? Am I reacting and processing information about a certain situation(s) negatively; therefore, causing my brain to hyperventilate and struggle to act normal? Are my brain chemicals/hormones even at a natural equilibrium? What is normal anyways?
THE BRAIN CONTROLS EVERYTHING. . .
…. just saying. I had to get that out of my system without any further delay. If there’s one thing you retain from this piece, it is that if you can learn how to understand and deal with the center of your existence, the brain, then you’re good. You will then be able to pick and choose your battles when it comes to stress management. So, what is stress?
STRESS [stressing the caps here for jokes…I’m not screaming, I promise. Just a little too excited here].
According to scientist Hans Selye (1936), who coined the term “stress,” it as the “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.”
Yeah…so what does that mean?
Basic English: STRESS is a state of mental, emotional, and/or physical strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances [thanks dictionary.com]. STRESS is a state of mind, in which your brain (the mastermind) starts to channel, maneuvering you to perceive and feel that the demands of whatever situation -- big or small – faced, exceeds your personal and social resources able to combat and mobilize. Hence, making your brain freak, you become tense, and breaking down. STRESS IS A FEELING. It is created and controlled in the brain. WE THE HUMANS, frankly, are not emotionally intelligent (EQ) to the point where we are in tune with ourselves. We are not mentally equipped with resources or enough knowledge and agency to try to know what it is we are feeling, what to do to help elevate the physical pressures we are always under and complaining about how stressed we are. Society focuses primarily on creating and raising humans who solely have high intellectual reasoning ability (IQ), but forgets that in order to be a successful and well-rounded citizen, you will need to be emotionally intelligent and aware, so that in turn the being will be able to live a stress-free, productive, and successful life.
Stress-Free individuals who manage stress = figured out how to deal with their emotions = confident humans who know (EQ) how to choose prosperous opportunities intellectually (IQ)
But how?
How does one deal with stress, and able to become a content prosperous intellectual?
Laugh Out Loud. (literally, because laughing helps relieve anxiety and calms your frantic brain down by being disengaged for a couple of seconds)
I’m 26-years-of age, turning 27, and still trying to figure out HOW. What I do know from my humble experience dealing with life, anxiety, panic attacks, patriarchal hormonal (YES MEN HAVE HORMONES – that’s a whole different story on its own) bosses, heartbreaks…you name it – is to the do the following:
STOP. Literally, sit down and pause for some seconds and look around you. We live in a fast-paced time, and if you’re not doing everything and anything you’re considered a waste and drain to society. That’s not true, and interesting enough, the ones that can sit down and do nothing and tame their brains (meditate) are the most accomplished and less likely to flip table internally when under stress.
REALIZE. Accept that as any human, you have emotions. You have feels. Your brain chemicals elevate and escalate accordingly…it’s your job as a human to learn more about your body, your brain, and your chemical and hormone build up, and how they affect your way of life. Schedule an appointment for a physical and have your blood test run and familiarize yourself with your different chemical levels and learn what to do to balance them. Remember to take your vitamins to equilibrate. Accept that we live in an on-the go era, find your balance.
READ. Learn more about your brain and how it controls your being. Realize that it is NOT your heart that controls, but your brain. Read and edumicate (slang for educate) yourself. Challenge your brain to read new resources, expose your brain muscles to new theories, studies, ideologies. Learn how to critically think about your surroundings, the stressful situations in life that are causing a hoopla party in your brain. Why are you being frantic? Why are unprecedented situations causing you go to into frenzy? Could you have dealt better and prepared yourself ahead of time, to not be boxed into whatever stressful situation you are in? Read, think, and ask. Exercise your brain muscles to be strong and balanced, just the way you move your body.
EXERCISE. Workout your brain muscles (read) but also your physical body. The more workout and physical movement your body experiences, the less toxins and negative energy is festered in your body. Sometimes, being immobile is the main hidden trigger to your stressful life. As agreed in point 2, stressful situations happen in life, because life is life, but how we deal with it and maneuver is in our hands. The less of a healthy blood circulation in a human organism, causes one to become immobile, stiff, cranky, angry, grouchy, and generally irritated. Challenge yourself with a good workout, be it at the gym, outside for a run or walk, or at the comfort of your own home – GET MOVING BRUH. DO YOGA. Namaste.
HYDRATE. Drink more water. I’m talking between 2L to 3L a day or as many ounces as half your body weight [body weight/2]. Try to make it more fun, by adding cucumbers, mint, and citrus slices. Anything to get you drinking – H2O that is! Thank me later for the wonders it’ll do to your skin, as well as your overall well-being and dandy and rusty (if you don’t move, drink water) digestive system. ALSO, eat clean and try to cut out the crap, packaged and processed food.
PLAN. Buy a planner and write down what you want to do vs. what you can do vs. what you need to do and go with the flow. Just do it, and it’ll make sense sometime...someday…somehow...we’re all on the same boat.
RISK. Take the risk – you never know what an outcome may be. As stressful as that may seem, it probably might be the most rewarding thing to do for yourself, long-term
PRACTICE. Self-love and self-care. Money management. Figure out what you love to do and what makes you UNIQUELY YOU. Be real and raw. BE you.
FIND YOU.
I think that’s enough of how-to’s and we all know these pointers, yet it takes a lot of will power to want to get better and be able to manage life. Earlier I mentioned that it is your brain that controls everything, so you either become the friend and deal with the brain or be the FOE and go against yourself, and you’ll forever be stressed and lethargic. Ask me about that life – been there and done that, and DON’T ever want to go back to it, nor do I want to see you go down that latter road. I hope you figure out your voice and figure out how to cope with your emotions and your mastermind, and how to become that stronger and healthier version of yourself. Unprecedented situations are bound to be in life, hate or love it, life is life. But how we handle the situations is what determines the level and intensity of stress we are willing to deal with.
Think about what I just wrote. Play with it in your mind, and STOP LETTING YOUR BRAIN FLIP TABLES INSIDE YOU. It’s not worth it! The world needs you. I need you. You need me. That’s how we create a strong and health society.
Stay sane. Stay awesome!
Much love from the energizer bunny next door,
Hasnia
