Stress is one of the biggest problems faced today, especially by office workers. According to the American Psychological Association (2019-2020), the American population is likely to experience stress characterized by constant anxiety, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue. Of the adult population who experience stress above, most (80%) of them come from the workers, remains come from the student and housewife group.​​ It may affect health, relationships, and work quality. Thus, stress management is an answer to the problem we faced today. 

What is stress? To discuss how we manage stress, we must first understand what stress means. The most common definition of stress is a condition experienced or felt when external demands exceed personal and social resources. In other words, when we believe that we run out of time, resources, knowledge & skills to handle one particular situation or condition. 

What are the symptoms of stress? Here are some common signs and symptoms when we experience stress:

• Cold or sweaty hands and feet.

• Frequent headaches, heartburn, stomach aches, nausea.

• Anxiety, calm, and impatience.

• Excessive sleeping or difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

• Obsessive and compulsive behavior.

• Withdraw from social situations or self-isolation.

• Constant fatigue.

• Anger and outbursts of anger.

• Tremor or shaking.

• Significant weight gain or loss.

• Consistently feeling of being overwhelmed or overloaded.

• Tend to think pessimistically or negatively.

How to manage stress? There are several strategies we can use to reduce stress.

• Identify the Causes of Stress. Before we can manage stress, we must understand where it comes from. Write down everything that may be the possible causes. When we write down events that cause stress, think about why the situation makes us feel stressed, and note the thoughts, feelings, and emotions we feel at that time. Try to make a list of causes of stress based on their impact. Which ones most affect our health and well-being? And what also affects our work and productivity?

• Organize Our Work. Work overload is a common source of stress for many people. To avoid this, we can write down all our tasks in a to-do list and then sort them by the level of importance. Another thing we can do is break large tasks into smaller sub-tasks so they can be more manageable. If it is hard time fitting everything in, we can extend the deadline or delegate some to someone else.

• Managing Association. People can also be a significant source of stress. If someone consistently makes you feel stressed, limit the time you spend with them, and have the conversations that matter.

• Fight Negative Self-talk. Negative self-talk can damage our self-confidence and self-esteem. And if left unchecked can result in stress, anxiety, and even depression. Practicing to fight negative Self-talk and replacing it with more positive, objective, and rational ones can help us get out of stress. These supplements help us deal with stress better and maintain a positive outlook.

• Do Affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that we can use to prevent and overcome negative self-talk. For example,' I am healthy. My spirit is vigorous, strong, and obedient. My heart is full of gratitude and forgiveness, a happy life full of blessings. Abundant sustenance & all my affairs will run smoothly.'

• Control Dichotomy. If we find certain situations that make us overwhelmed, take a more rational way. Realizing that not everything is within our control can also help us to be acceptable to various conditions. If we cannot control or influence a situation, the best thing we can do is adapt or accept it. It shows that we are resilient to change, know our limitations, and can deal with difficult situations maturely and intelligently.

• Relax. Activities such as Control Dichotomy. If we find certain situations that make us overwhelmed, take a more rational way. Realizing that not everything is within our control can also help us to be acceptable to various conditions. If we cannot control or influence a situation, the best thing we can do is adapt or accept it. It shows that we are resilient to change, know our limitations, and can deal with difficult situations maturely and intelligently.

• Relax. Activities such as sports, mindfulness, breathing, prayer, and remembrance of God are great and practical ways to combat stress symptoms, such as shaking hands and shallow breathing. These activities allow you to clear your mind and regain calm.

• Share. Many people suffer from stress, fearing appearing weak or irrational if they share their worries with others. In fact, sharing the problem can help. Sharing a problem you have with someone you trust is a great way to take off the pressure. It also gives us the opportunity to get other people's more objective opinions on the matter.

• Me-time. Take special time for ourselves. This could be exercising, doing a hobby, listening to music, or any activity that makes us feel calm.

• Don't stay up late. Remember not to sleep late. Calm your mind before bed, turn off your cell phone, and try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.

Trust PT Inspiry Indonesia Konsultan for your certification, licensing, training, and business matching, stress-free guaranteed!

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Salam Inspirasi,

Marsono M, Amd. Gz