Understanding Stress Management

Stress due to problems in life, and work is an everyday reality for many. But the good news is that it can be managed to a large extent.

Stress can be called a universal truth. While it cannot be fully eliminated from life, we can at least manage it. The correct way to interpret the phrase “stress management” is often self-management.

Understanding stress

Our body reacts to different situations and stimulants in varying ways. The responses that our bodies show – including stress    are all triggered by the brain. Having said that, those responses can be categorized into two parts based on their origins: trained brain, and untrained brain.

If there is an event that requires a response    for instance a break-up    the primary focus is how the brain reacts to the situation. A trained brain will be able to show a natural response, meaning it is ready and prepared for such an event. Meanwhile, an untrained brain, when it needs to respond, will be unable to respond in a healthy way. The response that the body shows at such situations is stress.

Not just events but often times words can also trigger a response. If the body absorbs then and shows a positive response, it can be called a natural event, but if the body shows a negative response, then that response can be understood to be stress.

Warning signs

The brain governs the entirety of the bodily functions. It sends signals to all the various systems in the body to function and respond in a particular way. Stress targets the brain, and often affects various other body systems as well. For instance, some people have recurring urges to use the washroom, which is because their stress has affected the digestive system. Stress usually triggers the brain into affecting the system which is weak in the individual’s body. Some of the warning symptoms projected by the brain are: perspiration, fear, and failing vision. These symptoms vary based on which system has been affected by the individual’s stress. Due to the varying factors, there is no one universal symptom of stress. 

When stress starts triggering the brain into affecting other bodily functions, different signs can be noticed. For example, some people seek medical attention claiming fear of having heart ailments because they can sense their heart beating faster than before. Even if theses symptoms aren’t entirely false, the fear and the sensation are caused due to stress having affected that particular system, in this case the heart. The symptoms or signs can differ from person to person, which makes it even more difficult to establish a concrete symptom of stress. 

Causes of stress among Nepalese youths

In terms of youths in the society, there have been major changes in their general responses within the past decade. Youths now are under greater stress than in the past. This can be termed as an unseen disaster, and is the result of four major factors.

Migration: The first factor in bringing about a change in the way youths react is migration, either internal or external. Youth face the dilemma of deciding whether to travel long distances or overseas for studies and work or stay in Nepal itself. Forcing them to decide which path to take and what they should pursue puts them under a lot of scrutiny. Often they aren’t fully ready for this, which in turn, puts them under stress.

Media and Technology: The media and technology boom have brought in major changes worldwide. These changes have been observed as both an opportunity and as a crisis, which divides people supporting opposing ideas. If you take it as a crisis, you can see how it contributes to stress among the youth. 

Politics: The political instability that Nepal recently witnessed has been a contributing factor to stress. The unstable political situation in the country has resulted in an increase in unemployment, creating unneeded idle time. With nowhere to vent themselves, all their idle time is spent on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and even dating sites. Most of their frustrations are vent out on these platforms, and they – instead of verbally expressing that they have stress    begin to take using social media platforms as a form of stress coping strategy.

Earthquake: The changes and rehabilitation that should’ve been done soon after the 2015 earthquake haven’t been done yet. It’s not just physical rehabilitation but also psychological rehabilitation which hasn’t been fully addressed, due to which there is increase in people’s frustration, as well as stress. 

Youths are in general known to be expressive, which is a positive factor about them. They express their stress somewhere in some form, be it by smoking, taking drug habits, indulging in social media sometime to the point of addiction, or by simply talking. The reason stress is seen mostly in youths is because they are more noticeable. Because the majority of the growing population in Nepal are youths, it is understandable why it can be noticed more in youths than others. 

Self-management and coping strategies

Coping with stress has become increasingly difficult for youths. Due to stress, they start losing their creative and mental capabilities which in turn hinders their advancement in society. Society in general doesn’t take positively towards youths who don’t have the capability of producing creative and strong results, which in turn increases their panic and stress.

Within it all, the approaches that have traditionally been undertaken in society to cope with and handle stress need to be greatly improved. Most of the management approaches are problem-focused, which digs deeper into the problem rather than deciphering solutions. Even in medical problem-focused approach, a clinical psychologist asks when one feels most stressed, looks into the problem, and tries to understand the problem, while ironically moving away from the solution. 

Breaking these traditional methods, the ideal strategy would be to undertake a solution-based approach. Focusing on solution creates more opportunities and possibilities of being cured than focusing on the problem alone. Many have an ability to build coping strategies but that ability diminishes when they start focusing on problem rather than on solution. Furthermore, there are different solutions to different problems, and each of them differ from one society to another. For example, the coping mechanisms that work in the U.S. may not necessarily work in Nepal because the two societies are differently. 

The following two types of practices based on a solution-focused approach may be ideal ways to cope with stress in Nepal: Family-based practices: The Nepalese society is highly family-oriented, and expressing one’s stress and having the help of family members to find a comfort zone is an ideal approach.

Education-based practices: Each individual has a specific comfort zone where one can feel relaxed. Finding that comfort zone is a type of coping strategy. Hence, teaching coping strategies to people and understanding that it varies from person to person increases the chances of finding effective solutions.

More information of body stress management can be found at Sushwastha Hospital in Kathmandu, which also provides services related to: naturopathy; symptomatic treatments; acupuncture; and counseling.