Stress is our body's instinctive response to managing shock or unexpected events. It is our body's mechanism to even things out whenever we are pushing it beyond what it is used to handling. Based on this simple definition, it is nearly impossible to avoid stress. Like, can you avoid what you can't see or anticipate? Stress doesn't announce itself, it doesn't make any noise about its impending visit. It just shows up with all its baggage and wahala, getting one worn out and exhausted.
As far as stress is concerned, we don't get to choose. There are obviously some decisions we can make that reduce the possibility of stress. However, we can't eliminate stress. In view of this, managing stress is our best bet. But why would anyone want to eliminate something as telling as stress, anyway?
Stress is an indicator whose importance is grossly underrated, and its impact is negatively viewed. Just as signs of stress or stress-induced problems can be the announcement of an impending crisis, they can also be a pointer to growth and development.
Stress affects one in different ways. The physical effect is the most obvious one, where a person looks jaded, especially after a hard day's work. In this instance, it is a warning that should be heeded to avoid catastrophe. A lot of people wished they had listened to their bodies when they cried out to them. Some won't even live to tell the story
Many people are dead because they ignored stress warnings. Recently, the news of the death of a man I know was broken to me. When I asked what the cause of his death was, the immediate answer was a heart attack. But then, one of his friends lamented about how the man avoided sleep for three days while trying to do his work as a long-distance tanker driver. In his case, he didn't die of an accident like most long-distance drivers who died on the road; his heart gave out.
While physical stress is a reminder to tone down on whatever one is doing and get a rest, mental stress is a complete burden altogether. A good look at the face of someone who's physically stressed, and one can tell the person is jaded. For mental stress, however, it's not easily manageable because it's not easily seen. It can be a result of deep-seated problems that were stuffed down or already being sorted. That is why it is difficult to track or tackle because it's not easily seen.
While stress is often associated with negativity, it can also be a sign of doing something right. Our capacity to grow depends on getting out of relatively comfortable positions, and that puts us under pressure, physically and mentally, thus inducing stress. So, stress is not always the messenger of doom that most people assume it to be.
Finally, getting the best out of life involves managing and finding balance between stress and productivity. We have to master stress signals and know when it is negative or just a reaction to an impending growth. Once we balance stress with productivity, life becomes more fun-filled and less worrying.
