Stress & Coping Strategies
Dr Said Qabbaah, Medical Writer & Public Health Expert
In today‚s fast-paced world, stress has become an inevitable part of our daily lives. Despite our best intentions to change or self-improve, stress seems to always prevent us from becoming a better version of ourselves.
Stress is a common experience in most, if not all, men especially in today‚s rapidly changing environment. While the total elimination of stress is quite unrealistic, and more fiction than fact, we can easily modify our lifestyles to reduce its effects on our health and lives.
Although stress is considered to be a natural response to challenging situations that may actually be beneficial at times, prolonged exposure to stress can, in fact, have detrimental effects on health, both physically and mentally.
What are the signs and symptoms of stress?
Stress starts as a natural “fight-or-flight” response that prepares the body to adapt to a specific stressor within the environment. This forms a fundamental part of our survival because it enables us to protect ourselves and perform effectively under certain stressful situations within our environment.
The short-term stress response involves the natural release of certain hormones in the body, also known as “stress hormones”, which include mainly adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol.
This causes widespread physical effects on a number of different organs and systems in the body such as our heart, blood vessels, breathing, brain, nerves, digestion, muscles, hormones and immune system.
As a result, we experience signs and symptoms typically associated with stress, such as:
Elevated blood pressure and heart rate
Sweating
Shortness of breath
Increased muscle strength, tension, or pain
Shaking or trembling
Headache, dizziness, or feeling faint
Nausea or change in appetite
Increased mental activity or difficulty in concentration
Heightened sensitivity to stimuli (such as noise or light)
Irritability, mood swings, restlessness, or feeling on edge
Effects of stress on men,s health
Normally, once the perceived threat gradually fades, the stress response also subsides fairly quickly and the body returns to its normal state.
However, if exposure to stress is prolonged or when stress is experienced repetitively over a short period of time, this will put the body into a state of constant stress, where the body‚s initial protective stress response will actually become harmful to health.
If left unmanaged, stress could result in several negative health effects in men. The longer persistent stress is experienced, the higher the chance of a negative impact on both physical and mental health in the long term.
Emotional wellbeing
Prolonged stress can take a toll on men’s emotional wellbeing, contributing to symptoms of irritability, mood swings and difficulty concentrating.
In more severe cases it can even result in anxiety, depression and feelings of burnout – a phenomena that is becoming increasingly more common these days.
Unfortunately, men are often less likely to seek help for mental health concerns, leading to underdiagnosis and undertreatment of a variety of mental health conditions. This “stigma” surrounding men’s mental health can cause the problem to worsen, making it challenging for men to share their struggles and seek support when needed.
Dealing with stress
The experience of stress and how it is specifically dealt with varies between one person to another. It depends on a number of factors such as genetics, personality and background.
Despite the feeling that stress can, at times, feel like a never-ending tunnel, fortunately there are plenty of strategies that a man can follow in order to effectively reduce his stress and its resulting impact on life, such as:
- Having good awareness of stress, including recognising its potential triggers as well as the signs and symptoms. It is very important to address stress early and before it leads to significant health problems
2. Simple positive changes to lifestyle, including the consumption of a healthy diet with emphasis on quality and variety. In addition, engaging in regular moderate-intensity physical exercise and good sleeping habits
3. Practising mindfulness by focusing attention on the present moment, without judgment or attachment to thoughts or feelings. This can be done with the help of certain practices, such as daily meditation, breathing exercises and yoga. These practices often help achieve ‘healthy’ relaxation through greater clarity, calmness and emotional resilience
4. Maintaining a positive mindset with particular emphasis on the regular expression of feelings and thoughts of gratefulness
5. Practising self-care and allowing time for oneself by having a hobby that brings personal pleasure and joy. For example, reading a favourite book, having a hobby, or learning something new for encouraging one’s own development
6. Spending time in the outdoors, connecting with nature and exposing yourself to natural light
7. Developing an attitude that encourages a sense of humour and promotes happiness, which is an important coping mechanism that effectively deals with the “seriousness” of daily life
8. Engaging in certain behaviours or actions that bring a sense of purpose and feelings of helpfulness, fulfillment and satisfaction. This includes volunteering, charity, or even offering any kind of help to a complete stranger
9. Social support is also crucial for managing stress effectively. Having a strong support network of friends, family members, or help groups, where men can share their experiences, seek advice and receive encouragement
10. Promoting open communication where men are able to share feelings and experiences can help reduce feelings of isolation and provide valuable perspective on how to cope with stress effectively
11. Improving certain skills such as time management, task prioritisation and organisation, whether at work or at home. This helps to bring more order and structure to one‚s day, therefore reducing the overall risk of developing stress
12. Minimising stress-provoking actions or habits like the overuse of social media and excessive watching of news. These are often filled with negative notions and visuals especially due to the current world events
13. Seeking professional help when needed is essential for managing stress and maintaining good mental and physical health. Whether through therapy, counseling, or medication, there are various treatment options
It is vital for men to recognise that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and that prioritising their mental health is essential for overall health and wellbeing.
Improved self-awareness enables better self-control, which is essential for minimising the effects of chronic stress.
Understanding stress, and most importantly, knowing how to respond to it, allows men to navigate stress and empowers them to manage it more effectively, leading to the positive experience of a happier, stress-free life.
What is stress?
Stress is a natural human response that is experienced by everyone in some way or another and triggers a chain of thoughts and actions for addressing certain challenges and threats in life
It can take on various forms in terms of severity and extent and can have a number of different causes. For example, stress could be related to an upcoming deadline at work, or could be caused by something more general such as various life expectations or long-term goals
Stress and health disorders
Chronic stress in men can also increase the risk of developing a host of long-term health conditions and other disorders, such as:
High blood pressure, heart disease and strokes
Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
Gastrointestinal disorders, including stomach ulcers, chronic reflux and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Metabolic syndrome (a combination of high blood glucose, abnormal cholesterol levels, increased waist circumference and high blood pressure)
Auto-immune disease, including Graves’ disease and rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic headache and migraine
Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and asthma
Sleep disorders, such as insomnia
Worsening of pre-existing physical and mental health conditions
Increased likelihood of engaging in negative actions and habits, including excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, prescription and or recreational drugs, gambling and binge-eating
Relationship difficulties and reduced overall quality of life
Premature ageing and early death
You can contact Dr Said Qabbaah at [email protected]
