Steem4nigeria Accelerator Contest Week 68: What is the best way to handle stress?

Greetings, friends, and welcome to my participation in this week's accelerators contest, where I will be sharing my experience with Stress as I attend to the hints provided.

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Explain stress in your own words

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Stress is that feeling you get when you have too much on your mind, and it feels overwhelming. Example, lets say you have a big exam coming up, a project due, and maybe some personal issues to deal with all at once. This can bring tightness in your chest, your heart and thoughts racing, or even that urge to just escape for a bit.

Therefore, Stress is our body’s way of reacting to challenges or demands. When we are faced with something tough, our body releases hormones that prepare us to either fight the challenge or run away from it. While it is recorded that a little stress can actually help us perform better, too much stress over time on the other hand can be harmful to our health as it can make us feel anxious, tired, or even lead to physical problems like headaches or stomach issues.

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What is the best way to handle stress?

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Handling stress effectively is not always as easy as people say because as humans our minds are always running to and fro seeking for answers especially in this challenging world we found ourselves. However, involving the following few simple strategies to our daily living can make a big difference.

First, I want you to know that it's important to take a step back, take a break and breathe. This is cheap and carried out by all as whenever we feel stressed, we should learn to take deep breaths. That is, inhale slowly through the nose, hold it for a moment, and then exhale through the mouth. By doing this simple exercise, it will help calm our mind and body.

Another great way of managing stress is to talk about the problem with others around, remember it is said that "a problem shared, is a problem half solved". This is because, by sharing how we feel about the situation with a friend, college or family member, it can lighten the burden on us. And again, sometimes just expressing what we are going through can help us feel better and gain a better perspective.

Image Source; Pexels

Physical activity is another powerful stress reliever. So when we feel stressed, it's advised we go for a walk, dance to our favorite tunes, or even do some other physical activities like yoga and meditation. We could also engage ourselves in team sport because by moving our body, it helps release our tension and boosts our mood.

Lastly, and the most important of them is to make out time for ourselves. Engage ourselves in activities we enjoy, like reading, listening to music, or spending time in nature and family. These moments of relaxation can recharge our batteries and help us cope better with stress.

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Have you been stressed up before? What caused it and what did you do

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When I see this question, there was a giggle in my face because I don't anyone who is living in this world that has not been under stress before unless the person is till a baby or an elderly who has seen life through and through. So yes! I have been stressed up several times but my biggest stress experience was between 2019 - 2021.

Image Source; Pexels

My biggest stress in life has been when I graduated but couldn't go for service because of an abbreviation issue during my Jamb registration. It was really tough because I had worked so hard to finish my studies, and then this problem came up out of nowhere. For two long years, I felt stuck and frustrated, especially since I kept writing letters to both my school and Jamb board try to sort it out, even went as far as making newspapers publication but nothing changed.

I remember feeling hopeless at times, and there were times it felt like even my family is doubting the originality of my degree certificate. I was wondering if I would ever be able to move forward. It felt like all my plans were on hold, and I was just waiting for a solution that didn’t seem to come even as I kept moving from School to Jamb to and fro, virtually every week.

But then, I shared about my experience in my office and I was asked to back to school to resolve the issue, and on getting to the school with the mind it will be same outcome as I've lost hope. On getting to school, I came across another college who asked what I was still doing in school, and I explained myself to him then he told me to take a different approach.

Unexpectedly, after two weeks I finally got the chance to go for service in a way I hadn’t anticipated. That moment was such a huge relief after everything I had been through. It taught me a lot about patience and perseverance, even when things seem really difficult.

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Do you think stress can solve this life challenges?

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I don't think stressing too much over life challenges can solve them. In fact, it is quite the opposite as stress usually makes things harder, removing our minds from the clear picture of it because when we are stressed, it clouds our judgment and makes it tough for us to think clearly. So instead of helping us tackle these problems, it leads to feelings of frustration and anxiety, which can hold us back.

Image Source; Pexels

It is therefore better for us to find ways to manage stress, like talking to someone about what we are going through or taking a break to relax, so that we can approach our challenges with a clearer mind and a more positive attitude.

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What advice can you give to someone that is under stress right now

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I would advise them to take a moment to breathe deeply. Just focusing on your breath can really help calm your mind. It’s also important to talk about what and how you are feeling as sharing with a friend or family member can lighten the load and help you feel less alone.

Try to do some physical activities, even if it is just a short walk, it can make a big difference as such activities helps release tension and boosts your mood. And don’t forget to take some time for yourself to do those things you enjoy, whether it’s listening to music or watching your favorite show.

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On this note, I like to invite @yakspeace, @edidiongeffiong and @abdullahw2 to participate.

NOTE: Always have a smile on your face, as you are never fully dressed without one.

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