Dealing With Emotional Stress

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Title: Dealing With Emotional Stress

Word Count: 814

Author: Trevor Dumbleton

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Dealing With Emotional Stress

Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton

One very difficult form of stress to cope with and manage

is emotional stress. After all, it is often self-created,

it can come out of nowhere and the stress caused by it only

heightens the emotions felt. Thus, as the emotional stress

increases, the emotions get worse, heightening the

emotional stress. Thus, the problem recreates the cause

and the problem only gets worse.

Emotional stress is often triggered by a dramatic event

that puts a person's nervous system under severe strain.

This could be an event such as losing a loved one, seeing

someone die, or being put into a life-threatening

situation. An event such as this can put severe strain on

a person's mind and nerves and the incredible strain can

cause changes in the way that the brain works. In fact, a

severe emotional strain could even cause someone to suffer

from post-traumatic stress disorder.

However, emotional stress does not arise from a sudden

shock. It can also arise from a total emotional strain

that adds up to an overwhelming strain that prevents a

person from thinking about anything other than the problems

that seem to have no solution. Then, as the stress mounts,

the mind is left in its own cocoon of stress that can only

call attention to itself, cutting the person off from the

world outside. Thus, emotional stress can lead to

detachment, and inability to concentrate, fatigue, and even

memory problems.

Unfortunately, emotional stress also increases moodiness,

which can often make things worse. In fact, those attacks

of emotional excess can turn emotional excess up to

unbearable levels, leading to further attacks. Then, as

these bouts of emotional stress keep adding up, it all

becomes too much and the sufferer is left almost completely

lost and alone in their own cycle of emotion that hammers

incessantly at the brain.

In order to deal with emotional stress, the person who

suffers from it needs to take a break from everything that

is creating all the emotions. For instance, going on a

vacation can be an excellent diversion, as it provides the

brain with new inputs that are not charged with

associations. By leaving the so-called " scene of the

crime " the person who suffers from emotional stress will be

able to remove some of the emotional stress by removing its

triggers. Then, hopefully, the loop will be broken,

allowing the person to start fresh.

Another effective means for dealing with emotional stress

is to practice yoga or learn to meditate. Exercises such

as these are designed to put the person's mind in the

moment, so that they will not worry about anything other

than what they are doing in the case of yoga or, in the

case of meditation, by clearing the mind entirely, allowing

it to shed its emotions and start again with a clean slate.

Either method can be very effective for dealing with

emotional stress, as they give the brain a chance to relax.

Then, once it is relaxed, it will be able to shed the

emotional stress and get back to the business of thinking

clearly.

Likewise, having a hobby can be very good for emotional

stress. An activity such as needlepoint, building model

ships, playing a sport, or going fishing can help shed

stress. This is because a person who is engaged in a hobby

is enjoying him or herself while thinking only about what

they are doing rather than everything that needs to get

done. It is as though it is a cross between a vacation and

meditation, in that the person is taking a break from life

while putting the mind onto something else. Thus, the

stress disappears and the person can feel like they are

accomplishing something, even if it is only a minor,

pointless success. After all, a pointless success is still

a success, be it finishing an Afghan, building a small

version of the Cutty Sark, or simply catching a nice trout.

It's always nice to know that some sort of effort has been

effective, and hobbies are an excellent way to suddenly

become effective.

People should not be daunted by emotional stress. Rather,

they should try to understand where it is coming from and

what they can do to prevent it. Though the effort can

sometimes be difficult, success is truly its own reward.

After all, achieving an escape from emotional stress will

provide instant benefits for the mind and long-term

benefits for the body. As well, by understanding emotional

stress, people can see what causes it and, hopefully,

discover what they need to do to either cope with it or

eliminate it entirely. So if you or someone you know is

suffering from emotional stress, find some solutions that

will work. And by continuing to implement those solutions,

emotional stress can be turned into a thing of the past.

About the Author:

LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get

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