Clicks BroNation: Practical tips for managing stress

Stress is a natural reaction to challenges and can help motivate us. However, when it begins to feel overwhelming, it is vital to take steps to manage it or it can lead to burnout and other serious health problems.

1. Spot when stress is becoming a problem

You need to recognise the connection between feeling tired, tense and irritable, and the pressures you have been facing. Do not ignore physical warnings, says Durban counselling psychologist Rakhi Beekrum: tense muscles, headaches, chest pain, nausea or dizziness, stomach problems (constipation, diarrhoea), difficulties sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling exhausted even with sufficient sleep, loss of appetite or comfort eating, increased colds and flu, and loss of sex drive. “‘Seeing it’, as we call it, is the first step towards solving the problem,” says industrial psychologist Robyn Sandy, managing partner at Interchange International South Africa. “Sometimes you need those around you to also raise the red flag when they notice the signs.”

2. Identify the reasons for your stress

Take a few minutes to jot them down. Then group them into reasons with a practical solution – and those you can do nothing about. Try to let go of the second group – it is pointless worrying about things you cannot change. 

3. Review your lifestyle

Consider what you can change to address the first group of reasons. Are you shouldering too much at work? Can you delegate projects and chores, or tackle them in a more leisurely way? You may need to reprioritise the things you are trying to achieve, and rearrange your life so you are not attempting it all at once.

4. Take practical steps to protect yourself from stress. Like this:

• When it grips, breathe deeply, and try the ‘333 anxiety rule’ – observing three things you can see, three you can hear and three you can touch, to direct your thoughts away from anxiety and anchor them in the present.

• Check your boundaries. If you regularly work late, set a limit, then log out of work platforms and leave on just your phone, for emergencies. “You need tech downtime, whether from work or social media, or you will never control stress triggers,” says Sandy. 

• Detach from your stressors. Listen to soothing music on the way home, wash off the day with a shower and change of clothes, and do something relaxing, like talking to family or a friend, romping with the kids or dog, or watching a sitcom. 

• Be aware of your drinking and smoking. “These are maladaptive coping methods,” says Beekrum. They may seem to reduce stress, but in the long term make problems worse, affecting your ability to concentrate and work. “We have been led to believe alcohol relaxes us,” says Sandy. “This is not actually correct. It has many negative effects that aggravate stress.”
 
• Eat healthily. Food affects mood and mental wellbeing, says Gauteng dietitian Debby Watkins. To boost a sense of wellbeing, you need adequate amounts of brain nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals, and to drink plenty of water. Complex carbohydrates (whole grains, oatmeal) support serotonin production and may help lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Eating oily fish such as sardines or salmon twice a week, or a handful of walnuts or flax seeds a day, provides omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent surges in stress hormones, she says. Include leafy greens (spinach, kale) for magnesium, which can help ease the effects of stress, and eggs for the amino acid tryptophan, which helps create serotonin, and for choline, which may protect against stress.

• Get moving. Exercise releases muscle tension and feel-good endorphins and can improve sleep. Doing a workout or taking a quick, brisk walk, if possible outdoors, can take the edge off stress. If your thoughts turn to work or other problems, try to put them aside and focus on the moment.

• Take time out. Try meditation, tai chi or yoga, or an absorbing hobby – anything that you find relaxing and helps ground you. Schedule it as you would a meeting, and stick to it.

• Make time to connect with others. Keep in touch with your bros and share your concerns. “Connecting and unburdening can lighten your mood and help you feel less stressed,” says Beekrum.

• Above all, do not be too hard on yourself. Try to keep things in perspective – remind yourself we all have bad days. Resolve to start the new year with stress management measures in place. “Be kind to yourself,” Sandy urges. “We are our own worst enemies and mentally beat ourselves up far too much. This does not help.”

• Get help. If you still struggle with stress and feel overwhelmed, get help from a qualified professional through your health provider, or contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group: 0800 567 567, SMS 32312.

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