Stressed Out - Spotlight #14

During this week I was watching the news about a TV presenter, who because of stress suffered facial paralysis, and is not a person of 50 or 60 years, we are talking about a young man of 30 years. Therefore, this topic seems crucial to me to highlight.

At present we live in a world with many social changes, which generate situations that affect our day to day in family life, work, social and political, thus achieving that we generate stress.

Stress seems to be harmless, but What is stress? What would be its correct definition? In carrying out my research, I came across several definitions, which is why we will use the definition of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that defines stress in the following way:

The set of physiological reactions that prepare the body for action."

That is, stress would be an alarm, a stimulus that leads to action, a response necessary for survival, a response that may be consistent with the demands of the environment, or insufficient or exaggerated.

In fact, the diseases that can be acquired due to stress are many, for example:
• It affects the nervous system
• Sleep disorders
• Hair loss and weakness in the nails
• It affects the heart rhythm
• It affects our psychological state, which can generate depression, despair, among others.
• It affects our diet
• It affects our social environment, among others.

​It is considered one of the causes of death in the most common young people in this century. Moreover, World Health Organisation (WHO) considers the global pandemic of the future, noting that many more people will suffer and that not only generates an emotional cost but also an economic cost along with other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, among others.

The young people of today suffer from many diseases that in our grandparents and great-grandparents; time did not appear in the youth but in the elderly people these diseases.

Stress is currently in our environment, but it is greater in our workplace, where the work environment is usually toxic and generates stress having to cope in such a place, affecting our health and our social and family environment over time, that stress we keep until we get to our homes or meet with friends and can marry unnecessary conflicts.

Many people have died in their jobs because of this, most of them under 30; while others have died from some of the diseases that cause stress such as depression or despair or anxiety that the above can lead to suicide.

Many will tell me that it is impossible not to stress, if it is true, but we ourselves must stop and analyze the situation, because those affected are ourselves. It does not help to be a person who does everything excellent at work if you have a heart attack, at work they will remember the event only and they will replace you, while your family will suffer forever for the loss of the person.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been working with countries to make important changes in the work environment, which is the place where one is most affected by stress, in which they demand an adequate work environment, job security, insurance doctor, and better deals, but much remains to be achieved.

Some recommendations that can be made to reduce stress levels are the following:
• Organise your schedule of what you will do in your workday, so you will have a better control of your activities.
• Exercise is a good way to reduce stress levels, take 5 to 10 minutes in the morning or afternoon to perform them.
• Organise your weekend outings with your family and friends.
• Work problems do not take them home.
• Take about 5 minutes during the workday to close your eyes and take a deep breath, that will help to lower your stress a little.
• Never skip your lunch hour, it's your time to share, relax, or have a moment with yourself.
• Listen to the type of music that relaxes you, in many jobs they allow people to listen to music, that helps.
• Get out of the routine from time to time, take field trips on weekends, go out with friends, take relaxing massages, watch a movie, among others.

These are some of the recommendations that can be offered to reduce stress levels, but take into account that each one must also do his part, because the moment he continues to think that he generates stress, nothing will make the recommendations; that is, disconnect for a time from them. Never forget, that all problems and situations have some solutions, all except death.

Leo Kimberly Saldaña
Leo Club of San Francisco Panama

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