Stressful events like death of a loved one, separation, employment layoff and workplace changes can cause our stress levels to rocket.
And when these stressful situations compound, stress management and stress counseling is often advised to help us cope with an impending disaster.
Stress is categorized into three kinds: Positive stress, which is defined as acute tension and pressure that can motivate a person perform at his best; Acute Distress, which is defined as unplanned and unprecedented stressful but short term reaction caused by specific situations; and chronic stress, which is described as being the constant kind, where in stressors occupy a rooted space in a person's life.
Stress, if scrutinized further, can indeed be positive or negative depending on one's approach to the situation.
Stressors are factors that cause us awful distress and push us to the brink of panic and anxiety.
Among those commonly identified are financial issues, personal issues and pressure, social goals and conflicts, death, separation and workplace environment and tension.
All these stressors often come in bundles, with some issues being encountered one after another.
Once these mount up, the added pressures cause additional stress and can eventually lead to a person's break down.
Contrary to what most people believe in, stress is not something that should be taken lightly.
Nor should it be shrugged as something that can be forgotten or run away from.
Stress counseling offers us a behavioral approach to delve into issues, scrutinize reactions to stressful events and take charge of situations, turning the stressful into the helpful.
Stress Counseling is available in a number of areas, with our counselors giving free advice and tips to people who wish to regain control of their lives.
Often, we can find stress management forums on the net and are supported by international organizations like International Stress Management Association.
These support groups provide detailed analysis and descriptions of the different types of stress and the alternatives to combat the stressors.
Additionally, these support groups provide us an avenue to de-stress and find comfort that there is a way to cope with overwhelming stress.
Online stress counseling is also available, transcending global boundaries and reaching to numerous people who struggle with everyday stress.
In these counseling sessions, stress management methods are introduced and behavioral therapy is endorsed.
There are sessions geared for individual interaction; and there are also group therapies available for large group stress management forums.
A common and a well-loved stress management technique is the practice of meditation and relaxation.
This is a way of overcoming the initial attacks of anxiety and converts the negative energy into positive ones.
Meditation is a practice of clearing one's mind and promoting positive energy to flow freely.
By spending a few minutes every day, either in the morning or at night, practicing this calming process helps one improve his outlook and decreases stress levels.
Stress counseling promotes this kind of approach to eliminating stress, and augments this practice by getting into the heart of the problem.
According to the many licensed stress counselors and/or therapists, stress can be managed by relaxation and can be eliminated by understanding these stressors and creating a solid plan in overcoming them.
Going down the road of eliminating stress may not be a short and an easy one.
It requires a lot of self motivation, a desire to overcome stress and take charge of one's life, discipline, help from professional stress counselors and of course, a lot of relaxation and meditation in between.
Stress counseling is not as complicated as it sounds, nor is it as scary as one may first.
On the contrary, stress counseling is a good channel to help us create betterment in our lives and is undoubtedly the first step we make in making it happen.