STRESS: WORRY, YOU DIE, NO WORRIES, YOU DIE, THEN WHY WORRY?

About a week ago, a very sisterly good friend of mine complained about some kind of ‘numbish’ pain and weakness on the right side of her body which started after she woke up from sleep a day before her complaint. I suspected stress and gave her a relief brain relaxing tablet to help calm her nerves which she immediately took with a heavy meal and a few hours after then, she was better.

Not too long after, during a dress rehearsals, some other person complained about tension behind his neck and was finding it difficult to turn the neck about easily due to some stiffness he felt behind it, again I said it was stress but could not recommend that relief tablet because, one, he had not eaten and I wanted to be sure it was not dues to hunger. Two, before you say it, I know self-medication is bad" so I did not recommend any tablets., but didn't do right because I forgot to recommend the same doctor I did for my friend before leaving. The next day, he was still complaining about the tension.

You may want to ask, “Where is she going with all of these”?

Now come with me as I take you through my point on this outing.

The truth is that, most of us, especially Nigerians DO NOT rest at all. Like someone told me the other day, “babes, you work like the clock, you never stop to rest for a minute” and she was right because even when we make any effort to rest, we are still thinking and worrying about what to do and what would happen ‘if’ and that gets us worked-up thereby rendering the time taken to rest ’useless’.

When was the last time you took a holiday and really spent it resting? Or when was the last time you took a break at work and sincerely took that break? *I can imagine you saying “do we really get breaks”*. That’s my point.

Even at that, some of these same staff who have been given the period of ‘time off’ to rest would on their own look for something else to do for example, chatting unnecessary or small talks which at the end of the day may have no positive impact on their lives yet would have deprived them that much needed rest to perform better at their jobs as well as ridding them of most forms of tension or stress that affect the human body.

  

Most times when you get employed, your appointment letter reads “break is observed from this time…to about…” but then as soon as you resume work, it would only take a few days for you to realize that there is hardly a time for people to observe that break as stipulated in your ‘terms of reference’ because some deadlines need to be met.

Before some employers of  labour get offended, let me make an exception that there are still a FEW, I mean very few organisations that still enforce members of staff to go on breaks after some hours have been put in by the staff on a daily basis. Also, a few other organizations ensure that the staffs go ‘on leave’ for a couple of days at least once every year. It then behooves on the staff to make sure that the ‘leave’ is used to rest or do as he/she deems fit.   

Apart from work related stresses, people sometimes put unnecessary stress upon themselves such as spending beyond their means and are thus put under pressure to offset debts or meet up with other necessities which ought to have being taken care of first before going on a spending spree.   

Stress has being linked to nearly all kinds of ailments in the world today. We know for a fact that as long as one is on this earth, especially if you are aiming at certain goals that you have set for yourself, you would undergo some form of stress or the other.

Nevertheless, when we spend time worrying instead of working out ways towards achieving those goals, stress takes its position in the scheme of things and that, 90% of the time does not yield any positive results towards those anticipated goals.

The other day, during a discussion with a young man, he was shocked when he heard that worrying activates ulcer. And yes it really does, if you are just hearing it for the first time and so does it on cancer. So why worry?

We all know life can be very tough sometimes, but then worrying does not take the problems away. Instead of stressing yourself and going through unnecessary tension which could lead to other ailments apart from stroke, take some time to rest and strategize on the way forward. Worrying kills faster than you know.

According to the American Institute of stress, the following are some signs and symptoms of stress: 1.Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain.  2.Gritting, grinding teeth  3.Stuttering or stammering  4.Tremors, trembling of lips, hands 5.Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms  6.Light headedness, faintness, dizziness  7.Ringing, buzzing or “popping sounds  8.Frequent sweating  9.Cold or sweaty hands, feet 10.Dry mouth, problems swallowing  11.Frequent colds, infections, herpes sores 12.Rashes, itching, hives, “goose bumps” 13.Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks 14.Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea 15.Excess belching, flatulence 16.Constipation, diarrhea, loss of control 17.Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing 18.Sudden attacks of life threatening panic 19.Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse  20.Frequent urination  21.Diminished sexual desire or performance  22.Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness  23.Increased anger, frustration, hostility 24.Depression, frequent or wild mood swings 25.Increased or decreased appetite 26.Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams 27.Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts 28.Trouble learning new information 29.Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion  30.Difficulty in making decisions  31.Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed 32.Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts 33.Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness 34.Little interest in appearance, punctuality 35.Nervous habits, fidgeting, feet tapping 36.Increased frustration, irritability, edginess 37.Overreaction to petty annoyances 38.Increased number of minor accidents 39.Obsessive or compulsive behavior 40.Reduced work efficiency or productivity 41.Lies or excuses to cover up poor work 42.Rapid or mumbled speech 43.Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness 44.Problems in communication, sharing  45.Social withdrawal and isolation  46.Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue  47.Frequent use of over-the-counter drugs 48.Weight gain or loss without diet 49.Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use 50.Excessive gambling or impulse buying.

There you go! Now STOP worrying!!