Stress is a normal emotion that all human beings face - it is the body's reaction to feeling under pressure or threatened. Although small levels of this emotion can be beneficial to us, feeling stress in larger quantities can be extremely derogatory. With exam season coming up and the fifth wave of COVID-19 spreading through Hong Kong, it is important to be able to manage the amount of stress you are feeling.
The impacts of stress on the human body
Before understanding how to manage stress, it is important to understand how exactly stress impacts your body. Upon encountering a stressful situation - such as an overload of work - your body increases the production of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. When there is a large amount of cortisol being produced, your body is on high alert, meaning that it may alter functions that are getting in the way such as the digestive system. Small amounts of stress, or stress in moderation, can be beneficial. It can improve cognitive function, efficiency in completing tasks and memory. A study performed by researchers at the University of Berkeley showed that lab rats had an increased mental performance after being subject to “brief stressful events”. On the other hand, too much stress can be very harmful. It can lead to both physical, and mental problems such as anxiety, depression, weight gain, headaches, heart diseases and memory and concentration problems. Although it may seem like stressful situations should be avoided, very low amounts of stress can also be detrimental to your overall health. This is as having no stress in your life can lead to boredom and anxiety. It is important to be able to maintain a happy medium of stress levels, as well as to understand that the most healthy levels can be different for everyone.
Stress in Hong Kong
Stress levels in Hong Kong have risen a lot since the start of the pandemic. A survey performed by Cigna (a US health insurer) reported that 92% of Hong Kong residents faced stress in their lives and out of them, with 17% saying that they weren’t able to manage their stress. In the same survey, the global average of stress levels was 86%, 6% lower than in Hong Kong. Students in Hong Kong have also seen increasing amounts of stress with them rating their stress levels at 7.6/10 on average, according to a study by the Hok Yau Club counseling group. Additionally, 48.6% of students surveyed by a youth group reported ‘relatively high’ stress levels.
How to cope with stress
There are many things that you can do to cope with stress, these include:
Spending time doing activities you enjoy - whether this be reading books, listening to music, cooking or watching television, taking time out of your day to do something you enjoy can help reduce stress levels a lot.
Making sure to get enough sleep - getting enough sleep allows your body to rest, it also decreases cortisol levels.
Being able to ask for help - asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness or helplessness - it can be very beneficial to you. Whether it’s just talking to a friend or seeking professional help, asking for help from others can drastically reduce your workload.
Allowing yourself to say ‘no’ - being able to recognise your workload and boundaries and basing your decisions off of them can help you relax.
Avoiding procrastination - although this may seem hard at first, staying on top of your activities can help prevent you from being in stressful situations in the future.
Consuming a healthy diet - a healthy diet allows your body to have the nutrients it needs to be able to regulate stress.
Sources:
Writing: Anvita Verma
Editing: Jessica Leung
Graphics: Holly Liu
Comentários