Stressbusters: An easy guide to managing stress

Stress is inevitable at times and that’s quite normal. But chronic stress can be detrimental to every aspect of life. A 2023 report revealed that 71% of South Africans experienced stress to the point where they couldn’t cope, and 50% said stress prevented them from going to work.

There are many ways in which chronic stress can harm your health. Among these is that stress can increase blood glucose levels, which may increase the risk for diabetes. Over four million South Africans are already living with the condition. Chronic stress can increase inflammation and blood pressure, and both may contribute to the development of heart disease. Chronic stress can also lead to depression, currently affecting around 25.7% of South Africans.

And if you’re already living with a chronic disease, stress will exacerbate the condition.

Symptoms to look out for if you suspect you’re experiencing chronic stress

Fatigue
Headaches
Difficulty sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
A weakened immune system, making you increasingly vulnerable to illnesses
Changes in appetite
Reduced libido
Perceived loss of control

A SMART way to handle stress
The SMART tool can help you to determine whether you’re experiencing chronic stress and what to do to address it:
Specific: What specific symptoms are you experiencing?
Measurable: How often do you experience these symptoms, and to what degree?
Achievable: Can you manage these symptoms?
Relevant: How is stress affecting your life? Can you mitigate its effects?
Time-bound: Adopt stress-relieving techniques and set a timeframe to monitor their effects.

Small, incremental changes to your lifestyle can be beneficial in managing stress. You could try:

monitoring your social media usage
breathing exercises
staying active
strengthening your social relationships
setting boundaries, and
getting enough sleep.

Managing stress before it reaches critical levels will assist you in either preventing the development of chronic diseases or managing your chronic condition well so that you live a long and productive life.

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