The body's response to a challenge or demand is Stress.

It's difficult not to feel overwhelmed these days. One can become overly stressed and occupied with work, family, and other commitments. Stress has become a widespread term used by men and women, young and old, educated and illiterate.

Many medical investigations have found a significant and rising prevalence of stress-related diseases, both physical and psychiatric, in populations worldwide. Stress causes individual and group distress, dissatisfaction, and poorer productivity.

Stress has a critical role in our ability to respond swiftly to dangers and avert danger. On the other hand, long-term stress can cause mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as physical health issues.

Following are some examples of standard physical or emotional symptoms of Stress:

• Feelings of fear, shock, anger, sadness, worry, numbness
• Changes in appetite, energy and interests
• Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
• Headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
• Worsening of chronic and mental health problems
• Increased use of tobacco and alcohol
• Disbelief

Healthy Ways to manage Stress

Consume nutritious foods: Eating healthy can reduce the risks of diet-related diseases.

Smoking and alcohol consumption should be avoided: Smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided or limited. Even while they may ease tension at first, they frequently exacerbate difficulties.

Exercise: Try to make physical activity a part of our daily routine because it might help us to relax. Simply getting some fresh air and engaging in some modest physical activity can be beneficial.

Be mindful: Mindfulness is a mind-body approach that teaches us new ways to interact with our surroundings. To cope with adversity and make wise decisions necessitates paying great attention to our thoughts and feelings.

Take a nap: Insomnia is a typical problem when we are stressed.

Take pauses from news stories, particularly those on social media, by watching, reading, or listening to them. While it is beneficial to be aware, hearing about the traumatic incident regularly can be distressing.

Keep oneself in good shape. Eat well, often exercise, get enough rest, and take a break if we feel overwhelmed.

Take care of the body by breathing deeply or meditating, eating nutritious, well-balanced meals, and exercising often.  

Discuss worries with individuals we can trust. Talk to a parent, friend, counselor, doctor, or pastor about our concerns and how we feel and cope.

Several substances can help to Reduce Stress and anxiety. Here is a rundown of some of the most common:

• Antioxidants: Antioxidants shield cells from the damaging effects of long-term stress. They can be found in beans, fruits, berries, vegetables, and spices like ginger. 

There are various antioxidant health supplements available online and offline. 100% Garlic supplements are available in capsule form which assists in alleviating Stress by decreasing blood pressure and acting as a natural antioxidant.

• Omega-3 fatty acids: According to the study, medical students who took omega-3 supplements had a 20% reduction in anxiety symptoms.
• Ashwagandha: Ayurveda plant that is used to Relieve stress and anxiety.

Stress, in simple terms, is like fire-more precisely, embers, permanent embers. We can either control them to be harmless embers, enjoy their glow, or fan them into massive fires. Not knowing better, many of us do the latter.

 Bhagyashree Hatti
M. Tech (Food Technology)
Quality Assurance and R&D