Stress Awareness Month: Tips On Managing Stress

April is a month globally dedicated to creating awareness on stress and here are some effective tips on managing stress.

Dr. Frank Erzoah-Cudjoe, co-founder of Cervicare Foundation Ghana, shared valuable insights on stress management on the AM Club show.

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Dr. Erzoah-Cudjoe defined stress as a natural response to change, pressure, or perceived threats or challenges and highlighted some types, signs, and causes as well as ways to cope with stress.

Types of Stress

Dr. Erzoah-Cudjoe highlighted two major types of stress;

• Good stress: The kind of stress that keeps one motivated to get tasks done
• Bad stress: This is chronic stress due to accumulated good stress

Signs of Stress

According to him, some of the common signs of stress are;

•  persistent fatigue
•  lack of concentration
•  emotional unavailability
•  constant headaches

Causes of Stress

Dr. Erzoah-Cudjoe also emphasised that the causes of stress vary based on different demographics and identified some of them as a result of;

• academic pressure,
• financial commitment
• social media pressure
• job security
• isolation

Tips On Managing Stress 

To help manage stress effectively, Dr. Erzoah-Cudjoe suggested the following practical tips;

•  Emotional awareness: The ability to identify when one is stressed and identify the cause of it.
•  Box breathing method: Inhaling, holding, and exhaling for 4 seconds, respectively, at least 4 times. This helps to focus on one’s breath and also reduces immediate stress.
•  Journaling: Writing anything that comes into mind as well as things one is grateful for. This helps to take the burden from one’s mind onto paper.
•  Physical Movement: Activities like dancing, walking, and stretching help to improve one’s mood when stressed.
•  Therapy: Seeking professional help when the stress is beyond one’s management ability.
•  Mindfulness and meditation: Teaching the mind how to be in the present.

These insights help to effectively understand and prioritize mental health and self care.