Introduction
Stress can be defined as overload experienced by human beings when they are faced with demands either mental or emotional such that they cannot handle them. Due to the demanding nature of the world we live in, we find ourselves overloaded with many things on a daily basis. We have so many things to do at the same time yet we do not have the enough time. Sometimes our bodies send signs that may lead us into identifying stress but it is only after the situations become serious that we discover we need to stop some of the things we are doing.
Stress can damage our lives completely by making us feel totally out of control. It leads to disruption of lives because it not only affects individuals but also people who are close to the person suffering from it. It affects the health of an individual by damaging the heart and the gums. It also makes one more vulnerable to other diseases which could be avoided. If stress is not managed in good time, it may lead to alteration of the brain hence threatening the general well being of an individual (Wellness Library 3). This paper will discuss y success plan through stress management, staying healthy and managing finances.
Stress Management Techniques
Because of the harmful results that may be caused by stress and based on my personal history, it is important for me to develop stress management techniques. I am a woman aged 33 years old who lost her husband on his birthday four years ago. My husband was a great friend and someone who meant the whole world to me. Six months after his death, my doctor informed me that I had huge fibroid tumors that caused hysterectomy hence I was unable to conceive.
This was really a difficult situation I was going through that caused me depression and stress. I started experiencing weight gain where I gained a total of 75 ibs until my doctor advised me to take specific diets and start exercising. However, it was hard to lose the weight because of my hyperthyroid condition and PCOS (polystic Ovary Syndrome). These situations were challenging for me to manage and I had to file for bankruptcy and sell my car since I could not manage it. Currently, I do not have the car and I am struggling to succeed in school and working hard to make ends meet. These unfortunate conditions have stressed me and I have to make use of various stress management techniques.
Avoiding Unnecessary Stress
It is not possible to avoid every stressful situation because I cannot avoid situations that require to be addressed. However, I have discovered that I am able to eliminate some stressors in my life and manage stress well. I have identified my limits in life and have learnt operating within them. In my professional and personal life, I only accept the responsibilities that I can cope with. I have realized that accepting additional responsibilities that are not within my limits will cause me stress.
In addition, there are some people who are problematic and it is wise to avoid such people. My success plan involves spending less time with such people and focusing on my activities since staying close to them results in stress. It is also advisable to avoid topics that are likely to be stressful. For example, there are some events that have occurred in my life that have caused me a lot of stress and staying in places where such topics are being discussed will cause unnecessary stress to me.
Altering the Situation
Stressful situations that cannot be avoided can be altered. I try to look at what I can do to prevent some situations from happening in the future. There has been a change in my communication strategies and the way I do things. For instance, I have learnt expressing some feelings that cause me stress instead of keeping them to myself. Keeping feelings to oneself only causes anger to remain within oneself and make the situation worse instead of improving it.
Taking compromises is another way of altering the situation in order to avoid stress. I have realized that stress can be managed well when individuals are willing to change. This creates a situation where agreements can be reached easily. Being ready for problems and working hard to change the situations is another strategy I use to deal with stress. When one anticipates challenges, it becomes easy to deal with them when they come as opposed to having not prepared for them.
Accepting what I Cannot Change
Some factors that cause stress cannot be avoided. For example, we cannot avoid death, sickness or changes in economic trends. My strategy of managing stress caused by such factors is learning to accept and live with them. It might be difficult to accept the situation but eventually this helps rather than fighting with a situation that I cannot control. Some people behave in ways we cannot control and instead of stressing myself trying to change the behavior of such people, I have learnt to focus on looking for ways of dealing with my problems. When faced by tough challenges, I now take them as lessons that will make me emerge stronger instead of treating them as things that should leave me stressed.
It is also helpful to talk to trusted people on my situations even when they cannot offer solutions. This is a good way of managing stress because talking about my situations gives me relief. I have also learnt that the world we live in is not perfect and at times people will do unpleasant things to me. Keeping the unpleasant things done to me will only continue stressing me. The best way to avoid stress is learning to forgive those who wrong me.
Staying Healthy
It is very important to maintain fitness and this is only possible when health is maintained. The world has become extremely competitive which means that it is important to stay healthy in addition to being intelligent. Technological advancements have caused many feeding habits some of which are unhealthy. Packaged and junk foods are common types of food that people feed on and the result is that they become sick (gsa 2). Sickness may be stressful and prevent us from moving on. Staying healthy is therefore an important strategy that enables me to keep moving on.
The first way of staying healthy is by eating a healthy breakfast. Some people underestimate the importance of breakfast and either skip it completely or just eat sugary foods. A healthy breakfast gives me the energy to move on with my activities throughout the day. It keeps me healthy because it is capable of removing cholesterol from the body since it is rich in fibers. Skipping breakfast causes the body to spend many hours without an external source of energy and this affects how blood sugar is regulated. Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast is an important strategy that I use to continue moving on.
The second strategy that I use to stay healthy is drinking a lot of water. Water is an essential component for life. It is involved in many body functions hence it is very essential. It is an important detoxifier and I always take in plenty of it for my body to remain free of toxins. Water aids in the removal of waste products such as urine and sweat which carry toxic materials. Some people think that they take enough water through beverages and other drinks but it is advisable to take in pure water since it is the best. Water reduces minor aches and pains and leads to improved general health and this is an important strategy that I use to stay healthy.
The body requires healthy diets which comprise of all the essential nutrients. However, this is not enough to provide the body with all the nutrients it requires. It is my strategy to take in mineral supplements to stay healthy. Mineral supplements contain additional minerals and vitamins and that is why they are important to the body. This is a simple strategy yet one that most people ignore and I use it to remain healthy and continue moving on.
Managing Finances
Ability to manage finances implies that one knows how to spend money and make informed decisions on how the money should be spent. People who are keen to monitor how their money moves out do not face problems such as bad debts. One of the ways through which I monitor my spending is by preparing a budget. A budget helps me to control the entry and exit of money and by so doing; I am able to identify my financial strengths and weaknesses. After preparing a budget I open a savings account which ensures that at any given time, I save an amount of money for emergencies out of the my little earnings (Ellis 294).
Financial papers are very important and should be stored in places where they can be traced easily when they are required. Losing them is a sensitive issue that drives some people into trouble. My success plan with regard to storage of financial papers is one that values organization. This is because being disorganized may bring about serious repercussions. It is important to have special places which act as storage places for financial papers such as cabinets and drawers.
A financial plan is an important document that is developed to assist one in managing finances. Having a financial plan enables me to save more money and pride in my general progress. Writing down the plan on how to spent money is more effective than planning on how to spend the money without a written plan. Writing my financial plan helps me to remember the things that are supposed to be given priority. It is also beneficial because it helps in monitoring the use of my money because I can make reference to confirm if my spending is in accordance with the written plan. These strategies of planning for my finances are important parts of my success plan because they enable me spent wisely and move on (CPFE 1).
Conclusion
My success plan comprises of three critical areas which must be dealt with carefully. For success to be achieved, it is important to be free from any stress. With the many changes that have taken place in the world today, it is difficult to avoid stress. Stress can be managed by avoiding unnecessary events that cause it such as spending time with irritating friends. It can also be managed by accepting realities that we cannot avoid such as death.
Another important component of my success plan is staying healthy. Health is very important for success since it forms the basis of all the other things in life. Staying healthy involves strategies like eating healthy breakfast, drinking a lot of water and taking mineral supplements. The last component of my success strategy is managing my finances. Without finances, nothing can succeed and they should be well managed through making budgets, financial plans and keeping financial papers safely. By observing these strategies, my success plan is complete.
Works Cited
CPFE. Effective Strategies for Personal Money Management. 2004. Web.
Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Print.
gsa. Creating a Healthy Lifestyle. n.d. Web.
Wellness Library. Stress Management. 2009. Web.