Know The Cause Of Your Stress To Be Able To Manage It Better: Says Lifestyle Coach Luke Coutinho

Repressed anger and pain can cause psychological stress

Believe it or not, the amount of stress you take has a direct impact on your health. Following a healthy diet plan and exercising regularly are important prerequisites for good health. But, none of these are going to show the expected results on your body if you are under stress. In fact, it may cause digestion problems, increase cravings and unexpected weight gain. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho, in one of his posts on Instagram, says that managing stress is as important as knowing the source of it. Knowing the root cause of stress can help you move forward towards the next step, which is developing an effective stress management strategy.

Following are some known causes of stress that can help you have an effective stress management strategy

Psychological stresses

1. Repressed pain and anger

At times, you might feel as it everything is falling apart. However, this doesn't mean that you repress the bad feelings that follow. If anger and pain is troubling you, you could probably use the adrenaline in your system to feed your needs and take charge of your life. Shift your focus on the positive things in your life, no matter how small they appear. Surround yourself with positive people, be thankful and stay in the present. All these can help in reducing the stress caused by repressed pain and anger.

Also read: Understanding Impact Of Childhood Stress

2. Depression

Stress can be especially harmful if you have depression. Stress makes it difficult to maintain positive habits or coping strategies that can help in managing depression. Improving your lifestyle by getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, going for a vacation, engaging in a hobby or consuming less alcohol and doing breathing exercises can help in managing stress and depression.

3. Isolation

A person who stays in isolation is at higher risks of mental issues like depression, dementia, low self-esteem and social anxiety. Intense loneliness can cause depression as well. Focus on your health, resort to fitness, join a community singing, dancing or fitness class, make plans with friends more often or consider getting a pet. These are all effective ways to deal with isolation and reduce stress.

Staying in isolation can increase your stress levels
Photo Credit: iStock

4. Poor sleep

Sleep problems are a common sign of stress. Exercising can help you manage stress in an effective way and also help you sleep better. Avoid using gadgets an hour before bed time and avoid intake to too much caffeine and alcohol to have better sleep. Here are other ways of getting good a night's sleep.

5. Emotional trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition which is triggered by a traumatic incident or witnessing one. It may cause symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and repeated and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. However, it is not necessary that every person who experiences emotional trauma gets PTSD. Deep breathing exercises, physical exercise, avoiding isolation, learning self regulation and taking care of your healthy by avoiding alcohol, junk food and smoking can help in dealing with it.

Also read: Constantly Facing Gut Issues And Indigestion Problems? Chronic Stress Could Be The Culprit!

6. General life stress

A person can take more stress than required for day-to-day struggles. Work stress or having a schedule where you have no time for anything can make you stressed. According to Luke Coutinho, the best way to deal with this stress is by changing your attitude towards the comparatively smaller life problems. Stop taking everything seriously and learn to let go of things. It will give you much less stress and will also motivate you to have a positive outlook towards life.

7. Sedentary lifestyle

Laziness, poor sleep, lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, alcohol and too much junk food are all a part of sedentary lifestyle. These habits can give you stress unknowingly. Hence, it is important to be active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some effective ways to do this.

Also read: Survey Finds Depression In Fathers Is Linked To Emotional Stress In Teenage Girls

Physical stresses

According to Luke, the following are the possible causes of physical stress

1. Poor nutrition

2. Chemicals

3. Toxins

4. EMF Radiation

5. Parasites

6. Chronic infection

It is important to know that stress can have dangerous consequences on your health. The sooner you understand and start working towards this, the better it is for your health.

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.