Stress

In the name of Allah – The source of Mercy – The most Merciful

Do you feel guilty when relaxing? do you lie awake at night worrying about what will happen tomorrow?

Are you tense...does your neck feel knotted up? are you impatient or irritable? 

Do you interrupt when others are talking? do you have difficulty in concentrating? are you smoking or drinking more? do you eat in a hurry? crisis? are you always having rows? 

Do you find it challenging to make decisions? Do you feel frustrated when people don't do what you want? 

Do you frequently experience a butterfly stomach, dry mouth, sweaty palms or a thumping heart? if you have said 'yes' to some of these, the chances are that you are suffering from stress.

Stress and its side effects can arise from a number of factors. Work overload is just one of them. Other factors can also put you under pressure such as changes in your circumstances, unexpected financial difficulties. even changes in your daily routine can be a potential trigger factor for those who are particularly vulnerable to stress. 

What kind of people fall into this stress-prone category? 

The anxious type add copy stress 

This personality type is usually lacking in self-confidence, unsure of his or her abilities even if others try to be reassuring. Anxious people are reluctant to express any negative emotions openly and are often incapable of saying 'no' if someone makes unreasonable demands on them. 

This unwillingness and fear to stand up of themselves comes either from a distorted sense of duty or from the mistaken belief that they will make themselves unpopular if they do not comply with other people's wishes. Even though anxious people appear to be conformist, they often harbour strong resentments against those whose wishes they seem to carry out so willingly. 

Anxious people tend to go for undemanding jobs, which can easily lead them to becoming frustrated and bored. if they progress to a more responsible job they tend to feel easily hassled when the workload increases and will often take their unease out on others. 

The Perfectionist

Perfectionists like everything to be in its proper place and done at the proper time. routine is of great importance, as details. mistakes are not tolerated they will even rewrite a handwritten, informal message if their pen slips or a word has been misspelt. this rather plodding way of dealing with life works out well as long as the job in hand is stable and predictable. 

Their great problems adapting to change, and their unwillingness to give up established routines can cause stress for perfectionists if they find themselves distracted from their routines. their diligent attention to detail means that they are creating stress for themselves when better prioritisation and a more even-handed approach to less important tasks could easily save the day. 

The ambitious type (A-type) 

A-type personalities tend to be hard-driven and aggressive, channelling all their energies into their work. A-types have little or no time for a social life or hobbies, they live, think and dream 'work'. they have problems delegating and are highly critical of themselves and others, often becoming impatient and angry when things do not run smoothly. 

They find it impossible to sit down quietly and do nothing; they are constantly moving, jiggling their knees and tapping their fingers in times of stress they tend to do several things at the same time. They also find it hard to concentrate fully on conversations because they are already racing ahead in their minds, thinking about the next thing they want to do. 

In their efforts to control everything and everyone around them, A-types exert themselves physically and mentally. They are unable to recognise when they have reached their limit and will typically suffer from high blood pressure. A-types are prone to coronary heart disease, ulcers and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). 

All stress-prone types of personalities are driven by one thing fear. The anxious person is afraid to be unpopular and to be considered unhelpful, the perfectionist is afraid of being only human and the A-type is afraid of not being seen to achieve. 

Even though certain personality traits can predispose a person to have these fears, one's upbringing also plays a part. 

Following are some of the factors that can lead to a personality type that is vulnerable to stress. 

Pressure to succeed: when children are pressurised by parents and teachers constantly to achieve the very best results, and if love and approval are dependent on high performance, some children will internalise these conditions and later live their lives accordingly. Self-worth becomes totally dependent on achievements. 

Loneliness: while children are shown little or no affection or interest they can grow up without self-worth or confidence in their own validity as human beings. 

In their attempt to justify their existence, they may dedicate themselves overzealously to their work. 

Over protection: parents who do everything for their children prevent them from becoming independent and from having the opportunity to test their strength against the everyday world. this restrictive upbringing can lead to resentment and rebellion.