Know how to handle stress

IT is worrying to read that the country’s biggest hospital – the Port Moresby General Hospital is being manned by “stressed and flat-out” workers, resulting in the deaths of some doctors.
Good mental health is vital for our healthy life.
There is more to good health than just a physically healthy body.
A healthy person should have a healthy mind.
We all live in difficult times, as readers of this newspaper know well.
Worries about the state of our safety, finances, health and many others can take a physical and emotional toll on us.
We do not realise that the pressure we all face in our everyday life is stress.
Stress is becoming a common mental health problem among people.
Stressful and anxious feelings are common responses to a situation.
Anxiety is more than just feeling stress or worried.
Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behaviour such as extreme worrying, being fearful and unsure about things such as health, money, or family problems.
Mental health is the most important aspect of a person’s wellbeing
Often times, where is something wrong with our bodies, we take it seriously.
We go to the doctors to try and figure out what is wrong to find a solution.
Our friends and family come to our aid and offer support.
Physical illness, as difficult as they are, can grow our mental strength and bring out the best in those who care for us. Just as the physical body can fall ill without notice, so too can the state of mind.
This is called mental illness; it affects the person’s emotions, thought or behaviour, which is not shared by their cultural beliefs, personalities and produce negative effects on other person’s life and their families and community.
Mental health is about the way you think and feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs.
Mental health has become a global issue especially during this global pandemic – Coronavirus.
The only major difference is how one person deals with stress compared to another.
Some people are motivated by stress and perform their best under pressure.
Others buckle down and become useless when confronted with stress.
Stress is a normal component of life and all of us should know how to deal with it and manage it properly for a happier and healthier lifestyle.
If positively handled, stress could even make us stronger, more efficient and more effective.
Our regular columnist in the Health Watch section Dr Uma Ambi has always stressed the importance of allowing our mind to be free and not to get caught up in a situation that bears little importance to your life; keep life simple and do enjoy the simple things of life.
Just as doctors and medical workers, health is an important requisite for all of us.
If we do not know how to handle stress that confronts us every day, then we will be out of control, and stress will overtake and conquer us and our being.
If we allow stress to dominate our life, and not fight it and deal with it properly, we will live a very unhappy and unhealthy life.
We come from a community that cares.
We are blessed that our society is built on a structure that encourages one and other when one member goes through a rough patch.
But our people should know how to handle stress individually, otherwise it will become a chronic issue for the society and country.