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Anticipatory Stress

Anticipatory stress can be caused due to various factors. Those who are waiting for an important letter or interview call or even a bid on a home can work themselves into stressful situation thinking about the possible outcome. While anticipating the event, people exhibit a range of emotional and physical anticipatory stress symptoms and job stress as well. Some may take comfort in eating junk food compulsively and some others may experience stomach related problems or insomnia. Other symptoms include a terrified feeling, cold and clammy hands and a general feeling of being tensed all the time.

Effects Of Acute Stress

Even if it is for a short period of time, acute stress can have a major impact on the physical and mental health of the sufferer. Symptoms can be so severe that they may have to reach out for anticipatory stress treatment. Stress can be life-debilitating and make you take the wrong lifestyle decisions such as getting addicted to illicit drugs, alcohol and other substances, eating unhealthy junk food and not exercising. These decisions can have long lasting impact on your lives much after the outcome for which you experienced anticipatory stress is reached.

Situations That Cause Stress In Anticipation

There are many reasons why we feel stressed and most of them are due to uncertain outcomes. If you are due to give a presentation and you are not sure about the type of audience, you may work yourself up into a knot. You may feel completely out of control and the best way to overcome this feeling and eliminating anticipatory stress symptoms is to identify the uncertainties. Make a list of possible outcome that worry you as this can prevent your mind from wandering endlessly around exaggerated conclusions.

Visualizing As An Effective Anticipatory Stress Treatment

A good way to overcome fear and tension and get rid of unnecessary stress before a major event is to strongly visualize both positive and negative outcomes. One method that’s gaining popularity is yoga for depression that introduces eustress. When your mind processes a potential outcome couple or more times, the impact is greatly reduced which in turn reduces the associated fear.

Restore Sense Of Predictability

You can restore a sense of predictability and overcome anticipatory stress by asking questions such as how will you receive the news you have been waiting for, where will you be and what the possible outcome could be? Reviewing possible reactions in your mind could majorly reduce the impact of the actual outcome.

Rehearsing is another way you can enhance predictability and eliminate anticipatory stress symptoms.  If you are due to give a presentation, rehearse your speech well. If you are waiting for a real estate bid, rehearse the speech you will give if your bid is accepted. The trick here is to automate your reactions.

Make The Event Less Important In Your Mind

Another powerful way to eliminate stress in anticipation is to reduce the importance of that particular event or outcome in your mind. Keep reminding yourself that even if the result is negative and majorly impacts you at the moment, you have successfully faced similar situations and come out unscathed before. Keep the above strategies in mind to avoid unnecessary stress that could become severe enough to make it necessary for you to reach out for anticipatory stress treatment.