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 Stress
Stress affects virtually everyone at some time in their life. As
well as the emotional and psychological disruption it causes, stress-related
medical problems are becoming increasingly common.
We all need to learn how to avoid stress and how to deal with it
when it is unavoidable.
Risk
Common physical symptoms:
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Headaches
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Muscular tension and back and neck aches
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Fatigue
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Sleep disturbances
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Gastrointestinal – irritable colon, cramps, ulcers, colitis
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Immune – Decreased resistance to infections
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Heart – High blood pressure, heart attack, palpitations
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Anxiety and
depression
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What
is the Wellness
Stress Management Programme? |
The Stress Management Programme is available to all members of medical schemes
administered by Medscheme (PTY) LTD, who are registered with the MedBenefit
programme. Confidentiality and integrity of member information is a core
element of this programme.
The
Stress-line will offer you:
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Telephonic counselling, advise, education and support.
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Scientific and clinically-based articles and brochures on relevant topics, e.g.
Depression and Anxiety, Stress Management, Conflict Management, Effective
Communication Skills etc., which can be sent to members, on request. These
articles and other information regarding the programme can also be accessed on
the MedBenefit website:
www.medbenefit.co.za.
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A specific e-mail address is also available to members
stress@medbenefit.co.za for queries and assistance.
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Referral/directing of members, to appropriate service providers, community
resources and health facilities, where necessary.
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Two follow-up calls will be made to participating members to track progress.
Related Information
Please read the related healthcare articles from our
Healthcare Library.
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21 ways to reduce stress
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Burnout
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Coping
Tips
There are certainly things you can do to control the effects of
stress:
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Get active – It’s remarkable how much stress is relieved by
regular exercise
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Good nutrition is fuel for your system
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Organise your time. Do one thing at a time and
prioritise.
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Be realistic don’t take on more than you can handle
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Be compassionate – to yourself. Accept who you are and focus on
your strengths
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Talk about your problems with your loved ones. Talking helps put
things in perspective
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Make time – for social interaction, friends are very
important
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Healthy sleep is essential to make you resilient to life’s tough
challenges
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Avoid to much in the of “pick-me-up” such as excessive coffee,
coke, alcohol, nicotine (cigarettes) and refined “junk” food
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Learn relaxation skills
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Ask for help
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