What are the best ways to relieve stress? Answers from Pahoussouwè Fréderic Tchassim, Head of Psychology at thePsychology at the National Orthopaedic Fitting Centre (CNAO-Lomé)

---

Extract from the article: Stress is a phenomenon that affects almost everyone. The strict and basic definition of stress is a state of psychological or physical tension resulting from exposure to an upsetting or demanding situation. In its quest for permanent equilibrium, the

---

Stress is a phenomenon that affects almost everyone. The strict and basic definition of stress is a state of psychological or physical tension resulting from exposure to an upsetting or demanding situation. In its quest for permanent equilibrium, the body modifies itself in one way or another by implementing physiological or psychological mechanisms to adapt to the changes it is faced with. These changes (the loss of a loved one, illness, financial worries, the working climate, unemployment, marital and family problems, celibacy, romantic break-ups and other individual difficulties, etc.) require an adaptive response to protect the subject from the threat to his or her survival. It should also be noted that happy events such as a promotion at work, the birth of a child or starting university can also cause stress.

This is a normal reaction. The body's reaction becomes pathological when the individual finds himself overwhelmed, exhausted, running out of psychological or physical resources, deploying ineffective, rigid reactions that last over time (chronic); this is when chronic or pathological stress sets in. It is an unconscious and usually uncontrollable impulse.

Individuals do not react in the same way to the same stressors: some have a high stress tolerance threshold, i.e. they have good adaptation mechanisms.

For example, what causes fear, anxiety or worry in x may be a source of joy in y.Our reaction to life events depends very much on our basic personality.

How do you manage stress?

There is no miracle recipe for managing stress, but there are recommendations and techniques for dealing with stress, ranging from self-management to consulting a specialist in the field to limit its consequences: Become aware that you are in a stressful situation by assessing the seriousness of what is troubling you. This will help you prepare to mobilise your resources to deal with stress factors.Try to change the way you perceive changes in your life, seeing them as challenges to be met rather than fatal threats.Tell yourself as best you can, for example, that after all, ‘life is a struggle’, as the saying goes, and this helps to put things into perspective. Work on your personality (who I am, who the people around me are, what poses problems for me and my daily environment), all of which helps you to adapt to yourself and to others.Set yourself realistic and achievable goals over time in your family, professional and personal life.If you can't do this on your own, ask a psychologist for help with the process. Practise a healthy lifestyle, i.e. get some physical exercise every day (walking, running, swimming). Eat less fat, sugar and salt, and make the most of fruit and vegetables.Do relaxation exercises (deep breathing techniques, massage or muscle relaxation, listen to pleasant music). Avoid or limit alcohol and tobacco consumption as much as possible.Set aside time to rest each day. Devote time to things that give you pleasure, within the limits of your resources. Be aware that all these recommendations are not as easy as that to implement, but everything is possible gradually and it is by ‘forging that one becomes a blacksmith’.

Interview by Jean ELI