Modify The Stress In Your Life
Stress can be defined as the force that is required to maintain equilibrium in a physical system. The word is applied to any outside force, it does not imply that the person experiencing stress does not want to do something. If a person has been feeling overwhelming pressure for a long time, then they are likely experiencing chronic stress, which may negatively affect their health and well-being.
What we experience as moderation of stress can be very different from one person to the next. What may cause stress for one person may not cause an ounce of worry for someone else.
There are many different types of stresses that can cause the body to react in different ways, including: physical, mental, and emotional. Stressors come in all shapes and sizes and will affect people in different ways.
Physical stress is caused by pain or damage to the body. Physical stress results in tension and it makes you feel uncomfortable. Physical stress can include: damage to the heart, lungs, muscles and joints.
Mental stress occurs when you are worried or confused. Mental stress affects your thoughts, memory, learning and concentration. These types of stresses can lead to anxiety and depression.
Emotional stress occurs when you feel extreme anxiety or fear and results in a feeling of panic or dread. Emotional stress also includes sadness, hopelessness and shame.
How You Can Lower Your Stress:
How do you lower your stress? Consider these practical tips from the American Psychological Association:
Notice and accept your feelings. If a stressful situation is bothering you, stop and think about it. Stop trying to stop the feeling. Instead, simply notice if you are feeling bad or anxious. Sometimes it is best to accept the feeling and take action to prevent or reduce it later. When you accept your feelings, they don't seem too threatening or overpowering any longer.
Pretend that you are feeling stressed and then do something to relieve the stress. For example, in your mind, imagine that you are at a party where everyone is excited but you feel awkward and nervous. Now, look around and see what activities the other people in your group are doing. Look through your house to see if there are things you can do or places where you can sit to prevent further stress on yourself.
Remind yourself that stress is a normal reaction. Don't worry about feeling stressed. Expect other people to feel it sometimes. If you expect it and accept it, you can deal with it better than if you're shocked by an unexpected experience. Accept that stress is a normal reaction.
How Stress Affects Your Health:
Chronic stress can have major consequences on your health. it can lead to physical symptoms and emotional disturbances. Consider this example: one of my clients was in the waiting room at the clinic where she had an appointment with her doctor. She was feeling anxious about this appointment and felt that something must be wrong with her health because her stress was so bad. While waiting for the doctor, she began to worry about all the things that could be wrong and it made her feel more stressed. The anxiety she experienced became more tense and she felt sick and stiff. When the doctor finally saw her, he asked her how she was doing. She thought immediately of all the things that could be wrong with her health and began to feel anxious again. The cycle continued as my client tried to distract herself with thoughts of work instead of dealing with what was really bothering her, which was feeling anxious about seeing the doctor. These thoughts and emotions caused her to become sick and tense.
Stress can also cause your body to produce too much cortisol, a hormone that is released by the adrenal cortex in response to stress. Cortisol, when released in excess, can lead to major problems in your digestive system, blood sugar levels and blood pressure. It can also affect your sleep patterns. Too much cortisol in the body can cause headaches, weight gain and fatigue. If left untreated, it can cause immune system problems and increase the risk of depression.
Stress can force your body into "fight or flight" mode. In fight or flight mode, blood is diverted from the digestive system and placed in other locations to prepare for possible injury. The digestive system is shut down so that all available energy can be directed to the muscles. This reaction is known as a "gut reaction" and can lead to nausea, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux.
Stress also affects your emotions. It can make you feel angry, sad, frustrated and irritable. Long-term effects may lead to depression and anxiety issues. If you are feeling depressed and stressed over a long amount of time, you may try to self-medicate with substances and activities that keep you from feeling the emotions that come with stress.
If left untreated for too long, stress will affect the way you think and behave. You will start stressing about being stressed and this leads to more symptoms of stress.
Conclusion:
You are what you eat, and your body is an extremely complex machine. While the effects of stress on your nervous, digestive and immune systems are obvious, the effects it has on your brain are less obvious.
When you encounter stressful situations, when you feel under pressure or when you have a huge amount of work to do, then there is no doubt that stress plays a major role in how well your brain works. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety and depression as well as physical symptoms such as headaches and high blood pressure.