Stress

Everyone has to deal with stress every day. Stress occurs when the body has to make changes and adapt to a new demand or situation. It can be caused by both pleasant and unpleasant situations and can produce both positive and negative stress. Stress is a normal, healthy part of life. Only when stress becomes excessive does it become a concern.

Types and Levels of Stress

• Acute stress comes and goes quickly and is centered on a single event, such as a car crash. While it may only last for minutes, it can often last for weeks.
• Chronic stress is a long-term issue usually caused by an ongoing situation or by a series of events that induce stress. Situations that can lead to chronic stress include a difficult marriage or unsatisfying working conditions.
• Stress occurs in different levels. People might not even notice stress in low levels. Slightly higher levels can lead people to change their environment or their behavior to avoid the stress. It is high levels of stress that can cause harm, since they can contribute to conditions like heart disease.
  

Causes of Stress

Since stress is such a basic part of life, it can result from many situations.

1. General conditions in your life can lead to chronic stress.

• Your state of health can cause stress, especially if you have a chronic health problem.
• Your emotional state can also cause stress, especially if situations cause you to feel grief, anger, depression or low self-esteem.
• Relationships can cause stress. Problems in existing relationships and a feeling of loneliness can all cause stress.
• If your job is unsatisfying or you feel you have no control over it, it can cause stress.
• Your basic environment can also cause stress. For example, living in a poor neighborhood or facing discrimination can induce stress.
  

2. Normal changes in your life cycle and stage of development can also cause stress.
• Reaching puberty brings on hormonal changes that can cause stress.
• Pre-Menstrual Syndrome occurs when the hormone levels in a woman drop prior to menstruation. This causes a temporary increase in stress.
• Major life changes, such as leaving home, getting married or having a baby, may cause stress.
• The death of a loved one can also cause stress.
  

3. Specific events can cause stress.
• Minor, daily events such as being stuck in traffic or getting into an argument with a family member
• Leaving or losing a job or getting divorced
• Major illnesses, either your own or a loved one’s

Effects of Stress

• In the short term, acute stress causes your body to respond instinctively with a fight-or-flight response. The body releases hormones that make it alert and ready to take quick action until the body decides that the situation is no longer dangerous. Although the body stops producing the hormones that make it alert, it takes between 30 to 60 minutes for them to leave the body. Problems occur when your body doesn’t have enough time to recover between these acute stressful events.
• In the long term, chronic stress can have substantial negative affects, including:
• muscle pain, especially in the neck, shoulders and lower back
• problems with the stomach, including ulcers
• amplifying the symptoms of asthma and other lung diseases
• lowering the immune system and making people more vulnerable to illness
• increased blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and an increase in the risk or severity of coronary artery disease, heart attack and heart failure.

Managing Stress

• The first step to managing stress is becoming aware of what specific situations cause you to experience stress.
• By recognizing what parts of these situations you can change and what you cannot, you can learn how to cope with stress.
• By putting stressful events into perspective, you may be able to lower your body’s response to these situations.
• Regular aerobic exercise has been proven to reduce stress.
• Relaxation techniques such as meditation and slow, deep breathing can reduce tension and lessen your body’s response to stress.
• Writing about the stresses in your life or talking about them with someone you trust can relieve stress and help you to cope.
• Finding a hobby or activity that you enjoy can also relieve tension.
• Learning to manage your time efficiently and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce stress. This can include getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, refraining from smoking or excessive drinking and exercising on a regular basis.
• When stress becomes overwhelming and you feel as if you cannot deal with it alone a therapist or counselor might be able to help.