Stress

Stress is an unavoidable part of our regular lives. We cannot do away with it nor can we wish it away. In verity, we may have to figure out ways to deal with it. Coming up with a definition of stress is by no means a simple task. Over the decades, there have been many debates to come upon one conclusion on what stress really is. However, that conclusion still is not unanimous amongst the researcher's fraternity; different researchers have a different perception of stress.  

Stress has been defined in conservative terms as a cause and effect relationship between the body and the environmental factors influencing it. The scientific definition of stress encompasses both the positive as well as the negative effects of stress to define this phenomenon.  A definition states that stress is a condition when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal resources that the individual can make available.” Stress is a regarded as a medical condition and it can have a serious repercussions. It is thus, very crucial to cope up with it and to accurately pin point the cause of stress. The intensity of stress greatly depends upon the cause of stress. For example, stress could be a combination of stressors related to the work place and an individual’s inability to cope up.

Stress is a critical feature of our everyday lives. Though observed very commonly, it has numerous psycho physiological aspects. Though it sounds scary, what we need to understand is that the brain is the true origin of stress.  In order to have a reaction on the emotional or physical level, the brain must process the happening sin the surroundings and must initiate a perception and appraisal system.

The senses of our body provide the necessary inputs for this perception system. The scary part of the scenario is that the brain need not be provided with ' real' stressors; either of the sensory organs can even perceive stress and communicate as such to the brain. Thus, stress cannot have a definite form since the brain of each person works uniquely and differently. It may not even be possible to uniquely attribute stress to a particular event, since what may be perceived, as a stressor by an individual may not be a potential stressor for someone else.

Stress is known to affect the normal functioning of the body. As a result, it can cause severe illnesses. Some of the known physical signs are a dry mouth and throat, tightening of the neck and back muscles, chronic neck and back pain, indigestion, headaches, muscle tics, tremors, insomnia and fatigue. A wear down of the emotional functioning is also a result of stress. During stress, patients experience a quickening of heartbeats, increase in blood pressure and the body releases adrenaline, which quickens the body's rate of metabolism. If this situation continues for prolonged periods, it can result in a weakening of the immune system.

 Stress has been recognized as a form of illness to be regarded with due seriousness. Though stress itself does not signify a particular disease with perfectly known symptoms, it can trigger the onset of a variety of diseases.

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Dealing with Stress

Stress affects everybody and anybody these days. There is a persistent prejudice that only grown-up adults are prone to stress. In the fast-paced life of today, anybody from a child of ten to a person of eighty can experience different levels of stress. Here are some ways  of identifying and dealing with stress.

Stress symptoms include mental, social and physical changes that a person experiences. These include exhaustion, headaches, crying, sleeplessness, oversleeping, loss of appetite and feelings of frustration, rage, apathy.

If you feel that you are stressed out and this stress is interfering with your normal activities then you must seek professional guidance. Sometimes, dealing with stress can be easy and you can do it on your own. Look around and see whether you can change, the situation that you are in. Set realistic goals for yourself so that you reduce the number of events that are going on in your life. It stops the circuit overload that you experience. This can sometimes become very serious and can cause a nervous breakdown. 

More tips include;

1) Prioritize the series of events that go on in your life. 

2) Do not fret over the entire workload. Instead, dissect it in small bit and pieces and perform them one by one. 

3) Meditation and breathing exercises help a lot in controlling stress and cleansing your mind of all the disturbing thoughts.

4) Get your mind off all the worries of your life. Get busy, do something for others and keep your mind occupied so that you ignore all the stressful situations. It helps in reducing stress but that happens to a small degree. If you stop and have a rest then all that will come back and you will feel that you are not caring enough for yourself. This can increase the stress manifold. The best way is to treat the stress before it ensnares your life.

5) Get just the right amount of sleep. Do not keep awake when you know that you need rest. Lack of sleep aggravates stress. 

6) Exercise is a most important tool when dealing with stress. When you exercise, your heart pumps blood faster which increases the blood flow to the brain. This is refreshes you a lot. The increased heart rate, breathing and blood flow contribute to the release of serotonin, a feel-good hormone in your body. It relieves the stress and combats the cortisol in our body. (Cortisol is the stress-hormone of our body.)

Note that being pessimistic is a number one symptom of stress and depression. Try to think positive and go easy on yourself. Face any situation that you encounter and then think about it in a positive way. Twist the message of the situation to tell yourself that it is in fact good for you. 

Remember one thing, a little bit of stress is like a small cup of coffee. It stimulates you to be alert and precise. You need some sort of pressure to keep you at bay and to keep you working efficiently. But too much of stress can lead to many physical problems which can lead to other graver problems like migraine, chronic depression, nervous breakdowns and so on. Stress weakens your immune system and hence, makes you more susceptible to diseases. Bearing stress is probably the worst way of dealing with stress!