Stress is your reaction to the demands placed on you, especially if they exceed your ability to respond. The demands may be internal, coming from your expectations of yourself, or they may be external, coming from others or from situations in which you perceive stress. Stress can be caused by good or bad experiences. When the demands on you outweigh the resources you have available, stress is the result.
Americans concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives.54% Americans who say work has a significant impact on stress levels62% Percentage of Americans who say money is the # 1 factor affecting their stress level73% Workers who have taken a day off from work to cope with stress25% 66 percent of Americans say they are likely to seek help for stress66% Teens under high stress are twice as likely to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs.
Many different situations can cause stress. Identifying the causes of your stress is the first step to managing stress. Some common causes of stress include internal stress, environmental stress and the stress caused by overwork and fatigue. Stress can also be thought of as either short term (acute) or long term (chronic). Stress can be positive or negative. The key is to manage the stress, and minimize the negative stresses in your life.
Stress causes your body to prepare for danger. The physical and chemical changes include a rise in blood pressure, increased breathing and perspiration, increased heart rate, and dilated (enlarged) pupils. In other words, your body goes on high alert. This response is known as the “fight-or-flight” response. The fight reaction prepares you to fight an intruder. The flight reaction prepares you to run or hide. Your body will stay on high alert until the danger passes.
Problems occur when your body stays on high alert. Exhaustion is the result. Damage to the body’s organs is also possible. Health problems linked to stress include high blood pressure, heart problems, asthma, and muscle pain. Stress can also cause emotional problems, such as anxiety or depression and damage relationships with your friends, family, and coworkers.
Chronic stress can lead to numerous physical and mental problems such as increasing worry or anxiety, or even panic attacks. Appetite or sleep changes may also result. Nervous habits such as biting nails, grinding of teeth, twitching or pacing are often symptoms of stress as are difficulty thinking clearly, difficulty making decisions or mood changes. One of two of these problems does not indicate severe stress, but those having a number of these symptoms may be under more stress than they know.
A quick way to manage stress is to simply breathe deeply several times. If you can, do something physical. Take a quick walk down the hall or outside if possible. Simply removing yourself from the situation briefly can help break up the stress and let your body know it can relax a bit. Stress management requires both long and short term solutions.
It’s not possible to avoid all stress. The keys to successfully managing stress are: 1) Whenever possible, avoid situations that you know will be highly stressful. 2) For those situations that are unavoidable, remember that you still can control your reaction to the stress. 3) See the above techniques for short-term stress management.