Stress and Anxiety

Stress is a normal part of life.  In small doses, it can assist you with performing under pressure and motivate you to perform at your best. However, if you are always under stress, your body and mind will suffer. 

Stress is a normal physical response to any event that upsets your balance or threatens you.  When you sense danger, whether it is real or imagined, your body's defenses will jump into a higher gear.  This is the body's way of protecting you.  At a certain point stress will cause damage to your mood, your relationships, your health, your ability to work, and your overall quality of life. 

Long-term exposure to stress can have profound effects on your body.  It will increase your blood pressure, suppress your immune system, cause infertility, increase your risk of stroke and heart attack, and age you quickly.  If you have long term stress, your brain is more vulnerable to developing depression and anxiety. 

The following problems are made worse by stress:  pain, digestive problems, heart disease, obesity, depression, sleeping problems, autoimmune diseases, and skin conditions. 

There areas several factors that will influence the amount of stress you can personally handle.  If you are not very good at controlling or dealing with your emotions, you are more vulnerable to stress.  This means that you may not know how to soothe or calm yourself when you are feeling angry, sad, or afraid.  You also need a network of supportive friends and family members, for with a strong support network, you are less likely to feel isolated, and isolation can lead to more stress.  If you generally have an optimistic attitude, you tend to embrace challenges, accept change, and have a good sense of humor.  These factors will help you handle stress.  Also, if you are self-confident and you know that you are able to perservere through challenges, you are more likely to feel that you can handle stress.  Additionally, the more realistic you are and the more prepared you are, the more likely you are to be able to handle the stress that you are dealing with. 

Causes of Stress

The pressures and the situations that cause us stress are referred to as stressors.  Anything that puts high demands on you or causes you to change can be stressful.  This can even include positive events, such as getting married.  Events or situations that are stressors for you may not be stressors for others.  Stress can be self-generated.  Stress can be caused by work, major life changes, financial difficulties, problems in your relationships, children and family, and being too busy with a lack of time. 

Stress can also be caused internally by pessimism, perfectionism, a lack of assertiveness, expectations that are unrealistic, an inability to accept uncertainty in life, and self-talk that is negative.

Symptoms of Stress

You need to be able to recognize when your stress levels have skyrocketed out of control.  Stress can quickly creep up on you. 

Some of the emotional symptoms of stress include a sense of loneliness or isolation, depression or unhappiness, moodiness, a short temper or irritability, agitation or an inability to relax, and feeling overwhelmed.  Behavioral symptoms include sleeping too much or not enough, eating too much or not enough, social isolation, using alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes to relax, nervous habits, and procrastinating.  Physical symptoms of stress overload include diarrhea and constipation, aches and pains, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, frequent colds, a loss of sex drive, nausea, and dizziness.  Cognitive symptoms of too much stress include poor judgment, the inability to concentrate, memory problems, constant worrying, racing or anxious thoughts, and seeing the negative only or being pessimistic.

Treating Stress

Managing your stress is all about taking charge of your stress.  You must take charge of your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and your thoughts.  Your number one protection against stress is having a strong support network.  It is important to have friends and family members that you are able to count on when your stress becomes overwhelming. 

Relaxation techniques are another way that people have learned how to relax and lower their stress.  Some people find that meditation, yoga, and deep breathing help you to become relaxed. 

It is also important that you take care of your emotional health.  Getting enough rest is important for your emotional health, just as good nutrition is too.  You need to also exercise in order to relieve your stress and improve your mood.  It is said that getting a little sunlight every day is also good for your health.  Take some time for yourself for enjoyment. 

Stress can be treated effectively and controlled, but it is important that you know the signs that you are becoming overwhelmed before it occurs.  Many of us do not take the time to take care of our emotional health, and this is a mistake, because it will take a psychological and physical toll on us.