Stress:

We generally use the word "stress" when we feel that everything seems to have become too

much - we are overloaded and wonder whether we really can cope with the pressures placed

upon us.

Definition:

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel

threatened or upset your balance in some way.

Stress is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies experience as we

attempt to cope with our continually changing environment

Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both good

and bad experiences. When people feel stressed by something going on around them, their

bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These chemicals give people more energy

and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this can

also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet

for this extra energy and strength. This class will discuss different causes of stress, how stress

affects you, the difference between 'good' or 'positive' stress and 'bad' or 'negative' stress, and

some common facts about how stress affects people today.

Stress can have many profound effects on the human biological systems. Biology primarily

attempts to explain major concepts of stress using a stimulus-response paradigm, broadly

comparable to how a psychobiological sensory system operates. The central nervous system

(brain and spinal cord) plays a crucial role in the body's stress-related mechanisms. Whether

one should interpret these mechanisms as the body’s response to a stressor or embody the act

of stress itself is part of the ambiguity in defining what exactly stress is. Nevertheless, the

central nervous system works closely with the body’s endocrine system to regulate these

mechanisms. The sympathetic nervous system becomes primarily active during a stress

response, regulating many of the body’s physiological functions in ways that ought to make an

organism more adaptive to its environment. Below there follows a brief biological background

of neuroanatomy and neurochemistry and how they relate to stress.

Fight or flight response: The way you respond to a challenge may also be a type of stress. Part of your response to a

challenge is physiological and affects your physical state. When faced with a challenge or a

threat, your body activates resources to protect you - to either get away as fast as you can, or

fight.

If you are upstairs at home and an earthquake starts, the faster you can get yourself and your

family out the more likely you are all to survive. If you need to save somebody's life during that

earthquake, by lifting a heavy weight that has fallen on them, you will need components in your

body to be activated to give you that extra strength - that extra push.

Our fight-or-flight response is our body's sympathetic nervous system reacting to a stressful

event. Our body produces larger quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline and

noradrenaline, which trigger a higher heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating,

and alertness - all these factors help us protect ourselves in a dangerous or challenging

situation.

Non-essential body functions slow down, such as our digestive and immune systems when we

are in fight-or flight response mode. All resources can then be concentrated on rapid breathing,

blood flow, alertness and muscle use

Types of stress:

Acute stress: The most common form of stress and is associated with things to do with our everyday lives

such as losing bills, rushing to meetings or making deadlines or even incidents regarding your

car or your child’s school. These kinds of demands and pressures tend to be short term stress

related issues that don’t have time to do the damage that long term stress could. Acute stress is

actually exciting and thrilling but too much can make you feel exhausted. Symptoms can include

emotional anguish, headaches, back pains and general muscular problems. They may also

include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dizziness, and shortness of breath, chest pains and heart

palpitations. Acute stress can affect anyone and crop up in anyone’s life, but it is very

manageable.

Episodic Acute stress Stress which affects those who suffer from Acute stress frequently. People that suffer from this

tend to always be in a rush. They take too much on and can’t organise themselves to deal with

the demands and pressures. Episodic Acute stress affects interpersonal skills and can make

sufferers hostile towards others causing rapid deterioration of relationships especially in the

workplace. Its symptoms include prolonged over stimulation, persistent tension, headaches or

migraines, hypertension, chest pains and even heart disease. This type of stress can be helped

with lifestyle changes but professional help may be needed before chronic problems develop.

Chronic stress Stress that wears sufferers down. It grinds away at them, making them feel burned out every

day, every week, every year. It’s the stress that someone can feel when they can’t see a way

out of the demands and/or pressures that make them feel depressed, miserable and

disheartened on a constant basis. The stress of feeling trapped in an unhappy marriage or in a

career they despise can both be factors. Chronic stress is associated with ill health, alcohol

excess, violence and even suicide. Chronic stress can be helped with professional and medical

help such as special forms of counselling or targeted behavioural therapy

Positive stress(Eustress): Stress can also have a positive effect, spurring motivation and awareness, providing the

stimulation to cope with challenging situations.

Stress also provides the sense of urgency and alertness needed for survival when confronting

threatening situations.

For example:

Receiving a promotion or raise at work

Starting a new job

Marriage

Buying a home

Having a child

Taking a vacation

Holiday seasons

Taking educational classes or learning a new hobby

Negative stress(distress): It is a contributory factor in minor conditions, such as headaches, digestive problems, skin

complaints, insomnia and ulcers.

Excessive, prolonged and unrelieved stress can have a harmful effect on mental, physical and

spiritual health.

For Example:

Filing for divorce

Losing contact with loved ones

The death of a family member

Hospitalization (oneself or a family member)

Injury or illness (oneself or a family member)

Being abused or neglected

Separation from a spouse or committed relationship partner

TYPES OF STRESSORS:

Internal Lifestyle choices:

Negative self - talk

Mind traps

Personality traits

External Physical Environment

Social Interaction

Organisational

Major Life Events

Daily Hassles

Symptoms of stress:

Cognitive symptoms

Behavioural symptoms

Emotional symptoms

Physical symptoms

Take a look what It further includes:

Cognitive symptoms:

Memory problems

Inability to concentrate

Poor judgment

Seeing only the negative

Anxious or racing thoughts

Constant worrying

Behavioural symptoms:

Eating more or less

Sleeping too much or too little

Isolating yourself from others

Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities

Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Emotional symptoms:

Moodiness

Irritability or short temper

Agitation, inability to relax

Feeling overwhelmed

Sense of loneliness and isolation

Depression or general unhappiness

Physical symptoms:

Aches and pains

Diarrhea or constipation

Nausea, dizziness

Chest pain, rapid heartbeat

Loss of sex drive

Frequent colds

Stressful Situation :

1. When you love some one like your parents .if sudden Death of a loved one cause u a lot

of stress for you, when you thought that you are not going to see him or her In your

whole life.

2. When you are in a relationship and you got Divorce / separation which cause stress .

acctully when suddenly the all things got change even at morning wakening up and not

seeing your loved one is very stressful

3. When ever you got Injury/illness or any of your family member cause stress

4. When ever you are going in a new relation ship getting Marriage/ engagement cause

stress. Like what is going to happen or how the new partner will be.

5. When ever you Loss of job cause a lot of stress ,like how you fulfill your need and your

family.

6. When you are a child you are free form responsibility but when you got adult there is

Change in responsibilities you have to get any job or earn livinghood ,or you have to get

married.it cause stress,

7. When ever you have to Move house.its very stress full like packing ,unpacking and

shifting up stairs,downstairs,

8. When have you made a Minor violations of the law like breaking traffic signals,or any

rules which cause you to pay fine cause stress.

9. If you tell your friend that you guys should really watch a movie and then you two watch

that movie together, you are on-edge the entire time –practically in a panic– about

whether you just highly recommended a movie they may or may not be enjoying and it

is the most stressful two hours of your life. (They probably enjoyed it, too, but you? You

blacked out from the stress of it all.)

10. If you have a big party, you will feel obligated to invite all of your friends, many of which

are not within the same friend group and not knowing if they are getting along or

mingling or even liking each other will straight up ruin that party for you.

11. Even if you bring one new person into an already-established friend group, you feel

entirely responsible for how everyone is getting along and do they like this person, is

everyone having a good time, should I be doing more? It’ll pretty much make you want

to become a recluse.

12. The last thing a people pleaser ever wants is to make someone wait, so running late for

something ranks up there with an impending tornado as among most stressful

situations.

If you are taking longer in a checkout line for legitimate reasons, the stress of

making random strangers behind you wait even an extra two minutes will cause

you to quickly eschew your own preferences so that a bunch of strangers will not

be mildly annoyed at you for a minute or so.

13. Having to send food back because it was prepared incorrectly or has a mistake is 100%

your version of an emotional Mount Everest. (That shit’s hard. What if the server dislikes

you??)

14. Making a mistake that impacts someone else’s life? Nope. No. Worst. Hate. Abort.

15. Any situation in which you cannot automatically defer to others to make the decisions

will make you anxious. If you do have to make a decision on where to go for dinner or

what kind of music to listen to in the car, you will pick exactly what you know your

companions will want to eat or listen to. Sure, you’re a tiny bit of a pushover about this,

but hopefully if you like these friends, you like what they like and you just know how to

save yourself from a stressful dinner or car ride.

16. Cooking for people? Anxiety! So much goddamn anxiety. What if they dislike your food

and then, by osmosis, dislike you?!?

17. Planning a wedding in which you cannot afford to invite everyone? Just don’t get

married. Just stop. Weddings are a people pleasers absolute nightmare. Where do you

seat people? What if the people at the table don’t get along? IT WILL BE ALL YOUR

FAULT AND YOUR WEDDING WILL BE RUINED.

Stress Management:

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress: These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long

run:

Smoking

Drinking too much

Overeating or undereating

Zoning out for hours in front of the TV

or computer

Withdrawing from friends, family, and

activities

Using pills or drugs to relax

Sleeping too much

Procrastinating

Filling up every minute of the day to

avoid facing problems

Taking out your stress on others (lashing

out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

Different strategies to manage stress:

strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be

addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can

eliminate.

Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal

or professional life, taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life

and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with

that person or end the relationship entirely.

Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn

the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the

market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.

Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off

your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same

people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.

Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If

you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.”

Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them

entirely.

strategy #2: Alter the situation If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change

things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way

you communicate and operate in your daily life.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is

bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t

voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.

Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be

willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good

chance of finding a happy middle ground.

Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head

on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for

and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes

to talk.

Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When

you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if

you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount

of stress you’re under.

strategy #3: Adapt to the stressor If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and

regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective.

Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and

regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how

important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth

getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop

setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for

yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on

all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts.

This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Adjusting Your Attitude How you think can have a profound effect on your emotional

and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your

body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things

about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate

words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-

defeating thoughts.

strategy #4: Accept the things you can’t change Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the

death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to

cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run,

it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our

control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them,

focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth.

If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn

from your mistakes.

Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend face to face or make an appointment with

a therapist. The simple act of expressing what you’re going through can be very

cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation. Opening up

is not a sign of weakness and it won’t make you a burden to others. In fact, most friends

will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only

strengthen your bond.

Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people

make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by

forgiving and moving on.

strategy #5: Make time for fun and relaxation Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by

nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place

to handle life’s stressors.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

Go for a walk.

Spend time in nature.

Call a good friend.

Sweat out tension with a good workout.

Write in your journal.

Take a long bath.

Light scented candles.

Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.

Play with a pet.

Work in your garden.

Get a massage.

Curl up with a good book.

Listen to music.

Watch a comedy.

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own

needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t

allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all

responsibilities and recharge your batteries.

Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong

support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.

Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you

joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of

laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

strategy #6: Adopt a healthy lifestyle You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.

Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the

effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week.

Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.

Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so

be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up

and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.

Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often

end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks,

chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.

Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may

provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask

the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.

Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired

will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Alternatives of these strategies:

Conventional Medicine

Counselling & psychotherapy

Relaxation

Meditation

Massage

Yoga

Acupuncture

Aromatherapy

Floatation

Herbalism

Biofeedback

Homeopathy

Hypnotherapy

Osteopathy

Religious Therapy

Reflexology

Effects of stress:

Over time, stress can affect your:

Immune system. Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often. And

if you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make your symptoms worse.

Heart. Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), blood

clots, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It's also linked to coronary artery

disease, heart attack, and heart failure.

Muscles. Constant tension from stress can lead to neck, shoulder, and low back pain.

Stress may make rheumatoid arthritis worse.

Stomach. If you have stomach problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease

(GERD), peptic ulcer disease, or irritable bowel syndrome, stress can make your

symptoms worse.

Reproductive organs. Stress is linked to low fertility, erection problems, problems

during pregnancy, and painful menstrual periods.

Lungs. Stress can make symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD) worse.

Skin. Skin problems such as acne and psoriasis are made worse by stress.

An extreme reaction to stress is a panic attack. A panic attack is a sudden, intense fear or

anxiety that may make you feel short of breath, dizzy, or make your heart pound. People who

have panic attacks may feel out of control, like they are having a heart attack, or are about to

die. Panic attacks may happen with no clear cause, but they can be brought on by living with

high levels of stress for a long time. For more information on panic attacks, see the topic Panic

Attacks and Panic Disorder.

How stress affects your thoughts and emotions You might notice signs of stress in the way you think, act, and feel. You may:

Feel cranky and unable to deal with even small problems.

Feel frustrated, lose your temper more often, and yell at others for no reason.

Feel jumpy or tired all the time.

Find it hard to focus on tasks.

Worry too much about small things.

Feel that you are missing out on things because you can't act quickly.

Imagine that bad things are happening or about to happen

CONCLUSION:

Stress problems are very common. The American Psychological Association's

"Stress in America" poll found that one-third of people in the United States

report experiencing extreme levels of negative stress. In addition, nearly one out

of five people report that they are experiencing high levels of negative stress 15

or more days per month.