STRESS
Unfortunately, stress is becoming a normal accepted part of everyday life. Every week we seem to hear about someone who is suffering from stress. It is becoming more widespread as the pressures and demands of modern living takes its toll.
What causes stress?
Stress can originate anywhere and the causes are numerous. Rushing in the morning for work, bills in the post, juggling work commitments with family commitments, poor relationships, exams, peer pressure, traffic hold-ups, being late for meetings, criticism, pressure, lack of appreciation or understanding - the list goes on and on, and not just for us adults but also for our younger generation.
More kids than ever feel worried, stressed out, and anxious every day. Their parents and teachers may not know—because kids don’t want to talk about it, or they don’t know how to put their worries into words. Their “secret stress” surfaces as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, and an inability to concentrate. These and other stress-related symptoms can have a negative effect on school performance, family life, and friendships.
You might feel yourself to be under constant pressure and unable to cope with the demands of today’s hectic lifestyle. It seems strange that when we have so many time-saving, labour saving devices, washing machines, microwaves, tumble dryers, dishwashers, fast cars, to name but a few, many of us still find it difficult to enjoy quality time doing what we really want to do. How much time have we actually gained from these inventions? When we do have the spare time, how many of us feel guilty when we are inactive or doing something for ourselves?
Many people today are suffering from ‘information overload’ too much information for the brain to cope with. We wake up with fuzzy heads and we go to bed with fuzzy heads. Some companies put undue pressure on their employees; performance, productivity, profit - the competition is fierce and we must all pull our weight or face the consequences.
Do we all react in the same way?
What is stressful for one person may be perfectly acceptable to another, indeed some people seem to thrive on stress and others seem to go to pieces over the slightest little thing. Stress, it seems, is not triggered by an actual event, but how we as an individual react to that event. The situation that makes us feel stressed one day could have no impact the next. More usual though, is that there is a gradual build up of stress, which may or may not, eventually exceed personal tolerance levels.
Not all stress is bad, we need a certain amount of it to motivate us, to get the best out of us. Without stress we can become apathetic, lethargic, lazy. Stress is activating. It’s all a case of balance.
There are two main types of stress, Eustress is the positive and Distress of course, the negative. There is also Post Traumatic Stress, which, as its name suggests, can occur as a consequence of a past traumatic experience.
What physically happens when stressed?
Primitive man was governed by the need to hunt for food and the animal body is designed to act or react as in the ‘fight or flight’ response. When faced with danger the blood flows away from the stomach and to the limbs, (hence that sinking feeling) to enable man to run or fight; the digestion shuts down, which is why it is never a good idea to eat when under stress, otherwise you could suffer from indigestion. The muscles tense ready for action, the glands secrete adrenalin, a powerful chemical, eventually when the threat of an attack is over the body returns to a state of near normal, but it is still on the alert - remaining vigilant.
Technology has advanced at a far greater speed than human beings have. And the stressors of yesteryear are very different from the ones of today. We rarely need to fight or flee these days, (even though we may feel like doing so,) but our body is still prepared.
How does this affect my health?
All that negative energy accumulates in the muscles. It may cause ulcers, migraine, tension headache, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety or panic attacks, perhaps just feelings of general unease. There could be dizziness, irritability, a feeling of being constantly ‘on edge’.
Anxiety attacks, while now quite common, are a typical response to an over buildup of stress. The body tenses up, breathing becomes erratic, often hyperventilation occurs - sometimes resulting in a visit to your local A&E.
Too much stress results in failure of the immune system to produce those important T cells that help to fight off infection. The immune system then attacks itself, resulting in arthritis, ME, MS, HIV, allergies, asthma, to name but a few.
It is known that bereaved people are more at risk of illness than partners who are together. The mental state is lowered leaving them wide open to negative influences.
In some cases, prolonged stress can lead to physical and/or mental ill health. If you think you are currently experiencing stress-related ill health you may benefit from a discussion with your GP.
How will stress affect my job?
Stress related illnesses were the second most common cause of ill health at work, after back pain and musculo-skeletal problems. The most common causes of occupational stress are long hours, excessive workloads, a lack of control at work, and poor communication (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work). Half a million people in the UK are suffering from work-related stress, anxiety and depression levels that make them ill(HSE figures). They also take these stresses home with them – this affects their home life and relationships suffer. HSE defines stress as "the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them". Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated . But excessive pressure can lead to stress which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/index.htm
What can I do to get rid of this stress?
Well for a start, there is Reiki, Reflexology and Emotional Freedom Technique.(Please refer to the Testomonials section of this website).
However, exercise is also great; any kind of exercise will make us feel good, whether it be aerobic such as swimming, dancing, walking, jogging, running or anaerobic such as tennis, football, Exercise is a wonderful stress-buster because it helps to release tension.
Sometimes we need to look at our lifestyles; are we living within our means; are we happy in our jobs/careers; are we in the right relationship; or how can we improve our relationships. All food for thought.
