Taming Stress Essay

The definition of stress according to the Oxford dictionary is “A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.”

“Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances”. It is generally known as “pattern of disruptive physiological and psychological reaction to events that threaten the ability to cope” (Oxford Living Dictionaries, 2017).

Stress is a very common everyday thing. People have stress so much that most of the time they don’t even know how much it’s affecting them. Stress can really affect your body, mind, and behavior. It is a normal response to situations that make you feel upset or threatened in a way. Stress is the body’s way of change. The change can either be good or bad.

What is Stress? Stress is not a new phenomenon; it has been experienced throughout history. Stress is a biological response to some stimulus. Fear, panic, anger, tragedy, and even something as simple as being competitive can

The response of the body to stress is somewhat like an airplane readying for take-off. Virtually all systems (the heart and blood vessels, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive system, the sensory organs, and brain) are modified to meet the perceived danger. During conditions of stress there is a shift in the balance between two branches of the automatic nervous system (ANS) – the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).During stressful conditions, the activity of the SNS increases to prepare the body for the fight – or fight response. This means that, among other things, there is an increased heart rate, blood flow, and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) – basically how sweaty our skin is! This response can be thought of as a shift in energy from the process of digestion to the muscles, meaning that the body is ready to take

Stress is something everyone goes through no matter what age, gender or race you are. Stress is the experience of a perceived threat to one’s mental, physical or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of physiological responses and adaptations. When people think of stress they think it’s a bad thing which isn’t true, some stress is just your body’s reaction to certain situations. At times it may seem like stress is taking over your body leaving you physically, emotionally and mentally hurt but what you can do is learn how to manage your stress to have a healthier and happy lifestyle. Stress management is learning to deal with your stress and take charge. There are three types of stresses which are eustress, distress and neustress.

QP shared with Jeremiah when our brain perceives a physical or psychological “threat” it activates hormones that prepare our body to run or fight—or sometimes “freeze” and these stress hor¬mones instantly raise blood pressure, heart rate, and produce a chemical “rush.”

Stress is the unconscious preparation to fight or flee that a person experiences when faced with any demand.

Let us start by understanding what science has to say about stress. According to modern day science, when the mind is pressured under stress, the body's adrenal glands release stress hormones that speed up the body. During this release, your blood sugar levels and your heart rate increase in order to supply glucose (cool energy molecules) to your muscles in case

For starters, what truly is stress? Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. That’s definition is the one

From being more susceptible to illness and heart attacks to an increased risk of mental health issues, stress is a psychological phenomenon that many struggle to manage. Burton, Westen and Kowalski (2015) wrote that, ‘Stress refers to a challenge to a person’s capacity to adapt to inner and outer demands’. It is a psychological process that affects everyone and encompasses both physical and psychological elements and consequences (Burton et al., 2015). Stress is a transactional process between an individual and the environment wherein the individual perceives the situation to either tax or exceed their psychosocial resources (Lazarus, 1981, 1993, as cited in Burton et al., 2015). General adaption syndrome (Selye, 1936, 1976, as cited in Burton et al., 2015) states that stress is experienced in three stages; alarm, resistance and exhaustion. If the body remains within a state of alarm or resistance too long the body’s physiological defences break down increasing vulnerability to illness. Likewise, stress may also increase the risk of health compromising behaviours or mental health issues (Smith, Hancock, Blake-Mortimer, & Eckert, 2007).

     First, stress is defined as an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well being (Patel, 14). Stress is a universal feeling to everyone but the word stress means different things to

Long-term activation of this stress-response system can lead to the disruption of almost all of the body’s processes. If this happens, the individual has an increased risk of developing numerous health problems. So, to prevent this from happening, the problem must be nipped in the bud.

      It is critical to understand important stress management skills.  If stress is not dealt with, it can result in a burnout, or perhaps worse, "People who experience high levels of anxiety are four to five times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke" (Morrison

Stress is also linked low fertility in one’s reproductive organs, and can cause problems during pregnancy or one’s menstrual cycle (www.everydayhealth.com). This happens when one is overwhelmed with the stress he or she is going through in their lives. No one person is the same, meaning stressors as well as stress levels differ for each individual. This is why it is hard for scientists to reach the core because it is a subjective sensation related with a variety of symptoms that differ for each of us. Because of this, stress is not always a synonym for distress. Situations like a steep roller coaster ride that cause fear and anxiety for some can prove highly pleasurable for others (www.stress.org). Each person also responds to stress differently. There are numerous physical as well as emotional responses to stress. Stress can cause an ocean of different emotions that are often times unpredictable. It can have wide ranging effects on people’s emotions, mood and behavior (www.stress.org). Stress has said to have been America’s number one leading health problem. It has been shown that stress levels have escalated in children, teenagers, college students and the elderly for reasons that of which have lead to: increased crime, violence, and other threats to personal safety; pernicious peer pressures that lead to substance abuse and other unhealthy life style habits; social isolation and loneliness; the erosion of family and religious