Taking a Look at Stress

The Science of Stress is an informative video by National Geographic detailing the body response to stress. Stress is the body’s way of getting itself prepared to face a challenge. It is constant problem that everyone has to deal with. It was originally meant to aid our survival, but over time it has become dangerous and lethal to our well being. National Geographic’s video gives us a scientific view of what goes on in our bodies when experiencing stress and its effects on it.

There are many different broad definitions of stress and how to cope with it, known as stress management.

In the first section of chapter 13 the book explains not only the precise definition of stress but also the ways one can become stressed.Society defines stress as anything which forces us to change. Though technically stress is defined as “a negative emotional state occurring in response to events that are perceived as taking or exceeding a person’s resources or ability to cope.” . However, stress used to be defined as “the physiological response to harmful or treating events.” This idea of a negative experience creating stress is not applicable today because now we know that stress does not just come from a negative

Kelly McGonigal discusses the importance of viewing stress as positive, as opposed to negative, by detailing three specific studies and findings about stress. In the first study, it was discovered that people with a significant amount of stress had a higher mortality rate; however, this was only statistically significant if the subject viewed stress as harmful. If the overly-stressed subject didn’t view stress as harmful, they were actually at the lowest risk of dying, even compared to those with a minimal amount. Therefore, it is important to change a person’s perspective of stress. In particular, McGonigal emphasizes that stress is important for a person’s body: it energizes and prepares them to meet whatever challenge they are facing. Furthermore, it helps the blood vessels remain relaxed, thereby allowing the heart to remain healthy.

I agree with Kelly McGonigal, not because whatever she said, is true about stress, but I feel that situation in my life. As she said that stress can be the healthier and gives you joy and meaning of a life. For example, I am not sure that this has been with me since I born, but I need stress in order to survive, and studying well because if I don’t have stress than I feel like helpless, or shiftless. Likewise, people need to distinguish between the good and bad stress before looking the result of it. Similarly, this topic is like “ see and think always right for better opportunities and for being a better

Pope (2005) portrays stress as the perceived shortcomings between demands and the accessibility of resources to meet those demands. Stress is a feeling that affects people of all ages. Stress impacts people in a large array of ways, which include emotionally, physically, and mentally (Rollin,

Stress is not always a short-lived. Some negative effects on a person’s body, such as memory issues and a slower learning pace, are long-term. Long-term stress issues include nervous system issues; High Blood Pressure (HBP). Because your body is tired you are more likely to get sick and may have a higher chance of becoming ill; Skin problems can be a side effect of stress. Diabetes is a risk from chronic stress due to the immune system fighting and affecting insulin cells. While stress will not make a person infertile, if it is a stressful time such as holiday, major family illness, or major life event the ability to become, pregnant may decrease. Research shows certain stages of life are more susceptible to stress such as prenatal, adolescence, and elderly, this can result in reduced hippocampal size, which can also lead to depression later in life. A person is more likely to have a reduced immunity to contagious disease. Treatment plans may involve medication, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exercise, focused deep breathing, rest, there are alternative treatments such as acupuncture, reflexology, essential oil use, diet changes, keeping a journal, or adding a multivitamin to your daily routine may help cope with stress.

Sara Munns in her essay “Keep Calm And Stress On”, argues the negative perception of stress, propagated by modern society has led to an unnecessary push towards lifestyles aimed at mitigating stress in daily life. To give her readers a new perspective of stress, she focuses on the positive aspects of stress and how with the proper view it can benefit its recipient. In this essay I will first, analyze the various claims made by Miss Munns, as well as the assumptions that correspond with these claims, and finally I will conclude by giving a personal account of the overall effectiveness this essay has had on my perception of stress.

Stress is a hurdle that is thrown my way daily. Personally, I’ve always viewed my stress as having a negative effect in my life. I have always blamed my stress for the cause of my depression, face breakouts, and the way I handle situations.

In chapter 13 we learned about many concepts and theories, but one of them is the four major types of stress. One of the four talks about frustration, which is when a person experience whenever the pursuit of some goal is blocked. This happens to me a lot when it comes down to homework or papers. For example, when I get an assignment for a paper and everything seems fine, but then I get stuck because I ran out of ideas to write about. When this happen I get very frustrated because all I want to do is just be done with the paper and get it out of the way. People should learn about this because they should know they are not alone in this situation. Everyone in the world gets frustrated about something going on in their life.

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.

      Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each and everyone’s life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in people’s daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress are numerous and one’s ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living.

Psychological stress is a result of many factors and should be dealt with very carefully. Stress can be defined as “An excess of demand made upon the adaptive capabilities of the mind and body”.(Joseph 1). Another way of putting it, is that there are some things that put certain demands on us. The effects of stress should not be limited to unpleasant emotional states. Many studies have concluded that the effects on our physical health from stress can be extremely detrimental. These adverse physical effects include heart disease and formations of cancer. There are also some societal issues that psychological stress can hamper.

As one has seen, positive stress adds anticipation and excitement to life, and we all thrive under a certain amount of stress. Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, and even our frustrations and sorrows add depth and enrichment to our lives. Our goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it and how to use it to help us. Insufficient stress acts as a depressant and may leave us feeling bored or rejected; on the other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling "tied up in knots." What one needs to do is find a safe level of stress, which will individually motivate but not overwhelm them.

“How many cups of coffee does it take until I risk death?” and, “How many hours of sleep do I really need?”, dances around one’s cluttered mind, between the piles of ungraded English papers or the hours spent in the dimming library, cramming in as much information before that Psychology final. Humans struggle to find that off switch in the back of their heads, for 24 hours is never enough to get anything done. Since our society embraces working hard, both academically and in the workforce, many experience health scares due to stress, bringing up the tricky decision: to put health or work first. While choosing between the two evils presents itself a tough decision, many consider it an important one, for true comfort in life is not found buried under textbooks and stacks of paper.