We are more affected than ever when we face demanding situations or certain times of our live that are even more difficult than we expected. Young people are very stressed when school ends and they have to adapt and accept new requirements and social standards. Adults are stressed because of work and responsibilities regarding their job, home, family, children. Mothers who work are very exposed to stress. In any case, every day, in one way or another, brings more and more pressure.
Stress is defined as all physiological and psychological reactions by which our body responds to one or more stress factors, in his attempt to adapt and to sustain its balance in front of external or internal pressures.
Stress risk factors
Each of us has a certain sensitivity, more or less. Depending on it, on our profile and life experiences through which we passed, people may react differently to the stress factor. However, there are some coordinates that may influence our resistance to stress, being more exposed if:
– we don’t sleep enough and we don’t rest well;
– we have a poor nutrition;
– we don’t have a circle of friends to socialize with;
– we have a sedentary lifestyle;
– we have health problems.
The most stressful times
We mentioned above some stressful situations of our lives, including:
– Diseases and injuries;
– break ups;
– fights;
– redundancies;
– marriage;
– divorce;
– Verbal or physical violence;
– Traumas;
– Retirement;
– Little money or their absence;
– Invoices, charges and credits;
– Exams;
– Processes in courts;
– Prison sentences;
– The death of someone loved or known;
Reactions to stress
We usually realize when we are stressed. We feel restless, we simulate panic attacks...Let’s see exactly which are the body reactions when we face stress. First, the heart starts to beat faster and faster. The breath becomes similar to the way we breath after physical effort: we inspire and expire quickly. The muscle tension occurs, various thoughts seem to fly rapidly in our mind. We feel we’ve warmed up and then the body begins to sweat, in order to maintain its temperature. Our palms sweat, our mouth dries, certain fears appear. When we are stressed, even the process of digestion gets slow.
Types of stress
According to www.health24.com, stress can be divided into three categories, depending on its causes:
1. Mild stress
Is produced by everyday situations such as getting late to a meeting, the presentation of a project, etc;
2. Moderate Stress
Occurs when you get ready for an event, when you work a lot, in order to finish before the deadline, etc;
3. Severe Stress
It appears when you have to move, when you’re worried for a longer time, in case of divorce, death of a loved person…
Health problems caused by stress
When a person is frequently exposed to stress and is affected by stress for a longer time, it may occur:
– Headaches;
– Fever;
– Allergies;
– Eczema, psoriasis;
– Asthma;
– Cardiovascular problems;
– Irritable colon syndrome;
– Increase the blood pressure.
There is also a positive stress
Stress is not always negative. It can have a positive influence on us, but depends on how we can keep our balance. Positive stress makes us be more productive and more efficient in everything we do, more creative, more happy. So a bit of stress does not hurt, but it mustn’t become something that overwhelms us, affects us, especially when we’re not able to face it. Then, we deal with negative stress.
Healthy habits against stress
Dr Chase Webber, from Health24 says that, in the same way we need sport, we need practice in order to face stress. We need to develop ourselves and built a stronger resistance to stress. We can do this by paying more attention to certain habits. First, we need relaxation and rest, then we must think positively, do regular exercise, eat properly, to communicate well, to laugh, to plan everything we need to do in order not to face the deadline, to have around us people who can support our dreams, friends, family;
Certain measures against stress can affect us negatively. For example, if you start eating, drinking a lot of coffee, alcohol or smoke many cigarettes in a stressful situation, you won’t solve anything. Neither if, under the pressure of stress, you watch TV or work on the PC or go shopping and spend everything. Maybe the stress disappears at the moment, but it will occur again. So, it’s necessary to take some long term measures and develop new habits to help you daily against stress.
Sources: www.health24.com, www.romedic.ro
