Stress is defined as any emotional, physical or chemical factor that causes tension in either the body or mind, and that could be a catalyst for disease.

Both physical and chemical factors causing stress can include:

   Trauma
   Infection
   ToxinsIllness
   Injuries of just about any type

On the other hand, the emotional causes for stress and tension are extremely numerous and vary widely.

When the term “stress” is used, it is most frequently in reference to psychological stress, however, both scientists and physicians utilize the word in order to recognize any force impairing the stability and the balance of the functions of the body.

It should be recognized that not all stresses are bad. In fact, a mild degree of stress and tension are considered to be beneficial for many purposes, if only a great motivator! Feeling stress for the completion or assignment on time will frequently push us to get going and do a good job, while working energetically. In the same way, exercising will put temporary stress on some of our body functions, but the health benefits of exercise are undeniable!

It is only when stress is overwhelming or when it is poorly managed, that it can result in negative effects.

Dealing with stress, is a part of normal life. Therefore, when one is managing stress improperly, it is not a matter of eliminating or even reducing stress, as much as it is a matter of learning proper stress management skills.

Stress presents itself to everyone, in all forms, no matter the age or walk of life of the person. There aren’t any external standards that can be put in place In order to predict the stress level that will result in an individual. Just because a job is not stressful, doesn’t mean that the work environment is not - and a student with one paper may be much more stressed than a student with three paper.

The stress in your life depends greatly upon many individual factors, for example:

Your health
Your interpersonal relationships
Your commitments and responsibilities
The degree of dependence upon you
The degree of expectations placed upon you
The number of changes and traumatic events that have occurred in your recent life

Of course, there are some generalizations that can be made. Adequate social support will generally reduce the overall mental health of an individual, leading to greater ease at releasing stress. Proper nourishment and sleep levels are also important for better handling stresses.

Excess stress that is not properly managed, is not in itself the problem as much as the many symptoms that it can produce. These include:

Sleep disturbances,
Headaches
Anxiety
Anger
Poor concentration
Depression
Increased or decreased appetite

As well as a large number of other varied symptoms.

There are many ways in which to educate yourself so that you can better handle your life’s stresses. These include many that can be provided by your doctor, as well as those suggested within the resources on this site, including fantastic books and articles. In depth learning about stress can help you learn the many different ways in which you can deal with stress, and help others to manage their own stress levels.

MindSymphony Recommends

 

In the News

In Depth Articles & Webcasts

Links