What is stress?

The term “Stress” denotes to the result of the failure of the human body to respond correctly to emotional or physical threats. It is a normal response when you feel threatened, whether it is real or imagined

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly (small doses), it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can even save your life, giving you an extra strength to defend yourself. Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus by preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand. But too much of stress, beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Physiology of stress

In response to the stressor (cause of stress), the brain releases hormones (small amount of chemicals that are produced by cells and affect other parts of the body) which include adrenaline and cortisol. They interact with one another in the brain and throughout the body.

Chronic (long-term) exposure to stress can lead to extensive health problems by disrupting almost every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, raise your blood pressure, increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, can contribute to infertility and speed up aging process. Moreover, chronic stress can trigger anxiety and depression as well.

Health problems that usually are caused or enhanced by stress:

- Heart disease
- Digestive problems
- Sleep disorder
- Pain of any kind
- Depression
- Weight gain or loss
- Autoimmune disease
- Skin conditions

Sources of stress

The possible causes of stress are many and depend on the individual. The causes of stress depend in part on your perception of it. Not all the stressors are considered negative, for example certain demands can cause stress, such as getting married, going to college, getting a new job, buying a house or even receiving a promotion.
Stressors can be environmental issues (food, housing, health, freedom), sensory (pain, bright light), social issues (relationship, birth, death, marriage, divorce), life experience (unemployment, depression, heavy drinking, lack of sleep).

How much stress is too much?

Because too much stress can cause a lot of damage in your body, it is very important to know your limit. And how much stress if “too much” is different from one person to another. Your ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors such as:

Network support: support from your friends or family members is a big shield against life’s stressors.
Sense of control: self confidence and in your own ability to influence events and carry on the challenges that you face.
Attitude: positive thinking, optimistic attitude tends to embrace the challenges better.
Knowledge and preparation: the more you know about the causes of your stress, the easier to cope.

Signs and symptoms of too much stress

It is very important to learn and know when your stress levels are out of control. The signs can be almost anything, since stress affects your mind, body, and behavior differently from person to person.

Some of the common signs and symptoms of stress are the following:

The more signs and symptoms you notice in yourself, the closer you may be to stress overload. But be aware that others psychological and medical conditions can cause this signs and symptoms as well. You need to see a doctor or a health care provider to determine whether or not your signs and symptoms are stress-related.

How to deal with stress?

It is well know that stress is definitely damage your mind and body, therefore are many things that you can do to diminish its impact and cope with its symptoms.

How to relax?

Since you cannot remove stress from you life, you might as well control it. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, tai-chi, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, where you can reach a state of restfulness. These activities, when practiced regularly can reduce your everyday stress levels and improve your feeling of tranquility. DON’T IGNORE YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH.

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