What is stress?
Let us begin with the obvious question – are you stressed? Is it normal to be stressed? What do you think? Do your family and friends constantly use a lot of idiom to suggest you relax, for example, Cool it, Hang loose, Don’t sweat the small stuff, Loosen up and so on? Do you have the tools and skills to manage and relieve your stress?
If your stress levels are being commented on, friends and families might see you as a tense and stressed individual. Of course, this might be your personality or personal style. You might think that other people are far too relaxed, even sloppy in their attitudes. Whereas you are well-organized, responsible, efficient, and let’s face it – uptight!
There are many tests that purport to measure personality. The Myer-Briggs, the most commonly used test in industry, has the dimensions sensing, feeling, judging, introversion etc. The most relevant characterization of stress and anxiety came from an American cardiologist, Milton Friedman who determined there were two personality types – Type A (uptight, driven) and Type B (calm, relaxed). The issue for Friedman was whether the Type A person was likely to be one of his prime candidates for cardiac surgery. No one wants to be THAT stressed.
We are stressed when a range of activities (stressors) in our daily lives present us with challenges, alternatives, decisions, complex or unpleasant events or interactions. From a technical point of view, a stressor is something that speeds up our reaction or response levels. Our body has been conditioned to fight or flee. Our physiological response is to pump adrenaline or cortisol into our system to prepare us for the challenges.
For some, financial problems are the greatest stressor. For others, crowded rooms, crowded cities, the daily grind of an uninteresting job, even getting to work are constant stressors. For some, life events cause stress. My mother, 94 years of age, has just had radiation therapy for cancer. This is a worry for all the family. For others, recent deaths or relationship failures have elevated their stress levels. Stress can cause physical illness. About 50% of one’s response to illnesses is psychological – not medical. It is what we do in our heads that can resolve or inflame our levels of psychological discomfort – stress.
The reality is that all of us experience stress from time to time. There is positive stress, that is, a chemical, physical and/or psychological or emotional tension that produces an urge to create, perform, complete tasks, react and respond. On the other hand, there is distress, a level of discomfort that interferes with our emotional well-being and mental health. This form of stress can either be acute, that is, episodic and short-lived, or chronic (lasts for a long time).
When stress is positive (this is called eustress) we are motivated and/or compelled to act. When we respond to a horror movie, when we are excited into action by new productivity or sales targets at work, when we think about a particularly exciting date, when we compete in a track or field event, and even when we get ready for a picnic we are experiencing positive stress. Our body is getting pumped up and is responding psychologically, emotionally and physically to this new event so that we can perform at a high level. All of this is good; positive stress builds up our energy levels and our readiness to perform at a higher level and to respond to the stimulus event.
When stress is negative, we talk about being stressed out, over-stressed, even burnt out. In these instances, the stressor is far too great for us to respond in a positive and effective way. Our body responds with headaches, stomach upsets, elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Some people get blotchy skin and rashes. Some get ulcers, heart disease and even suffer strokes or die. From a psychological point of view, typical responses to chronic stress include anxiety, phobias, diminished self-assurance, dysthymia (mild depression), clinical depression, anger, obsessive thought disorders and, unfortunately, thoughts of suicide.
Knowing how to manage stress is an obviously vital weapon in our fight to stay healthy. We are not born with this knowledge; nor do we take classes in this most important learning. Information dispels fear and increases our ability to successfully deal with the complex and challenging events that make our lives so exciting yet potentially harmful. Everyone can learn to manage stress simply and easily.
Dr Jeff
For the team at
mightydigitaldownloads.com
Dr Jeff Bailey, psychologist, helps stressed patients. Why put up with stress? Learn stress management skills now. Click here for the free What is Stress by Dr Jeff. Don’t waste another minute stressed and burnt out. Act now – learn how to relieve stress.
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