Emotional Well-Being - What is stress
Emotional Well-Being - What is stress
What is stress?
Stress is a mental, emotional, physical, and often behavioural response to a wide variety of stimulants that occur in our every day life. Stress is often described as the FIGHT or FLIGHT mechanism so that when a person is faced by a challenging situation the body is able to react appropriately. During this state the body takes on some physical changes:-
• Heart rate increases
• Energy supply is boosted
• Sweating occurs
• Adrenalin is released and feelings of excitement occur
• Blood supply to less vital organs is reduced (pale face may occur)
• Breathing becomes rapid increasing oxygen supply to vital organs
• Mouth dries
When the danger situation has been removed the above symptoms will disappear and the body will return to normal
Contrary to popular belief, stress is not necessarily caused by just one serious upsetting event. The term actually refers to the automatic reaction of our bodies due to the many demands being placed on us by ourselves and others everyday experiences.
Stress is an unavoidable part of living. To be alive is to experience the joys and frustrations of stress. Some stress is good for us, the so-called spice of life. Other stress, such as a poor grade on an exam, can be either harmful, if you interpret it in a strictly negative way, or useful, if it serves as an incentive for you to develop better study habits. Since stress is unavoidable, it's important to learn to live with it and make it work for you.
How you can control your view of events and experiences will make a difference to whether you feel stressed or not. Individuals vary in how people view and respond to stress. Some people seem to thrive on deadlines; others get anxious. For instance, a deadline for a class assignment may help you organize a schedule to get the paper done. It may cause someone else to become upset, dwell on, lose sleep worrying, and finally stay up all night trying to finish the project. Concerns arise when the stress levels become so intense and so persistent that we are unable to cope. Prolonged stress can lead to fatigue and harm an individual to the point of distress, dysfunction, and disease.
It is very important that we monitor our stress levels and ensure we look after ourselves during difficult times and develop skills around coping and building good physical and mental health
What is stress?
Stress is a mental, emotional, physical, and often behavioural response to a wide variety of stimulants that occur in our every day life. Stress is often described as the FIGHT or FLIGHT mechanism so that when a person is faced by a challenging situation the body is able to react appropriately. During this state the body takes on some physical changes:-
• Heart rate increases
• Energy supply is boosted
• Sweating occurs
• Adrenalin is released and feelings of excitement occur
• Blood supply to less vital organs is reduced (pale face may occur)
• Breathing becomes rapid increasing oxygen supply to vital organs
• Mouth dries
When the danger situation has been removed the above symptoms will disappear and the body will return to normal
Contrary to popular belief, stress is not necessarily caused by just one serious upsetting event. The term actually refers to the automatic reaction of our bodies due to the many demands being placed on us by ourselves and others everyday experiences.
Stress is an unavoidable part of living. To be alive is to experience the joys and frustrations of stress. Some stress is good for us, the so-called spice of life. Other stress, such as a poor grade on an exam, can be either harmful, if you interpret it in a strictly negative way, or useful, if it serves as an incentive for you to develop better study habits. Since stress is unavoidable, it's important to learn to live with it and make it work for you.
How you can control your view of events and experiences will make a difference to whether you feel stressed or not. Individuals vary in how people view and respond to stress. Some people seem to thrive on deadlines; others get anxious. For instance, a deadline for a class assignment may help you organize a schedule to get the paper done. It may cause someone else to become upset, dwell on, lose sleep worrying, and finally stay up all night trying to finish the project. Concerns arise when the stress levels become so intense and so persistent that we are unable to cope. Prolonged stress can lead to fatigue and harm an individual to the point of distress, dysfunction, and disease.
It is very important that we monitor our stress levels and ensure we look after ourselves during difficult times and develop skills around coping and building good physical and mental health