Stress: Intro

Stress. We all feel it on a day to day basis, it surrounds us. But can you really define stress? People have different perspectives and view situations differently so what one person considers stressful, another could find completely enjoyable. This makes it difficult to be defined. Stress can be manifested during good times and bad. There is stress when a baby is born or a family member is getting married and stress comes after a car accident or loss of employment. The difference between those types of stress is that generally the birth of a baby or a wedding is viewed as a happy occasion. This type of stress is called eustress. A car accident or loss of a job is seen as a bad thing and causes distress.

One of the most common stressors is work. A report that was created by the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health found that 40% of people reported their job to be very or extremely stressful and 25% view their job to be the most stressful thing in their life. A lot of this stress comes from job insecurity and little to no control. Manageable amounts of stress can lead a person to be more productive. It is when stress becomes overwhelming and long term that it starts to become seriously damaging to our health.

Symptoms:

Because people experience stress in so many different ways, symptoms vary from person to person. Some of the more common ones are:

-Frequent headaches
-Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms
-Frequent colds and infections
-Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea
-Chest pain
-Depression, wild mood swings
-Anxiety and guilt
-Reduced work efficiency or productivity
-Weight gain or weight loss

Stress causes our body release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. If a person's body is exposed to a constant flow of these hormones they can become more susceptible to diseases because of a weakened immune system. Also studies have shown that high stress can also be a cause for high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.

Today's stress is more pervasive and long term because it is caused by mostly psychological stressors than physical ones. Physical threats are easy to identify and to resolve. Psychological threats occur all the time and are hard to pin point.

Stress Reduction:

The best way to reduce stress is to figure out what is causing you stress and find ways to avoid it or reduce the effects of it. Getting enough sleep and eating a proper diet and relaxing can help. There are several different ways to relax. Here are few ideas to keep in mind:
-Exercise
-Yoga
-Deep breathing
-Meditation
-Progressive muscular relaxation
-Massage therapy
-Aromatherapy

-Prayer
-Writing in a journal
-Laughter
-Volunteer work

The key is to find something that works for you and do it. For a more ideas on ways to reduce stress, click here.

Stress, the Economy, and Children

I'm sure all of you are aware of the current downturn in our economy. With the financial problems that surround us, stress levels of many individuals have gone up! Not only are adults feeling the consequences of stress but their stress is rubbing off on their kids. I recently came across a news article that discussed this issue.
Kids are feeling the stress of the financial crisis. Most of their worry comes from uncertainty. Financial experts say that the best way to reassure your kids is to do so in an age appropriate way and to be honest about the situation.
This is the best way to deal with any economic crisis that comes up. I think that parents get caught up with the stress that they are experiencing and forget about the worry that their kids must be experiencing. When I was 11, my family experienced some financial problems. My dad was forced into early retirement, and at the time I had no idea what the impact meant. All I understood was that he didn't have a job anymore, and I was convinced that we were going to be poor and that we might lose our house and that I would have no place to live. This really shook me up and I was very concerned about the well being of my family! Eventually my parents were able to explain to me that everything was going to be fine and that we would still have money, but that these changes meant that we were going to have to cut back on our spending. Looking back at this situation, the stress and worry that I felt as a child could have easily been avoided if my parents had explained everything to me from the beginning and simply reassured me that everyone was going to be OK.
For more on ways to help children deal with stress, visit KidsHealth.org.