Stress is the natural reaction of the entire body to a situation it perceives as new, unpredictable, or threatening. If a car suddenly speeds toward you, your whole body will go on high alert and into a state of readiness to escape the threat: it secretes adrenaline, your heart rate speeds up, and you start breathing faster. In cases like this, stress is essential to survival!
However, constant stress can cause many health problems. For example:
It weakens the immune system and increases the risk of coming down with colds or other infections or even developing cancer.
It damages the brain cells responsible for memory.
It speeds up the aging process.
It promotes the onset of psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Stress may also trigger headaches.
It may contribute to diseases like hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.
Everyone experiences stress differently, but the most common symptoms are:
There are many stressors and is different for everyone. A situation that causes intense stress for one person may not cause much stress for someone else. Stress depends above all on how you perceive a situation and how you react to it.
Some of the common causes of stress are the death of a loved one, divorce, separation, disease and injury. Even positive events can be stressful, such as a move, a vacation, or the holidays. Daily life also brings its share of stresses, such as conflict with a friend, stress at work, or school exams.
To manage stress, we must first recognize our personal sources of stress and then learn what to do to avoid or at least decrease them. You can keep a diary to identify your sources of stress and what you did to reduce the stress.
As a first step to reducing stress, you can also think about the following changes:
Stress is a common problem in our society. We have to avoid letting it cause serious health problems. Seek help from a health care professional as soon as you realize that stress is having an impact on your well-being. Don’t hesitate to consult a doctor, psychologist or a licensed psychotherapist if:
A healthy lifestyle and psychotherapy are basic tools for getting a handle on stress. But sometimes these tools aren’t enough. Your doctor may recommend medication to help you better control stress in your life. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.