Stress is our body's way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When we feel threatened, our body automatically responds to prepare us for the situation. Our heart beats faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and our senses become more keen. Our body becomes stronger, stamina increases, reaction time increases, and focus in more intent. These reactions are known as fright or flight and is our body's way of protecting itself. When stress is working properly, it helps us stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, it can save our life. It can also help us rise to challenges. It helps us do what we need to better our performance. However, if it is beyond our comfort zone, stress stops being helpful and can start causing major damage to our mind and body.
Our body's autonomic nervous system sometimes does a poor job of distinguishing between daily stressors and life-threatening events. If it repeatedly experiences fight or flight responses in our daily life, it can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, speed up the aging process, and leave us vulnerable to a number of mental and emotional problems. Some health problems that could result are:
- pain of any kind
- depression
- heart disease
- weight problems
- auto immune diseases
- digestive problems
- sleep problems
- skin conditions
Following are some signs and symptoms of stress overload:
Cognitive Symptoms Emotional Symptoms
memory problems moodiness
poor judgement short temper or irritability
constant worrying agitation and inability to relax
seeing only negative feeling overwhelmed
anxious, racing thoughts sense of loneliness and isolation
inability to concentrate depression or unhappiness
Physical Symptoms Behavioral Symptoms
aches and pains eating more or less
nausea, dizziness sleeping too much or too little
chest pain, rapid heartbeat procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
diarrhea or constipation nervous habits such as nail biting or pacing
frequent colds isolating yourself from others
Remember the signs and symptoms of stress can also be caused by other psychological or medical problems, so if you are experiencing any warning signs of stress, it is important to see a doctor to help determine if they are stress related.
Tomorrow: A Stress Quiz-How well to you handle stress in your life?
This is a great article. It is good to realize it is good to have a little stress in our lives. Will your follow this with suggestions to manage stress before it gets to overload?
ReplyDelete