Understanding Stress

What is stress?

Stress is the body’s physical response to being challenged or threatened. Small amounts of stress such as competing in a sporting event or working on a school project can increase productivity. Yet, too much stress can overwhelm our coping abilities, decrease performance, and lower our overall health.

  • Short-Term Stress: The fight-or-flight response is a commonly
    known bodily reaction to a perceived demand or threat. In human history, a
    person faced with danger had two options to survive: either to attack the
    threat (fight) or run away (flight). The physical symptoms felt during fight or
    flight are similar to those experienced with short-term stress, including
    increases in heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, blood pressure, and
    insulin secretion. Hormones secreted during short-term stress force all bodily
    efforts to go toward fighting against the source of stress.
  • Long-Term Stress: When stress hormones stay in our systems for
    too long, efforts that were previously meant for good, can actually harm our
    bodies. With constant stressors in our lives such as work deadlines,
    relationship issues, and school demands, our bodies can stay in this fight or
    flight state longer than they should, leading to long-term stress. Long-term,
    or chronic, stress can contribute an array of health problems, including
    obesity, heart disease, cancer, and immune system problems. Additionally,
    people suffering from chronic stress are at greater risk for mental health,
    sleep, and sexual problems and are more likely use and abuse tobacco, alcohol
    or other drugs.
  • Common Causes and Triggers of Stress:
    • Physical Environment: bright lights, loud noises,
      extreme heat or cold, bad weather, traffic
    • Social and Relational: aggressiveness in others,
      loneliness, lack of social support, conflict
    • Financial: taxes, bills, unplanned
      expenses, increases in financial obligations
    • Organizational: school or work deadlines,
      completing a big task/project/test, school or work culture
    • Live Events: death of loved one, loss
      of job, work promotion, marriage, birth of child
    • Lifestyle Choices: lack of sleep, poor time
      management, poor nutrition, increased drinking
    • Physiological: poor health, physical
      illness, pregnancy, injury
  • Recognizing the Signs of Chronic Stress: Knowing the signs may help
    you identify chronic stress before it becomes too much for you or a loved one
    to handle.
  • Physical
    • Increased
      heart rate
    • Chest
      pains
    • Muscle
      aches and stiffness
    • High
      blood pressure
    • Headaches
    • Indigestion
    • Weight
      gain or loss
    • Fatigue
    • Frequent
      colds or flu
    • Worsening
      of existing illness
  • Behavioral
    • Increased
      smoking or drinking
    • Changes
      in eating habits
    • Changes
      in sleeping habits
    • Nervousness
      such as nail biting, fidgeting, etc.
    • Yelling
      and swearing
    • Increased
      aggression
  • Mental/Emotional
    • Decreased
      memory
    • Difficulty
      making decisions
    • Inattentiveness
    • Loss
      of sense of humor
    • Blank
      or racing mind
    • Anxiety
      and worry
    • Irritability
      and anger

Everyone has stress to deal with from time to time, but better understanding your personal triggers and the signs of stress can you help you handle it in a more positive way.

Did You Know?

Healthy eating can make you better able to manage stress when it arises or less vulnerable to the effects of stress.