By: Sarah Labdar
Stress is a natural part of life. These days there are very few who don’t get stressed over money, the economy, the housing market, jobs or even family. Our bodies naturally react to stress through blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, body temperature and muscle contractions. Everyone deals with stress on different levels and in different ways.  However, if one is not able to deal with stress it can ultimately lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

It wasn’t until the 1930′s that the word stress was used to characterize a condition where a stressor causes stimulus. Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, witnessed an inappropriate physiological response to demand placed on a human or animal.  Before coining the term stress was considered a normal part of daily function and encounters that results in strain. Now, we know that stress plays an important part in physical, emotional and mental well being.

Stress is defined as a failure to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats whether they are real or imagined. The signs of stress are easily recognizable and can present themselves as cognitive, behavioral, emotional or physical symptoms. Therefore when presented with stress one’s whole demeanor, attitude and presence can change. Cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms include poor judgment, negative outlook, anxiety, worrying, moodiness, irritability, agitation, inability to relax, loneliness, isolation, depression, lack of concentration and absentmindedness. Physical symptoms include increased heart rate, breathing, energy, blood pressure, cholesterol and production of sweat. Stress can also cause physical symptoms of aches and pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chest pain, upset stomach and headache. Chronic stress that occurs over a longer period of time consistently can cause both physical and psychological damage to a person. Long-term stress depresses the immune system leaving it susceptible to infections, disease, and illness. Stress promotes the accumulation of visceral fat, which is a leading cause of obesity. Additional chronic stress has been connected to ulcers, cancer, heart disease, increased outbreaks of psoriasis, depression and diabetes. In children who experience chronic stress a stunt to developmental growth is normally seen.

Stress is normally given a bad connotation, which implies it is negative.  However, most people forget or don’t mention good stress. When Hans Selye discovered stress, he studied all types of stress and realized that stress even when its good is still a stress nonetheless. He developed eustress or good stress and distress or bad stress. Eustress is a condition that enhances ones physical or mental function such as exercise, marriage, having a baby or a promotion. Where as, distress is persistent stress that is not resolved through coping or adaptation, which can lead to symptoms of withdrawal or anxiety. The difference between good and bad stress is based upon one’s past experiences, personal expectations, and the resources to cope with stress.

Coping with stress is not an easy task. Everyone adapts to stress differently and some people have an easier time dealing with stress than others. The way that the body reacts to a stressor is understood through the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which describes the effects of stress on the body. Depending upon the intensity and duration of the stressor will determine if the stress is acute-short term or chronic-long term.  At the first sign of stress the bodies stress response is in a state of alarm. The body reacts by producing adrenaline which causes a fight or flight response. Fight or flight is the body’s way of preparing to fight (cope, adapt) or flee. The second stage is the resistance to stress. If a stressor persists the body must find a means of coping with the stress.  Does the body have a way to adapt to the strain or demands of the surrounding environment? As we cope with stress, the body’s resources (nutrients, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals) are gradually depleted. The final stage is exhaustion where the body’s resources are completely used up, leading to inability to function normally. Weakness, fatigue decreased energy, inability to concentrate or think clearly are all signs of exhaustion. Long-term exhaustion can be detrimental to ones health and can manifest disease. Although, these stages represent a model of how stress affects the body, stress can manifest itself differently in every person.

No two people will respond to the exact same stressor in the exact same way. Life experience and social background play a role in determining ones ability to cope with stress. Normal responses to stress include adaptation, coping, anxiety and depression. Coping mechanisms include stress management. Stress management provides individuals with techniques to handle stress on a daily basis. Learning to cope with stress will help you live a happier, healthier life.

Graduated with a BA in exercise science and have worked in the medical field since.  My focus is alternative medicine however all aspects of health interest me.  Check out my health website!

Everyday Health, Live your Life to the fullest!

http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Stress.html

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Eliminating negativity is one of the most important of the stress management tips.

What is stress? Stress is our REACTION to changes that require a response from us.

Note that the definition of stress does NOT point to the change itself, but our reaction to it. It is not what happens to us, but our reaction to what happens to us. That is good news, because, that implies it is something under our control. While we cannot control the changes that happen around us, we can certainly attempt to control how we REACT to those changes.

As they say, the key to reducing stress is to prevent it. And the key to prevent it is to take stock of how we feel about things, and how we react to external stressors.

The first and probably the most important rule to beat stress in its own game is to control negativity arising out of another person’s words or actions (or inaction). This is also perhaps the most difficult of the stress management tips to follow, but the return is maximum in terms of providing long-term stress relief.

What does it take to eliminate such negativity from your life?

** Whenever you catch yourself being critical of, or thinking negative of another person, a circumstance, or even yourself, pull yourself up short, and ask yourself “Is this just a negative reaction from my side? Can I take up the challenge to control it?”.

** Use that situation as a challenge to see if you could give it a positive spin, or at the very least, curb the negativity that arises. We run into

** Upset or angry over someone’s actions (or inaction)? Put yourself in their shoes to understand why they did or did not do it. Realize you cannot always change others. Change yourself by learning to see other person’s point of view.

** Feel insulted by what the other person said? You probably have won the battle already, because by needing to insult you, the other person has put his weakness on display. Now win the war, by ignoring that weakness and moving on.

** Subjected to a joke you did not like? Laugh at it with others. Maybe they did it because they like you, or they did not realize it would hurt you. Give them the benefit of doubt. And learn to laugh at yourself.

The key to these stress management tips is to NOT take things personally. Don’t jump to conclusions about the other person’s attitude.

“We are injured and hurt emotionally – not so much by other people or what they say or don’t say – but by our own attitude and our own response.” -Maxwell Maltz

Prashant is the owner of: http://www.self-improvement-advice.org

The website deals with self improvement advice, ideas and tips focusing on stress management, memory improvement, self confidence, anger management and more – interspersed with several highly inspiring, contextually relevant self improvement quotes.

Learn more about Stress Management including symptoms of stress, main causes of stress, various stress management tips, and the THREE rules to beat stress in its own game.

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In any area of life, when you have a good definition of something, your understanding of that thing increases considerably. When your understanding increases, your ability to use the information increases.

So it is with stress. A good definition of stress would increase your understanding and your ability to handle stress.

Unfortunately, there’s plenty of confusion and inadequate definitions of stress floating around in society. Some sources even state that there really isn’t one specific definition that everyone agrees upon. Other sources vaguely define stress as some physiological reaction to environmental factors.

Neither of these concepts gives us a clear definition that we can understand and use to improve and manage the effects of stress on our mental and physical well-being.

There are two related definitions that will give us a clear concept of “stress” and will open the door to better handling. We’ll look at the basic definition of stress and the definition of a problem first.

The basic definition of “stress” is any opposing reaction or force to your own intention that causes strain or tension.

Similarly (but not the same), the definition of a problem is an opposing intention or force of some kind. Problems can be solved. A problem doesn’t necessarily cause stress or tension.

The main characteristic of a problem that becomes stressful is feeling like we can’t do anything about it. Not all problems are stressful when we feel that we can do something abou

So the full definition of stress is “a problem (or set of problems) that we do not feel that we can solve or do something effective to handle.”

In other words, you could say “I don’t feel like I can do anything about this problem” or “I feel stressed” and it would mean the same thing.

Take anything in your life that feels stressful to you. Apply this definition to it and see if it fits. Is it something you don’t have a real solution for?

Let’s look at it another way. Do you feel stressed by situations or problems that you have a good solution for? Probably not!

Each one of us has our own unique set of problems and our own unique ability to solve them. So the things that may be stressful to one person may not be stressful to another. But this definition of stress allows us to understand and handle stress in an effective way, regardless of the source.

Stress can be mental or physical or a combination of both. Most material on the subject of “stress” deals with mental stress. But prolonged physical stress is the main culprit that causes illnesses and disease. And that leads to even more stress, both mental and physical.

In my research and personal experience, lack of understanding about how the body works and what it requires to be healthy actually causes physical stress.

For example, if you don’t know (or have misinformation about) what kinds of food to eat to give your body strength and energy, you’ll most likely create physical stress when you don’t provide your body with what it needs. The body will be stressed in its effort to survive.

You might not be consciously aware of every single thing that is stressful to you at any given moment. But when you start to handle stress more effectively after you understand the definition of stress, your awareness of stress and how to better handle it will improve.

“Stress” can be handled… Your health, happiness and life truly depend on it!

B. B. Martin is passionate about health education. Her research and writing to help educate others comes from her personal need for useful information on how to improve her own health and energy levels.

For more information on how stress affects health and lifestyle plus tips on handling stress, check out http://www.improving-health-and-energy.com/stress-affect-lifestyle.html

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Essentially the definition of stress states that it is the physical and psychological reaction of an individual’s body to a specific situation that evokes feelings of anger, anxiety or stress. The individual can experience stress either in the workplace or in the home and sometimes in both places. This definition of stress in effect implies that it is the individual’s response to a stimulus in the environment. What this suggests is that it is the new and the unknown that is typically the stress factor.

While stress is commonly perceived as damaging and destructive, a second definition of stress maintains that this isn’t so. This definition of stress argues that stress, whether natural or man-made, acts as a stepping stone to success in many people. These are individuals who relish stress and consider it a learning process. They use the stress as an impetus to move forward as they learn from the experience and respond favorably towards it. Nevertheless, constant exposure to high stress levels does nobody any good. It is this incessant exposure to high stress that causes tremendous distress; both mental as well as physical.

There are several different definitions of stress some of which claim that it is the body’s indefinable reaction to a demand while still other claim that it is the inevitable physical and mental strain caused by the inevitable build-up of incessant pressure. Surprisingly, despite the existence of several different definitions of stress, one thing is for sure- stress is not necessarily regarded as a bad t

Stress Relief and You

From the various definitions of stress it can be inferred that excessive stress can be harmful in the long run. Ideally you should remain stress-free if you want to function at an optimum level. There are several different techniques that can be used to reduce stress levels. While some people find that being by themselves give them relief from stress, others may find the company of family and friends immensely relaxing. Indulging in your favorite leisure activities and sports, whether indoors or outdoors can be a great stress-buster.

If you really want to control your stress and prevent it from escalating, you should make a resolution to never take your office work home with you. Just this small act can do wonders as it frees up so much more leisure time for you to spend indulging in other exciting activities. While the definition of stress may imply that stress is in fact unavoidable this in no way means that an individual should stop experiencing and engaging in other activities.

Reduce stress. Live and feel better. Visit [http://www.suppress-stress.com] today for free articles tips and more including more information about the definition of stress [http://www.suppress-stress.com/dealing-with-stress/definition-of-stress.php] Brett is an avid author and researcher on various topics of interest.

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It is quite surprising how narrow the definition of Stress can be. According to the Oxford English Dictionary: “Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.”

Another simpler definition is that Stress is an intrusion on our peaceful existence. All of us strive to have orderly and peaceful lives and it is when our routine changed that we suffer from stress.

So is the Dictionary definition right or wrong? Yes and No.

If you are a person that experiences difficult situations in your daily life and it therefore becomes incorporated into your routine you are probably, by the second definition, less stressed out than someone that only rarely experiences such situations. I would therefore like to introduce, the further definition that: “Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain, resulting from demanding circumstances that are out of our Control”.

As nobody has complete control over their circumstances it must also be that everybody gets ‘Stressed’ at some time or another. It is therefore apparent that Stress, or at least its effect on us, can be controlled by Training and Conditioning. Learning to Control our reaction to the circumstances if we are unable to control the circumstance.

There are many ways that you can deal with stress that do not involve using drugs or alcohol. As a matter of fact, you are better off if you can avoid any type of prescription drug for your stress. Stress can be managed by many different natural met

The first thing that you need to do is to find out the cause of your stress. Once you have found the cause of your stress, you need to address this fact. The cause may be something that you can eliminate, or it can be something with which you have to live. There are a number of useful steps that can be taken to alleviate stress.

My Top 5 are:

1. Breathing exercises.

Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose. Take deep breaths and count to 10 in between each breath. Try to hold the air in your lungs for at least 10 seconds before exhaling through your nose;

2. Get a dog.

Although a dog may be stressful at first, a dog will force you to slow down when it comes to life. Like people, dogs thrive on routine. In addition to getting you to slow down, a dog will also help you settle into a routine;

3. Find a Creative Pursuit.

Stifled creativity can be very stressful for some people. This can also be the reason for your stress. Taking up a hobby that is fruitful such as Oil painting or Photography, can not only relieve your stress but eliminate the stress.

4. Read a book before bed.

Reading a book is a natural way to relax and is a much better for insomnia than sleeping pills;

5. Aromatherapy

Simply get some lavender oil and an infuser and burn the oil so that you can inhale the scent. Not only will it relax and calm you, but it will also make the whole house smell fragrant.

You may find one or all of my suggestions helpful however, If none of these are for you, there are lots of other ways that can suit you and your life style. Many publications can be found online or on specialist Websites.

Sign up to the Help Manage Stress Tutorial at www.helpmanagestress.com
Find even more Self Development Publications at www.elackland.com

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