First Posted by Al Bell February 23, 2018
Hi everyone! Glad you stayed tuned.
Well, let’s get to it. For a recap, we discovered stress to be associated with that fight or fight feeling that one gets in a situation that seems unanswerable. Stress can also affect any and everyone.
Did you know that outside of relationships there are quite a few reasons to be stressed? In fact, according to the American Psychology Association, a study from 2007 to 2010 revealed money, work, the economy, and family responsibilities to be leading causes of stress.
Respondents point out that the pressures of responsibility in the workplace contribute to increased stress to meet deadlines. What’s interesting is in 2007 74% were affected as compared to a 5 to 6 percent drop over the next couple of years. Curiosity led me to find out that during the 2007 year in the U.S. there was a major housing bubble event. The stress connected with not having a home could be overwhelming.
Respondents also claimed earning money as the second reason stress is prevalent. Perhaps this is because of a combination of contributing factors stemming from either overindulgent personal desires or overall economics.
What are the symptoms of stress? As there are many causes of stress, there are quite a few symptoms that one may exhibit.
A lack of interest could be noticed in a person who customarily is involved. On the other hand, lack of appetite could be an obvious one. Especially when you know the person is quite fond of eating. Some individuals may experience common symptoms of having a headache or exhibiting fatigue. The attached survey highlights a few others of what percentage respondents experienced from the years 2007-2010.
So what are the long-term effects of stress if not managed? Well, the effects range from behavioral and physical.
Behavioral effects could range from one being depressed to serious anxiety attacks.
Stress if not managed properly could affect eating habits that lead to obesity. In some, sexual performance problems could be evident. Other extended issues might be related to skin, hair, intestinal, and menstrual.
So what can be done to help manage stress? Well, let’s see.
- Support from loved ones-those close by(friends too) can be pillars in the time of stress offering mental, physical, and monetary support
- Regular exercise-physical exercises can be a great way to take your focus off of stressful circumstance. Physical activity causes you to redirect your energies to whatever the task is at hand; Basketball, Pool, swimming, running, resistance training, or yoga.
- Meditation-spending time just relaxing(quiet time) and mentally redirecting energies is a great way to reset your mind.
- Listening to Music-Music is an ultimate mood changer. Music melodies have a way of soothing or energizing the mind. This can be an enjoyable way to be mentally massaged.
- Reading-reading is a sure fire way to redirect your focus. In order to understand what you’re reading your mind has to be in the game.
So, there you go. Not a complete list but hopefully a decent informational teaser regarding stress.
Stress is definitely real and no laughing matter. With more expected out of an individual today in practically the same amount of hours in the day, one can feel overwhelmed. Stats show that situations have affected everyone across the globe, so adopting stress managing techniques will be a must.
Recapping, we found out that stress is that Fight or Flight feeling one gets when in a pressure type situation. Stress can affect anyone. It does not matter regarding gender, age, nationality, or status in life. We discussed some of the symptoms related to being stressful and the potential causes. It was revealed that stress, if not managed, can affect one mentally and have physical effects.
Finally, incorporating stress management tools will help to relieve or even eradicate the impact of stress in one’s life.
