Stress management and how stress effects the body

It may come as a surprise to find out that scientists describe stress as a failure of an organism to respond adequately to mental, emotional or physical demands. These demands may be actual or even imagined. Stress typically manifests in different cognitive, emotional, physical or behavioral dimensions and usually involves extreme negative attitude, worries, mood swings, irritability, agitation and feelings of depression and isolation. For some people, stress even has a physical component involved as it manifests in aches, pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, chest pain, rapid heart beating or excessive eating and drinking.

Stress causes different strains on human body and mind. Stress is normal within certain limits since it naturally triggers a body's response to perceived threat or danger. In most of the natural situations, the adequate response starts a reaction in which the hormones, such as adrenalin, are released as the body gets a shot of energy and strength. However, people living in the modern environment are usually faced with a lot of stress since people tend to perceive everything in our environment as a possible threat to our goals. This includes traffic jam, excessive noise, unfriendly work environment, etc.

Chronic exposure to stress affects the body and soul in many different ways, and various stress-influenced conditions may gradually develop if a person doesn’t take appropriate measures to manage the stress. Typically, people under a lot of stress feel chronic headaches and may be more susceptible to colds. However, serious conditions such as diabetes, depression, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, anxiety disorder, obesity, sexual dysfunction and ulcers, may also develop. Some experts believe that about 90% of all doctor’s visits are for symptoms that are stress related to a great extent.

Occasional stress is a normal part of being a human, and not all of it can be managed and prevented. However, one can take different measures to avoid chronic stress and improve everyday functioning. Above all, stress management can prevent physical health decline and feelings of depression. Stress management should involve managing the pressure that exceeds one’s perceived ability to cope. Stress management is therefore, focused on the ability to cope and to control the transaction between people and their external environment. Most of the stress management techniques are easy to learn and practice, and they are typically accessible to everybody. Stress management can involve simple listening to the music, engaging in a hobby, physical exercise, and meditation, deep breathing, reading, spending some time in nature or taking a deep spa relaxation.