What is stress? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Stress is hard to define because it is different for everyone.
Stress can be caused by both good and bad experiences. It is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. It's your body's way of responding to any kind of demand, it is also about having little or no control over a situation.
Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. Within your comfort zone, stress can help you perform under pressure, motivate you to do your best, and keep you safe when danger is looming. In emergency situations, stress can save your life. In fact, without stress, mankind would not survive. When you are stressed your body thinks it is under attack so it switches into what is called fight or flight mode. Fight or flight mode is your body's way of protecting you. This reaction enables us to focus our attention so we can quickly respond to a situation. During this, a lot of different hormones and chemicals are released to prepare your body for physical action. Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper.
Although stress is an important factor to the survival of our species, it can be a bad thing if it is a response to something emotional, and there is no outlet for the new found energy and strength. The challenge is when our body goes into a state of stress in inappropriate situations. Because your body thinks it is under attack, you go into fight or flight mode, which means that your blood flow is only going to the most important muscles needed to fight or flee, brain function is minimized. Which leads to the inability to think straight. This is why people often make bad decisions when stressed. Also, non-essential bodily functions such as our digestive and immune system slow down when we are in fight or flight mode. If kept at a state of stress for long periods of time, it can be detrimental to our health.
A stressor is an agent or stimulus that causes stress. Generally the more stressors we experience the more stressed we are.
When you become stressed, your brain undergoes both physical and chemical changes that affect its overall function. During periods of high stress, certain chemicals within the brain, including the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, begin to rise. This causes larger amounts of these and other fight or flight hormones such as adrenalin to be released by the adrenal glands. The release of these chemicals contributes to certain physiological effects, such as rapid heart rate, higher blood pressure, and a weakened immune system. When left unmanaged over time, chronic stress can lead to the development of other serious problems like stomach ulcers, stroke, asthma, and heart disease.
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Stressed Out
Non-FictionWhat is stress? How does stress really affect you? What can you do to prevent and manage your stress? Read to find out.
