The Effects of Stress on our Lives
Posted by Kathy Underwood on Wed, Jul 06, 2011 @ 05:00 AM
Some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the way. ~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You
We all experience the constant pressure of living in our fast paced world. Presently, we are expected to do more with less support at work with more time commuting often earning less than we did in the past. The sum total is that there is less energy coming in and more going out. Sounds pretty stressful to me. Most of us know what stress is and can empathize with a friend when she states “I’m so stressed out.” We understand and can relate because most of us are stressed daily. We don’t feel like we have enough time to do all the things we are supposed to do and get done, so we are rushing from point A to B as Pagels states but we don’t know how to create the ease along the way to a less stressful life.
Stress is hard to define because stress affects each of us differently. What I think is stressful may not be to someone else. Hans Selye in 1936 defined stress as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” The only thing I know for sure about life is that there will be change. So how do we get better at dealing with all this change in our lives and in the world? While a certain amount of stress is expected and may help us reach higher goals we need to get better at adapting to change because according to the American Institute of Stress up to 90% of all health problems are related to stress. In Fact, chronic stress leads to anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, body aches and pains among other health disorders.
The impact of stress is the wear and tear on ourselves, mentally, physically, emotionally, and physiologically to everyday pressure and tension. This on-going pressure and tension is what causes the problems in all areas of our lives. I think an analogy might be a car. Take one of the hoses in your car that is under pressure. It will eventually wear out because of the constant tension. We have a lot “hoses” in our body so to speak and by placing them under constant pressure and tension they will “blow.” The chronic feeling of frustration, agitation, stress and strain, and the inability to manage the amount of stress in our lives leads to the breakdown of our bodies, physically, mentally, emotionally, and physiologically.
Stress is caused by our emotional reaction to events. Stress occurs when our perception of events doesn’t meet our expectations and we are unable to reconcile what we wanted and expected with what actually happened. Our thoughts and feelings have powerful effects on our bodies. Staying stuck in unhealthy emotions leads to health issues and a state of chronic stress. We cannot change many things that happen to us or the events that happen in the world, but we do have the power to choose to think and feel in productive ways. Rather than become indifferent to the world, let’s find ways to manage our stress with healthy responses.
Try these three steps to decrease you stress
- Take a time out and breathe. We give kids and dogs time outs and we know it helps. Do the same thing for yourself. Allow yourself to breathe deeply. Consciously, take in some oxygen because when we are stressed we probably haven’t been truly breathing.
- Evaluate the situation. Most of the time it is not a life and death situation. Try to slow down and breathe and you will be able to think more clearly.
- Do something physical. Push-ups, stairs, or a fast walk around the block can re-set you physiologically. You have just exerted some energy that you have been holding inside. Move and breathe to re-set the situation.
A stressful life is an unhealthy life. Find ways to manage your stress in productive and healthy ways. By being in a state of constant stress you can be missing the joys of life. If you are concerned with the amount of stress in your life, you may want to work with a trained professional. If you would like to contact me, I would be happy to set-up an appointment to help you discover ways to decrease your stress.
Photo: anitapatterson