+ Alternative Medicine + Alzheimer's / Dementia + Anxiety / Stress + Arthritis / Rheumatology + Asbestos / Mesothelioma -- __________________________________________________________________ Anxiety / Stress ▼ Mental Health Psychology / Psychiatry What Is Stress? How To Deal With Stress Written by Christian Nordqvist -- MNT Knowledge Center We generally use the word "stress" when we feel that everything seems to have become too much - we are overloaded and wonder whether we really can cope with the pressures placed upon us. Anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being is a stress. Some stresses get you going and they are good for you - without any stress at all many say our lives would be boring and would probably feel pointless. However, when the stresses undermine both our mental and physical health they are bad. In this text we shall be focusing on stress that is bad for you. The difference between "stress" and "a stressor" - a stressor is an agent or stimulus that causes stress. Stress is the feeling we have when under pressure, while stressors are the things we respond to in our environment. Examples of stressors are noises, unpleasant people, a speeding car, or even going out on a first date. Generally (but not always), the more stressors we experience, the more stressed we feel. Stress - fight or flight response The way you respond to a challenge may also be a type of stress. Part of your response to a challenge is physiological and affects your physical state. When faced with a challenge or a threat, your body -- Our fight-or-flight response is our body's sympathetic nervous system reacting to a stressful event. Our body produces larger quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which trigger a higher heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating, and -- alertness and muscle use. When we are stressed the following happens: * Blood pressure rises * Breathing becomes more rapid -- * We do not sleep (heightened state of alertness) Most of us have varying interpretations of what stress is about and what matters. Some of us focus on what happens to us, such as breaking a bone or getting a promotion, while others think more about the event -- can deal with it and what resources we can use. If we conclude that the required resources needed to effectively deal with a situation are beyond what we have available, we say that that situation is stressful - and we react with a classical stress response. On the other hand, if we decide our available resources and skills are more than enough to deal with a situation, it is not seen as stressful to us. How we respond to stress affects our health 1. We do not all interpret each situation in the same way. -- Some situations which are not negative ones may still be perceived as stressful. This is because we think we are not completely prepared to cope with them effectively. Examples being: having a baby, moving to a nicer house, and being promoted. Having a baby is usually a wonderful thing, so is being promoted or moving to a nicer house. But, moving house is a well-known source of stress. Exhausted woman holds her head A hectic home life can cause you to feel stressed and exhausted It is important to learn that what matters more than the event itself is usually our thoughts about the event when we are trying to manage stress. How you see that stressful event will be the largest single factor that impacts on your physical and mental health. Your interpretation of events and challenges in life may decide whether they -- negative effect on your health and happiness. Experts say people who tend to perceive things negatively need to understand themselves and their reactions to stress-provoking situations better. Then they can learn to manage stress more successfully. Perception of stress affects heart attack risk - people who believe their stress is affecting their health in a big way are twice as likely to have a heart attack ten years later, researchers at the University of Western Ontario found. -- In another study carried out at Pennsylvania State University, the investigators found that stress was not the problem, but rather how we react to stressors. It appears that how patients react to stress is a predictor of their health a decade later, regardless of their present health and stressors. Lead researcher, Professor David Almeida said "For example, if you have -- doesn't let it bother her." Some of the effects of stress on you Possible effects of stress on your body: * A tendency to sweat * Back pain -- * Childhood obesity - researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia published a report in Pediatrics in October 2012 explaining that a number of stressors from parents can increase the risk of obesity in their children. Lead researcher, Elizabeth Prout-Parks, M.D., said "Stress in parents may be an important risk factor for child obesity and related behaviors. The severity and number of stressors are important." Examples of stressors include mental health problems, poor physical health, financial strain, and trying to manage in a single-parent household. -- * Stomach upset Possible effects of stress on your thoughts and feelings: * Anger * Anxiety -- * Fatigue Possible effects of stress on your behavior: * Eating too much * Eating too little -- __________________________________________________________________ On the next page we look at the common causes of stress, diagnosis and how to deal with stress. Thank you for supporting Medical News Today * 1 -- Click the stars to rate this article What Is Stress? How To Deal With Stress Public / Patient 3.27 based on 517 ratings -- Article last updated on Mon 14 December 2015. Visit our Anxiety / Stress category page for the latest news on this subject, or sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest updates on Anxiety / Stress. All references are available in the References tab. -- essay, paper or report: MLA Nordqvist, Christian. "What Is Stress? How To Deal With Stress." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 14 Dec. 2015. Web. 27 Dec. 2016. -- APA Nordqvist, C. (2015, December 14). "What Is Stress? How To Deal With Stress." Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php. ______________________________________________________________ -- Opinions on: What Is Stress? How To Deal With Stress 74 There are 74 opinions. Read now. -- Download the MNT iPhone app Spotlight on: Anxiety / Stress * What is Anxiety? -- creature, place or thing. Most popular in: Anxiety / Stress * OCD Therapy: What You Need to Know * Retrieval practice may protect memory in stressful situations * Casual cannabis use: Is there a link to depression? * Tai Chi may benefit veterans with PTSD -- Suggested Reading Stress Can Encourage Good Habits Too Negative Emotional Responses To Everyday Stressors Can Contribute To Psychological Problems Later In Life What is anger and anger management?