The Stress Paradigm
Imagine hearing the pencil scratch the first page of your examination when the test is nearly over.
Was it exhilarating? Depressing? Or both?
Believe me when I say this, it happens.
It doesn't always happen to you, in fact, at some point in our life, we encounter a different form of stress, mental and physical.
Take Donald for instance, he is often stressed when he has to speak in front of the whole class.
That's stress, represented in the form of cognitive stress, which affects the brain to a large extent.
It could be a form of emotive stress as his emotions may play a huge role in his inability to speak.
Hence, stress can be interpreted differently.
Stressing About Stress
If you think you are never stressed, you are incorrect.
There will be a certain moment in your routine or life that you will be prone to stress.
Now, you are asking yourself this, "Why are you reading this article?".
Firstly, it's because you've had a panic attack.
Secondly, it's because this is important for you to recognize that being distressed is normal.
Lastly, it's because this article can help you overcome that distressing moment, of course, with the help of experts.
We ask ourselves, "What does stress mean, really?"
It's the mind's way of responding against any threat, internal and external.
When you confront the threat, the mind releases a special hormone, a stress hormone that prepares the body for combat.
This can be described as a flow of adrenaline where your five senses are sharpened and physical senses such as strength, stamina and agility are stronger.
This is the body's way of responding to the threat and keeps you alert.
It is quite useful in situations where your life is threatened and the adrenaline provides an opportunity for you to fend for yourself.
For example, you are about to be mugged and you are unarmed, the adrenaline factor may tick and in a split second, your senses are honed and you are able to run from the threat safely.
However, beyond the zone of which you are used to, stress can turn against you and cause major damage to your mental state.
Stress could be a powerful weapon but could be a dangerous threat to the mind.
The Stress Outline
Every day, the human mind is vulnerable to different variations of stress.
These variations can be chronic, meaning that it could persist for a long period of time.
The American Psychological Association classifies three main types of stress.
- Acute stress, which is the most common type of stress and usually causes emotional distress, dizzy spells, headaches and a grumpy stomach. It is treatable and controlled.
- Episodic Acute stress, for people who regularly encounter acute stress frequently and worsens the tension in the human mind.
- Chronic stress, which was mentioned above. This particular type of stress is very harmful as it can be linked to suicides, cancer and homicides. It is triggered when a person has the belief that they cannot escape the threat their mind recognizes. An example would be problems with marriage that takes a while to solve.
Chronic stress can be extended to include multiple symptoms such as neglecting of responsibilities and often ignoring daily tasks.
Rarely, psychiatrists and scientists can diagnose the subject and find that stress may be psychologically or medically related.
Hence, sometimes, your symptoms are not related to stress.
Rest assured, the above is for your own convenience and how you choose to approach is entirely up to you.
At this point, you, as the reader, know the basic types of stress and how the effects differ.
Wouldn't you be intrigued to know the factors that bring about the stress in you? Trust this author, it's worth it.
The Gut Check
Every situation has a factor that causes it to occur.
In the case of stress, there is something that awakes the mind that reacts to the event.
I previously mentioned that different people approach stress differently.
For example, Donald who is afraid of speaking verbally will experience stress when onstage but Bernie, a skilled public speaker will breeze through the speech with confidence.
There are two sides to the coin. Thus, there are different ways people can invite stress inside their mind and body.
The example offered above can be broken down to find the possible situation (the environment around Donald) factors that exist within the scenario.
Four different factors can be considered:
- Overwhelmed by the number of people in the audience
- Inability to concentrate if distractions are coming from the audience
- Peer pressure "To have people recognize his speech over Bernie’s
- An indication of nervousness -- Too nervous to speak
We can also consider external factors such as mental disorders, a case of stammering and Glossophobia, for your information, the phobia of speaking.
What causes excessive stress depends, at least in part, on your perception of it.
Something that's stressful for you may not have an effect on someone else; they may even enjoy it.
For example, your morning commute by car may make you anxious and tense because you worry that traffic will make you late.
Others, however, may find the trip relaxing because they allow more than enough time and enjoy listening to music while they drive.
Don't be disappointed because, for every problem, there is a solution.
Stress can be manageable, under the right circumstances and preparation.
Fire is a Good Servant, But a Bad Master
Bucchianeri said, "Well, if it can be thought, it can be done, a problem can be overcome."
Stress is easily manageable, only if you know when the stress is burning in your stomach.
We're all different. Some people seem to be able to roll with life's punches, while others tend to crumble in the face of far smaller obstacles or frustrations.
Some people even seem to thrive on the excitement and challenge of a high-stress lifestyle.
Your ability to withstand stress depends on many factors, including the quality of your relationships and support network, your life experience and your emotional intelligence.
Understanding how these factors work will enable you to combat it, accepting risk over reward.
By jumping off the cliff, only you will realize that changing your lifestyle is worth the silver penny in your wallet.
The aforementioned factor is very crucial and acts as your guide.
Three expert M.D.s wrote them in Help Guide in order to reach out to people suffering from distressed emotions.
- Your support network
- Your exercise levels
- Your diet.
- Your sense of control
- Your attitude and outlook
- Your ability to deal with your emotions
- Your knowledge and preparation
Then again, these are just factors that may determine your stress levels.
Leaving stress unchecked may leave unforeseeable consequences so knowing how to adjust and control stress is very important.
Stressing the importance of physical and social activity plays a key role and if you are a person unwilling to open the doors to Heaven, this is the key that unlocks the door.
Refusing so may have unpredictable outcomes, even you cannot control.
How is Stress Really Killing You?
Hopefully, an alarming infographic about how stress is driving us to the brink of death will open your eyes.
The statistics explain how stress in our daily routine will eventually spell the end of our lifespan.
Stress levels will create a high possibility of a stroke as well as a heart disease and cardiac arrest.
In fact, ten percent of people are diagnosed with strokes from working.
Another statistic that has come to my attention is that forty percent of stressed people will tend to eat unhealthy food or indulge in gratuitous consumption.
Forty-four percent will lose sleep like an owl.
The end result? Your brain slowly shrinks and your mind no longer responds to the stress.
At this moment, after reading this article, it's a chance to take hold of your mind and combat the stress.
Be the Captain of Your Soul and the Master of Your Own Destiny
Stressed or not, the only thing you need to know is that having a balance of a healthy lifestyle and a flood of confidence, the stress building up in your body will be extinguished like a wildfire.
Whether it's a psychological or a medical problem is a different question alone.
The question I now pose to you is "Are you ready to control it?"
How do you deal with stress? Share your thoughts with a comment.
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