Stress, Is There a Definition?
My definition of stress is simply the way the body or a person reacts to certain types of stimuli. As far as I can tell, no one really has a perfect definition for it. We can only mainly discuss the symptoms of it and how they affect our emotions.
On other pages,I have indicated that there is good and bad stress. Both have a direct relationship to our health. For instance, a person may react in a positive way to certain related anxiety factors and our mood, as far as our emotions are concerned, cause us to feel good. Then, because of that good reaction, we may experience a state of relaxation, we may sleep good for a while or just have an overall sense of wellness.
Well then, when we experience a negative reaction, much of the opposite occurs. We may experience fatigue, sleeplessness and even some depression, especially if it is a prolonged reaction. All of these are symptoms and much of the results, good or bad, mostly depends on the person and their goals and outlook.
Some people thrive on a heavy load of stress as long as it is controlled. I will use my daughter for an example. She is employed in what I would call a high pressure job doing loan origination for a major company. But she loves it and most of the time she thrives on the high pressure. It is the very challenges of the work that keeps her going and because of that her health is good and not distressed.
Please do not misunderstand. Overall good health is primarily the result of a program that includes good nutrition, rest and a good exercise routine.
I would add here that health itself is a major factor in the way stress affects us. If the body is healthy and our mental health is good, we have a much better chance of coping with the external anxiety factors.
Human Function Curve
The human function curve originally was developed by Dr. Peter Nixon. In general people have a level at which they function efficiently at whatever they are doing. Increase the level of pressure where the prescribed task becomes uncomfortable and eventually the stress level peaks and our output begins to decrease even to the point of burnout or breakdown.
If every thing in our life was always the same we could cope a lot better. The problem with this is that life would become terribly boring and even that would become stressful. Secondly, the fact is that life is constantly changing and brings new challenges every day.
So how do we deal with this thing called stress?
Let's look at a set of methods to help us cope.
Preparation is one primary goal. Just as the soldier prepares for conflict or the athlete prepares for competition we should prepare for our daily task. Is it that important you may ask? Yes!
Prevention is the other goal and the other side of preparation. The two work hand in hand.
Let's break it down and the more simple the better. In preparation, we are working with our self. In other words, we work with our physical needs requiring a body fitness and our mental needs which requires an emotional health. We do the necessary things to keep mentally and physically fit in preparation to fight against stress. We prepare in advance knowing that there will be times that some sort of crisis will creep in upon us.
Prevention then is the actual hands on activity of following a nutrition program, an exercise routine and getting plenty of
sleep. These are some of the activities that enable our bodies and minds to stay fit so that we will be prepared when those
times of anxiety come to us. As you can see, both are closely related and there must be a balance between them.
Other objectives for preparation and prevention against stress is taking the time to start a hobby, taking time for yourself, relaxation and good interaction with friends! Pets can also become wonderful friends and help us to cope in an active world. Yoga and other meditation practices (of which I am not particularly familiar with) may be favorable activities for many people.
Another crucial prevention objective is to maintain strong family relationships. Never allow the line of communication to be broken. These are actions that are within our control and should be taken seriously.
More Objectives
- Prepare (for everything) ahead of time if possible
- Have a preventive attitude
- Love yourself and others
- Exercise on a regular basis
- Eat nutritious meals
- Rest
- Vary your routines
- Don't forget to say no every now and then
- Make a point of being happy
- Watch a movie
- Better yet watch it with a loved one
- View challenges as opportunities
- Listen to others and be a help to them
The list could go on. I hope you get the ideal. Life is to important to be bogged down with a weight on our shoulders.
The ability for stress to affect us is as varied as there are individuals in the world for the simple reason that everyone is different. However hard we may try to limit its effects on us, there are still outside factors that happen occasionally that are beyond our control. Factors such as some sort of trauma, the grief that comes with the death of a loved one or even a sudden unexpected illness.
These have the ability to bring about strong symptoms. The more healthy we are, both physically and mentally, the more prepared we will be to fight the emotions and anxieties of stress.
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