2. WHAT IS STRESS? Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world.
3. Whatcausesstress? We may think of stressful events as unpleasant ones, such as losing a job or having difficulties at home or at school. Changesfor the better can also cause stress, like a new baby, a wedding, and a new house.
4. Whatcausesstress? What's stressful for you may be quite different from what's stressful to your best friend, your spouse, or the person next door.
5. Whatcausesstress? Here are some different life events that are identified as stressful. Death of a spouse Divorce Marriage Pregnancy Buying a house Christmas
6. How Does Stress Affect The Body? The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked and stress-related tension builds.
7. How Does Stress Affect The Body? Whenyouare in a stressfulsituation,your body pumps out stress hormones: Yourheartspeedsup Blood flow to your brain and muscles increases up to 400 percent Your digestion stops (so it doesn't use up energy that's needed elsewhere) Yourmuscletensionincreases You breathe faster, to bring more oxygen to your muscles.
9. identifyingthesource of stress To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses: Do you explain away stress as temporary (“I just have a million things going on right now”) even though you can’t remember the last time you took a breather? Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (“Things are always crazy around here”) or as a part of your personality (“I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all”). Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?
10. Start a stressjournal A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down: What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure). How you felt, both physically and emotionally. How you acted in response. What you did to make yourself feel better.
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12. Howyoucurrentlycopewithstress Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.
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14. Unhealtyways of copingwithstress These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run: Smoking Drinking too much Overeating or undereating Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities Using pills or drugs to relax Sleeping too much Procrastinating
16. Healtywaystorelaxandresponse Go for a walk. Spend time in nature. Call a good friend. Sweat out tension with a good workout. Write in your journal. Take a long bath. Light scented candles Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.
18. Learntherelaxationresponse You can control your stress levels with relaxation techniques that evoke the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. Regularly practicing these techniques will build your physical and emotional resilience, heal your body, and boost your overall feelings of joy and equanimity.
