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Suzanna
Smith and Joe Pergola
University of Florida
Stress!
What does it mean to you? Traffic jams, deadlines, eating on
the run, bills to pay, job changes, endless chores and errands,
and demands, demands, demands.
Stress
is the body's response to any demand or pressure. These demands
are called stressors. Stressors include major life events,
such as a divorce or the birth of a child. They also include
chronic strains that last over a period of time, such as living
on unemployment. And stressors include daily or occasional
strains, like taking care of a sick child.
Whatever
the stressor is, it requires the body to make physical and
chemical adjustments in order to maintain the necessary physiological
balance for survival. A racing heart, a burst of energy, and
muscle tension are the body's physical responses to demands.
When faced with danger, some of the first stress reactions
are a rise in blood pressure, quicker breathing and heart
beat, and dilated pupils. Sight and hearing become more alert.
This
reaction is an instinctive response that protects us from
threats to survival. Physiological changes are part of the
"fight or flight" response, which prepares and energizes a
person to confront or flee from danger. After the threat has
passed or a change takes place, the "alarm" signs disappear.
The body is still aroused but is adapting to the change. However,
if high levels of stress continue, the energy to adapt runs
out. Exhaustion occurs, causing damage to the person's physical
and emotional well-being. Entire families may experience distress
from tensions and pressures on the family to change.
Surprising
as it seems, some stress has positive outcomes. "Good stress"
can give an athlete the energy to excel in physical competition.
It can stimulate a scientist's thinking or a composer's creative
energy. It can give many people the energy to solve problems
and to finish hard work.
Often,
however, our lives are filled with many demands that continue
over a long period of time. Demands such as work overload
may result in negative stress, which is called distress.
Unrelieved
stress can take an emotional as well as physical toll, in
the form of anxiety or depression, or high blood pressure
and heart disease. If unattended, stress can seriously damage
physical health; psychological well-being; and relationships
with friends, family, and coworkers.
Major problems can be avoided if symptoms of stress are identified
early. Some of the signs of serious problems with stress are:
persistent, intense depression; chronic sleeping and eating;
inability to concentrate; outbursts of violence; persistent
family conflict; and excessive drinking or drug use.
Simple
checklists (See Table 1) will give you a clue as to whether
or not you are under stress. You probably know some of the
symptoms of stress from experience--headache, tense muscles,
knotted stomach, sweaty palms. Symptoms may also be psychological
and interpersonal, such as feelings of insecurity, or arguments
with a spouse or child.
Table 1. Stress Checklist |
PHYSICAL
|
|
EMOTIONAL
| MENTAL
| SOCIAL
|
Headaches |
Anxiety |
Forgetfulness |
Isolation |
Teeth grinding |
Frustration |
Poor concentration |
Loneliness |
Fatigue |
Nervousness |
Low productivity |
Lashing out |
Insomnia |
Depression |
Negative attitude |
Clamming up |
Back aches |
Worrying |
Confusion |
Lowered sex drive |
Stomach problems |
Tension |
No new ideas |
Nagging
|
Colds |
Mood swings |
Lethargy |
Fewer contacts with friends |
Neck aches |
Easily discouraged |
Boredom |
Using people |
Shoulder pains |
Crying spells |
|
|
Increased use of drugs |
Irritability |
|
|
Think
about a stressor you have experienced in the last week
or so. Take a look at the chart below and check off how you
usually react to stressors.
Look
over the stress symptoms you've checked. Circle those that
occur frequently. Which of these concern you the most? What
ideas do you have about how to stop these stress symptoms
from happening?
Once
you know some of your symptoms of stress and are aware of
when stress occurs, you can begin to use stress management
strategies to deal with stress. In fact, many stress experts
believe that how a person deals with stress may be more important
than the number or type of demands he or she faces. Ideas
for ways to prevent and to cope with stress are found in the
fact sheets titled, Preventing
Stress Through a Healthy Lifestyle (HE-2090) and Stress
and Communication (HE-2091).
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Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
1.
This document, Fact Sheet
HE-2089
, was published 11/91, Florida Cooperative Extension Service.
For more information, contact your county Cooperative Extension
Service office.
2. Suzanna Smith, Assistant Professor, Human Development,
Home Economics Department; and Joe Pergola, Multi-County
Family Life and Child Development Specialist, Hillsborough
County Extension Office, respectively, Florida Cooperative
Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
(IFAS), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
|