What is stress? This is a question that more and more people are asking in these modern times. We accept the fact that our lives are stressful, and we constantly hear that people we know are suffering from different conditions related to, or caused by, stress. But what is stress exactly, and why does it seem to cause so many more problems now than in the past?
One of the reasons that we hear a lot more about stress these days is that it is a modern term. The word has only been in existence in psychological and biological lingo since the 1930s. Until then, it was a word only used in physics and engineering. And that's why we see no mentioning of stress in old literature.
Stress is defined as an inappropriate response in the body to any kind of demand. So, it is important to note that stress is not directly linked to the situation but to our response to the situation. The situation which causes our body to respond is called a stressor.
When we are under stress, our bodies respond in the same way they would in a situation of danger. Our heart rate shoots up, and adrenaline builds up to get us prepared to fight or to run.
But, in our days such a response is not appropriate. If your boss dumps yet another 100 page report on your desk asking for a summary before lunchtime, you may be tempted to either hit him or run from the office (the two responses that your body is preparing you for) but you probably will not do either one.
The result is that the adrenalin has nothing to do, and instead of being used for its designed purpose it continues to circulate around the body for much longer than it should. That is why stress is called an inappropriate response: we don't need all of that adrenalin to handle our boss.
As well as obviously stressful situations like that, there are many other stressors in our lives that we don't even notice. Noise can be a stressor, too. And surely we can't forget conflict. These are things that we may be used to or even enjoy, but in primitive terms they were usually associated with danger and so our bodies will be preparing for the classic 'fight or flight' action.
The physical result of living like this is that we may have high levels of adrenalin circulating in the body all of the time. That low level of stress can be the root cause of ailments such as digestive problems, headaches, and chest pains.
What is stress on a psychological level? Roughly speaking, it means that we live our lives never feeling really at peace. And we live the doors open for insomnia, depression, irritability and mood swings.
We may withdraw from friends and family, neglect our responsibilities, procrastinate, and become more dependent on substances like alcohol, cigarettes or drugs (prescribed or recreational). Stress also affects ones eating habits, and most people under stress either gain or lose weight.
Clearly, many of these effects can cause stress in themselves. Keeping to ourselves and avoiding loved ones and friends can lead to a deeper depression. Not being able to tend to our work the right way fills us with anxiety and we are afraid to lose the job. So we can easily find ourselves in a vicious circle. To break out of the circle it is not enough to know what is stress: we also need to know how to deal with it.
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