Do You Have Control Over Stress or Does Stress Have Control Over You?
There are many things stress can do to you. Stress can cause a huge range of problems, both psychological and physical. The list goes on and on.
The damaging effects of prolonged or persistent stress can disrupt the nervous system. Maladaptive stress response prevents a person’s ability to accept or function in the world surroundings. However, stress response isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It is probably your best friend, or body guard you might say, when it’s working properly. A maladaptive stress response, one that essentially never shuts off when it’s no longer needed, is potentially harmful in two ways:
1. Continuous or repeated surges of excess stress hormone are detrimental to the cardiovascular and immune systems, potentially increasing your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, recurrent infection, and other chronic diseases.
2. As an outlet to the persistent stress, you are more likely to turn to destructive behaviors such as tobacco abuse, excessive alcohol consumption, and eating disorders.
Imagine for a moment a couple of scenarios.
-Your working out at the gym, and you suddenly realize that you where supposed to meet your spouse (boy/girlfriend), ten minutes ago.
- You step off the curb at a cross walk, and all of a sudden you hear horns and screeching tires.
In both cases you’d move very fast. It’s our nervous system that causes the quick reaction that is required to keep us out of danger, and to make quick decisions on unusual events in our day to day life.
Just like a body guard or quick advisor, this stress response can actually be an asset. Our bodies in these incidents, where designed to handle stress.
Originally scientists assumed the stress response was involuntary, and got its bad name from the idea that it was a consequence of things like deadlines, bills, family arguing and such. By overreacting to these things, we turn the now overworked stress response into a prolonged or maladaptive stress response.
So what triggers stress response?
Waiting for the love of your life to come walking down the isle?
Getting ready for that most important ball game?
Wondering what results you’re going to hear from your doctor?
Even hearing the old lady sitting next to you yelling “BINGO” at the local bingo hall.
Someone coming up to you face to face with an aggressive facial expression can trigger an instant stress response. How about when you walk in to a room full of talking people, and all of a sudden all is quiet.
Your body responds and your nervous system kicks in, and your brain instantly activates a message of defense to either fight or run. It’s this energy that enables your body and mind to respond to its maximum to what course of action must take place. A pounding heart beat with short shallow breaths are inevitable. The mind goes blank almost like a temporary insomnia.
That’s why you hear so many times, “I don’t know what I was thinking, I just did what I had to do”. It’s almost like someone or something is taking you by the hand and guiding you through your next necessary course of action.
Things you can do
If you know you are going to be facing a stressful situation, PLAN. Think about how you can deal with the things to come. Say to yourself…I know this is coming down. When it does, how am I going to handle this?
Take a few deep breaths, and don’t spend too much time trying to predict the outcome. Keep a level head, and picture yourself dealing with the situation. Take charge and deal with the things at hand. Concentrate on the things you have to do to prevent the things that are threatening or stressing you.
If you have a spouse (boy/girlfriend), brother, sister or anybody that you feel comfortable talking to, talk about what’s bothering you. Never give up looking for a solution to your problem, but don’t get carried away. Exercise, relax and breathe and you’ll do fine.
Read more about managing stress and coping with stress.
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