Stress

“Stress is the resultant of a change—whether expected or otherwise—and the reaction to it.” This definition was given by J. S. Greenberg in the book Comprehensive Stress Management. This definition actually highlights the fact that stress happens to all of us in varying degrees just because we experience change from a second-to-second, minute-to-minute basis. Although not all changes that happen to us we will recognize as stressful, we all have experienced stress at one point or another.

Most of the time, what we might consider stressful are those that we perceive as more negative, possibly even unpleasant. And yet, there are many events in our lives that we consider to be positive that are very stressful as well. Getting married or having a new baby in the family is very stressful, but generally held to be positive occurrences in our lives. Getting promoted and having more responsibilities can also be quite pleasant and yet immensely stressful.

Essentially, what makes a situation more or less stressful are the following elements: predictability and controllability vis-à-vis our own stress reactivity. When something is predictable, we are able to prepare better and feel less stressed about it. When the unexpected happens, we tend to be more stressed out. Similarly, we have milder reactions when we see that we have what it takes to handle the hassles that come our way. We feel overwhelmed and unnerved when we feel that we are unable to control a given situation that comes our way. These two elements fall within the context of our own reactions to the situations at hand. There is something personal in our reactions, as some of us are more anxious than others and there are some situations that trigger more reactions from some but not for others.

Although stress can affect us in various ways, we know that it can disrupt our physical and mental health. Being exposed to chronic or sustained stress can take its toll on anybody, and physical illness is often a frequent visitor, if not a regular companion, in such times.

This is because stress causes our bodies to react as if it were going on emergency. We stop absorbing nutrients and our bodies prepare for quick action. Our bodies suppress our immune system in favor of releasing sugars that would enable us to think quickly and act just as swiftly. Although this can be experienced by a person as a pleasurable high, such a sustained state is detrimental to one’s wellbeing.

Although stress is quite unavoidable, we do need to minimize it by taking care of ourselves. Minding the basics of eating balanced meals, sleeping enough, and getting regular physical exercise can help us resist the ill effects of stress. Being mindful of our current state of mind and practicing good breathing habits are also good ways of dealing with stress reactions. Through these, the bottom line is taking good care of oneself, and there is no substitute to this age old idea.