In today’s world, stress is regarded as a common factor in everyday life. Everyone experiences stress in an individualized way, but no matter the person the stress has similar effects. Stress is mostly negative in the way it affects the human body, but it is a necessity that can be beneficial under certain circumstances. Stress is a negative energy caused by internal and external factors that activate hormonal stressors and leave the body fatigued. Stress also poses negative symptoms to the body and its health that can lead to more harmful diseases as it continues to build. Although stress is mostly negative, it is beneficial to the body.
It is the body’s response under threatening situations that allows the human to act rationally. “You can’t avoid stress, it’s everywhere,” (Burrows). It is uncommon to have a person without stress in today’s world. Over the past decade, as the struggle for jobs and financial security has skyrocketed, so has the average stress level raising from a 5. 1 in 2005 to a 5. 8 in 2013. Each person’s stress is based on different factors as what makes one person stressed could make another happy. However, what is important is not what kind of stress the body has, but what its response is to the situation. Stress is normal.
It is the body’s “physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way,” (Segal, Segal, and Smith). However, in recent years stress triggers have been activated when there is no danger. This is a result of rising pressure on humans and their increasing amount of worries. As the pressure of school, jobs, and money grow, so will the stress that goes along with it. Stress is not only caused by external factors but internal ones too. Emotional stressors are an example of internal stressors. This includes fears and anxieties, as well as perfectionism, pessimism, and a lack of control.
Emotional stressors are the hardest to eliminate because they have been established into the mind and cemented into the surface. Social stressors and family stressors are two examples of external factors. Social stress is caused by interaction with others, whether it is at a party or gathering or public speaking. Family stressors happen when there is a change in a relationship at home or a loved one dies. Each of these stressors is highly individualized and will not happen to everyone. Emotional, social, and family stressors are the three largest groups of stressors.
When they are active they control the largest group of hormonal stressor cells. When these cells are activated they send a message to the brain indicating it to have the body release a chemical that reaches your spinal cord and allows your senses to increase. This however cannot always happen. When a person has too much stress occurring too often, the body cannot keep up. If the body cannot keep up and the stress continues building, the body will become fatigued because it will continuously work to catch up. Not only does this tire out the body but it will tire out the mind making it vulnerable to more stress.
When a person is stressed they become increasingly irritable. Their stress will most likely cause a lack of sleep and appetite. This can lead to large fall in their energy level. While these do not seem like large symptoms, they can have a major affect on a person. Without proper nutrition and a good night’s sleep a person can begin to fall behind, creating a mass pileup in their stress level. Stress is also closely related to anxiety, another side serious side effect. If a person develops anxiety, they can suffer from a panic attack, and cause themselves to black out.
Anxiety is a serious symptom and often goes hand and hand with stress. However, there is another symptom caused by stress that is worse and that is depression. Depression is a severe clinical illness that should be treated by a doctor. Depression consists of feelings of aloneness that often lead to suicidal thoughts and sometimes death. It is nothing to be taken lightly. High levels of stress can also lead to high levels of blood pressure. When a person’s blood pressure level is high they are more susceptible to heart disease and stroke. Both of these symptoms can be fatal.
Stress, anxiety, and depression can all lead to Alzheimer’s. This is a condition where a person loses your memory. Smaller symptoms caused by stress include headaches, migraines, backaches, and chest pains. Stress can also cause simpler problems like acne and allergies. Knowing the stress level of the body is very important. Over 90% of medical illnesses are stress related. Having long periods with stress can also lower a person’s immune system because the body is fatigued and not able to fight off bacteria. Although not all stress can be eliminated, some can be reduced.
Detailed research has concluded that stress can be greatly reduced through relaxation. “Relaxation exercises that release muscle tension can greatly help in coping with stress,” (Burrows). The feeling in the body is one of calm. This calmness releases new hormonal cells that counteract the stress cells to balance the body. This has also been found during physical activity. The hormonal cells that are released are able to stimulate the stress cells and give the body energy instead of fatiguing it. By doing this, the body is able to find a center of happiness and relaxation, and release the tension that has been kept in.
Having a good amount of sleep will also allow the body to heal and reproduce the cells it needs to reverse the stressor cells. In addition to sleep, a well balanced diet with nutrients that provide the body with energy can keep it healthy longer and more immune to stress. Another way to help reduce stress is to manage time wisely. By utilizing things like a calendar and a list, the daily activities of a person can be organized into a schedule. This will allow for a person to be more efficient when they work because they have a set time.
Although stress is most commonly associated with negative affects, it does have a positive impact on the body. If there were no stress in the world, the body would have no way to react in a threatening situation. It would impulsively react and maybe cause damage to something or someone. Since the body has stress, it is able to control the movements and enhance its senses. Stress rationalizes the thoughts in the mind and slows the process down so that the body does not impulsively react. By doing this, it prevents us from doing things we may otherwise wish we hadn’t.
The stressors in the body are triggered when the pulse quickens its pace in a short amount of time. This allows for the mind to send a chemical throughout the body that will heighten its senses. When these senses are heightened it allows the mind to think clearer. Being able to thing rationally is very important. Rational decisions are the difference between life and death in dangerous situations. Without stress, the body would almost always react impulsively and put itself in greater danger. Stress can also be beneficial in small amounts. It happens when there is pressure on a person to do well or perform well.
The stress allows them to think clearly and intelligently. Stress actually has a chemical composition that when activated, enhances a person’s ability to focus which can lead to higher performance rates. Stress “helps you staty focused, energetic, and alert,” (Segal, Segal, and Smith). This happens because the amount of stress on the person is not too much. If it were higher it could lead to a symptom like a panic attack. Since it is only a small dosage it is able to help the body stay awake and focused on the task at hand. Without this small amount of stress, a person may not feel the pressure to do well.
Most people think of stress as a negative thing with a negative impact on their lives. Everyone experiences it to a certain degree, but it is individualized to the lifestyle they live. Although stress is associated with many negative symptoms that can harm the body and mind, it is a beneficial source to a person at certain times. Stress can be caused by external, as well as internal factors that can leave the body tired. It can also be detrimental to a person’s health if the stress level is too high. Stress leads to small and large symptoms that can cause fatal diseases if not dealt with properly.
However, stress can have a positive impact on the body. It is a necessary part of everyday life that helps the body focus and think rationally. It is also an important part to a person in dangerous situations. Without stress the body and mind might not feel pressure that drives a person’s will to succeed. Bibliography “The American Institute of Stress” The American Institute of Stress. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. http://www. stress. org Burrows, Betty. “How Stress Works. ” HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks. com, 11 Sept. 2006. Web. 10 Mar. 2014 http://science. howstuffworks. com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/how-stress-works. htm.
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