Breathe in for four seconds. Hold it for seven. Now, Let it out in eight. Don’t you all feel better, like you are less stressed than before you started reading? Stress takes a toll on everyone, but there is a way to prevent and control it. I, just like you, have experienced the same stress you are and have in the past.
According to Merriam-Webster, stress is “something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.” “The term ‘stress’, as it is currently used was coined by Hans Selye in 1936, who defined it as ‘the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.’” One of the most used definitions of stress today is “college” or “homework.”
According to TeensHealth, Stress is the way our bodies ready themselves for a circumstance that requires focus, stamina, strength and heightened senses. They go on to say that the body reacts to stressors, such as your boss walking up and looking over your shoulder or a nearby explosion and releases certain hormones. It starts in the hypothalamus then goes to the pituitary gland which releases ACTH. The ATCH tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream.
They speed up our heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and metabolism. Also, they make our blood vessels widen and prepare our muscles for action, also known as vasodilation. Our pupils dilate to improve our sight. The liver releases stored glucose to increase body’s energy. We sweat so our body can cool down.
First responders, firefighters and ordinary citizens who help others in a time of need are example of good stress. The stress response is appropriate in life-threatening circumstances.
Unfortunately for us, our bodies don’t always know when we are in life-threatening situations and when we are just trying to do all of our homework in an hour. According to a Health Report on Stress, our stress responses become maladaptive in those situations.
This can also lead to many health issues. Some of the more common ones are nervousness, headaches and anxiety.
Did you know stress can also cause menopausal symptoms or even cancer? Believe it or not you can be allergic to stress and break out in hives.
Although stress affects everyone, it affects people differently according to gender and age.
A Harvard Medical Report states that men and women typically experience stress over different things. Men usually stress over workload and financial issues, and women usually stress over family demands and transportation issues. Men keep with the fight-or-flight reactions whereas women react with “tend-and-befriend.”
They go on to say that age also affects how a person reacts to stress. Older generations of people were taught that it was improper to show emotions.
Teens, in this day and age, experience more stress than they would, say 50 years ago. Parents stress teenagers out by complaining, yelling and arguing. Other stressors for teens are academic pressures, social pressures and worry about the future. A Harvard Medical School Health Report states the symptoms of stress and teens can be headaches, stomach upset and trouble sleeping.
It is easy to relieve stress when you know that you are stressed. There are unhealthy and healthy ways to get rid of stress.
The less-healthy options range from watching endless hours of TV, smoking, or sleeping too much. Whereas the healthier answers are evoking the relaxation response, using cognitive restructuring, and nurturing yourself.
I’ve mentioned the stress response a few times throughout this, but there is also such a thing as a relaxation response that a Health Report on Stress states is part of the healthier ways to avoid stress.
Focus on your breathing. Focus on slow, deep breathing and gently disengaging the mind from distracting thoughts and sensations. If you have an eating disorder or tend to hold in your stomach; it may help you focus on your body in healthier ways.
Scan your body. Focus on one part of the body or group of muscles at a time and mentally releasing any physical tension you feel there. It increases your awareness of the mind-body connection.
Use guided imagery. Use pleasing mental images to help you relax and focus. You use this when you want to reinforce a positive vision of yourself or a goal you wish to reach.
You can meditate by breathing deeply while staying in the moment by deliberately focusing on thoughts and sensations that arise during the meditation session.
You can do yoga, tai chi or qigong. Three ancient arts that combine rhythmic breathing with a series of postures or flowing movements. Use this at times when your mind is racing; whenever you find it especially hard to settle down and focus; if you wish to enhance flexibility and balance.
Repeat a prayer multiple times. Using a short prayer or phrase from a prayer can help enhance breath focus, if religion or spirituality is meaningful to you.
I have battled stress and these are things I have found helped.
1. I have always enjoyed poetry as well as writing stories so I just start writing.
2. I jump in the shower, allowing me to scrub away my troubles.
3. I take a nap. Nothing can hurt you in your sleep.
4. Now, you may not think my favourite fruit matters with stress, but strawberries actually do help me relieve stress just because of a running joke between one of my friends and I.
5. I also have little sticky notes that I write little inspirational quotes on and stick around my room.
Stress does affect everyone, so you are never far from a friend that can help you get rid of it. The aversion of stress and stress itself are easy to understand once they have been shown to you.
Now, take another deep breath for four seconds. Hold it for seven. Now, let it out in eight. Compare how you feel to seven minutes ago.
How do you relieve stress?
