What is stress and how does it affect you?
Stress can be defined as the body’s response to challenges or demands. Moreover, it is the body’s natural defense mechanism against vulnerability. When we face a stressful situation, either physical or mental, our body initiates specific mechanisms to manage it in the best way possible. For instance, factors that trigger such conditions, called stressors, could range from noise, traffic, or studies to upcoming exams or even going on a date. Visit the Mental Health Foundation.
Causes of stress and common triggers
Anything can be a cause of stress. Sometimes, even imagining minor situations can lead to anxiety. For example, common events that trigger stress include family problems, illness, or financial difficulties. Additionally, major life events like relationship problems, abortion, or crime-related fears can also contribute. Furthermore, environmental factors such as noise or overcrowding often amplify stress levels. Here’s a list:
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Family problems
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Illness
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Lack of money
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No retirement plans
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Relationship problems
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Abortion or miscarriage
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Fear of crime
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Recent accidents
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Noise or overcrowding
Check out the Mental Health Foundation’s page on stress.
Connect to the Health Coaching section, where you discuss managing various stressors through a holistic approach.
Signs and symptoms of stress disorders
Generally, when we are talking about stress, we mean a generalized stress disorder in which a person feels anxious even in ordinary aspects of life. People who suffer from such disorders have this feeling for almost six months or more, and it is affecting their life, work, personal health, and so on.
Refer to the Counselling Therapy page, detailing how therapy can help identify and manage symptoms of stress.
How stress impacts your mental and physical health:
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Difficulty in concentrating
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Feeling fatigued
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Feeling of restlessness
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Muscle tension
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Irritability of mood
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The sense of worry and stress controlling it
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Disturbance in sleep
The impact of emotional pressures on your health
Stress can change body functions to fight the stressors properly. The body changes in many ways, like:
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Increase in blood pressure
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The rise in heart rate
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Faster breathing
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Slowing of the digestive system
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Decrease in immunity
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Disturbance of sleep
Visit Mind’s information on stress.
Vist the Integrative Psychotherapy page, which explores the effects of life events on mental health.
