Stress

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Brittani, When your physical, emotional or relational symptoms become out of control and are causing suffering to you and/or to those you love. If your stress is not relieved after one month consult a therapist to get an evaluation and guidance.

Sienna, There are physical, emotional and relational symptoms. Physical symptoms can be headaches, back pain, GI problems, (diarrhea, upset stomach, reflux), trouble sleeping, weight loss or weight gain, or chronic fatigue. Emotional symptoms can be depression, moodiness, overreactions, anxiety or anger and tantrums. Relational symptoms are withdrawal from friends and family, anger/tantrums, overreactions or more arguments.

Kali, Chronic stress increases the production of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, increases your blood pressure, increases inflammation which lowers your immune function to fight illness, increases your blood sugar, impairs your memory and slows your digestive function. Because of these physical reactions of your body to chronic stress your risk of chronic diseases increases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, depression and hypertension.

Olivia, A common scenario is when one person in a work environment infects everyone with contagious stress. Contagious stress is a real phenomenon that has been studied in Europe for many years. Stress in a corporation can literally spread like a pandemic. For example, one person might spread rumors about layoffs because of cost cuts, and then fear spreads like wildfire through the company, setting off a panic. Studies have even located the places where these "stress viruses" originate, usually in restrooms or near a coffeepot. We all know what it is like to go into work in a good mood and feel ourselves brought down or irritated by the office grump, gossip, or arrogant critic. This is no small factor within a corporation. Unchecked, it can wreak havoc with the optimism, productivity, and mood of a company.

Grayson, Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the Carnegie Mellon University, gave 400 people a questionnaire designed to quantify the amount of stress they were under. He then exposed them to nose drops containing cold viruses. Ninety percent of the stressed subjects caught a cold. They had elevated levels of corticotrophin releasing factor, which interferes with the immune system.

Carter, The phrase "work-life balance" has emerged in reaction to the unhealthy choices that many of us are making in favor of the workplace, as we opt to neglect family, friends, and leisure activities in the pursuit of corporate goals. The cost to corporations and businesses when workers are unhappy and over-stressed in enormous, estimated at over $300 billion annually. The cost of depression, loss of productivity, and missed work days has an annual estimated value of over $600 per full time employee. In some surveys, 30 percent of workers felt their health was suffering because of their work, and over 40 percent of managers believe the quality of their working life has deteriorated over the past three years. Worker turnover and the costs of replacing and or retraining employees have never been higher. The attitude of workers and the morale within companies are at an all-time low. The costs of chronic stress are harming our families, our corporate institutions, and the government.

Luke, When we are stressed, we release excitatory neurotransmitters. Your body responds to these hormones by increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. More blood is pumped into your muscles, sending more oxygen to your muscles, brain, heart and lungs. Blood flow may increase 300 percent to 400 percent, preparing your lungs, muscles, and brain for added demands. The amount of sugar of glucose increases in your blood, which accelerates your metabolism so you can take immediate action in an emergency. Your blood thickens as platelets prepare to stop bleeding quickly. As the blood thickens, oxygen increases in red cells and promotes better function of the white cells that prevent infections. The spleen discharges red and white blood cells, allowing the blood to transport more oxygen.

Sophia, If you want to experience living an intentional life of true happiness you can't run from stress or avoid it. Stress is as much a part of life as breathing, eating, and drinking water. Stress is a constant in our lives. There is a reason for stress. Stress discovers our dark places and brings them to our attention. Each stressor that we perceive as an obstacle is actually an opportunity. Stress will get worse if you ignore it and don't respect the gift it is offering you. Denying stress, like denying a wound, can make you rot on spiritual, psychological, and physical levels. Situational or acute stress can shift into chronic, continual, unabated stress. Stress is your guide and can be quite a gift. Observe what stresses you. Try to embrace your stress and be compassionate with yourself. Stress is our teacher; you can run for a while, but it will find a way to get your attention. It will surface in your psychological or spiritual well-being at first and eventually wreak havoc in your physical body. Your wondrous potential wants to be expressed in your life and anything that is holding your gift back will create the stress to let you know about it. Stress invites you to make new choices in your life and these choices require action. As you learn to deal with the stresses of your life, your incredible potential will unfold, leading you deeper on the path to true happiness.

Jennifer, The first thing to do is become aware of what your stressors are. Each of us is different and we can have very different stress triggers. Your stress response is partly inherited and also is affected by your environment. I use a simple acronym called A.C.E. A is for awareness. Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of the paper. Put a plus on one side of the paper and a minus sign on the other side. On the minus side write down the things that trigger your stress. Maybe your commute, cooking dinner, your job or a personal relationship is stressing you. On the plus side write down the things in your life that you love that give you energy and love. This could be dinner with your family, reading a book, taking a bath or doing a project at work. Do this for about a week and you will begin to see your stress triggers and what you love that you may not be doing enough of. C is for choice. As you see your triggers you can begin to make choices of whether you will continue with these experiences or not. If you continue with stressful events, you need to learn stress reduction techniques. E is for the energy that you will experience once you begin to discover the sources of stress in your life. Finally, it is essential to learn stress reduction practices.

Britanni, When your physical, emotional or relational symptoms become out of control and are causing suffering to you and/or to those you love. If your stress is not relieved after one month consult a therapist to get an evaluation and guidance.