Stress is your body’s response to a demanding situation. Your brain causes hormones to flood your system.
These increase your heart rate, regulate your blood pressure, expand or constrict the capacity of your lungs, and tense your muscles. Before you are fully aware of what is happening, your body is primed for action. When a stressful episode is over, your body comes off “high alert” and returns to normal.
GOOD AND BAD STRESS
Stress is a natural response that enables you to deal with challenging or dangerous situations. The stress response begins in your brain. Beneficial stress enables you to act or react quickly. A certain amount of stress can also help you to reach your goals or to perform better, perhaps during an exam, a job interview, or a sporting event.
However, prolonged, extreme, or chronic stress can harm you. When your body is repeatedly or constantly on “high alert,’ you may begin to suffer physically, emotionally, and mentally. Your behavior, including the way you treat others, may change. Chronic stress can also lead to substance abuse and other unhealthy means of coping. It may even spiral into depression, burnout, or thoughts of suicide.
While stress may not affect everyone in the same way, it can contribute to a wide range of diseases. And it can affect nearly every part of the body.
WHAT CAUSES STRESS.
“Most adults report being under increasing levels of stress,” says the well-known Mayo Clinic. “Modern life is filled with change and uncertainty.” Consider just some of the changes and uncertainties that contribute to stress:
•divorce.
• the death of a loved one severe illness.
• serious accidents.
• crime.
• a hectic pace of life.
• disasters-natural or man-made.
• pressures at school or work.
•worries about employment and financial security.
STRESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.
It is not uncommon for children to suffer from stress. Some are bullied at school or neglected at home. Others are abused physically, emotionally, or sexually. Many are anxious about exams and school grades.
Still others see their family torn apart by divorce. Stressed children may have nightmares, learning difficulties, depression, or a tendency to be withdrawn. Some seem unable to control their emotions. A child suffering from stress needs urgent help.
Know What Stresses You
“A discerning man will remain calm.”-PROVERBS 17:27.
Meaning: Negative emotions can cloud clear thinking, so try to stay calm.
Identify what stresses you, and note your response. For example, when you feel stressed, note your thoughts, feel-ings, and behavior, perhaps even making a record of them. By becoming more aware of your response to stress, you may be able to deal with it more effectively. Also, think of ways to eliminate stressful things from your life.
If that is unrealistic, look for ways to reduce their impact, perhaps by managing your tasks or time more efficiently.
• Try to see things in a different light. What stresses you may not stress someone else. The difference may be in viewpoint.
Consider these three suggestions:
- Do not be quick to assume bad motives.
A person may cut ahead of you in a line.
If you attribute his act to rudeness, you may become upset. Instead, why not assume that his motive was good? You may be right! - See the positive side of a situation.
A long wait at a doctor’s office or an airport is easier to bear if you use the time to do some reading or to catch up on work or email. - Keep the big picture in mind. Ask your-self, ‘Will this problem be a big issue tomorrow or next week?’ Distinguish between minor or short-term issues and more serious ones.
How to Deal With Stress
To deal effectively with stress, you need to think about your physical health, the way you interact with others, and your goals and priorities in life- that is, what you consider to be truly important. This article will review some practical principles that can help you to deal better with stress and perhaps even reduce it.
1. Try to Live One Day at a Time
“Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties.”-MATTHEW 6:34.
Meaning: Daily anxieties are a part of life. But do not increase today’s anxieties by adding tomorrow’s to them. Try to live one day at a time.
• Stress can cause anxiety. So try this: First, recognize that some stress is inevitable. Fretting over things you cannot prevent increases your stress.
Second, understand that quite often things do not turn out the way we may fear they will.
Set Reasonable Standards
“The wisdom from above is..reasonable.”-JAMES 3:17.
Meaning: Do not be a perfectionist. Avoid setting unrealistically high standards for yourself or others.
• Be modest, set reasonable standards, and know both your limitations and those of others. When you do this, you will reduce stress all around and even encourage greater success. Also, keep a sense of humor. When you laugh-even when something goes wrong-you relieve tension and brighten your mood.
Culled from Awake! No.1 2020.
