The Stresses of Life

We all deal with stress pretty much daily in our lives. It can be job, family, or money-related. These are all common factors in our lives. According to a recent study, more than 90% of the American population say they are dealing with stress daily and more than half of the American population say they’re dealing with moderate to severe stress.

Something that we as human beings must understand though, is that not all stress is bad stress. Some stress can make you more aware of things around you and keep you more focused. In more cases stress than most know, it can give you strength and help you get more done.

What Causes Stress?

Stress factors are different for everyone because every person reacts to things in different ways. What stresses you out may not even bother others around you and vice versa. To be honest, a huge stress factor for me is school as well as money.

Still, our bodies react the same to stressors and that’s because the stress response is the body’s way of dealing with overly tough or demanding situations. It causes hormonal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system changes, among other things. For example, stress can make your heart beat faster or can make you breathe rapidly, sweat, and tense up. It can also give you a burst of energy.

Your body has a mechanism called the “fight-or-flight response” and that is what causes the changes in your body with the reaction to whatever it is that is stressing you out. It’s this chemical reaction that prepares our bodies for a physical reaction because it thinks may be under attack. This is the type of stress that helped our ancestors survive in nature.

Good stress is when you sometimes can feel stressed for a short period of time. Normally it’s not really anything to worry about. Like when you need a helping hand in a project at work or home, or when you have to talk in front of a group of people. You might get that “butterflies in the tummy” feeling and the palms of your hands get sweaty. These are positive stressors that are short-lived, and your body’s way of helping you get through what could be a tough situation.

Bad Stress causes a negative feeling that can be very stressful on your entire body. Maybe you’re worried, angry, scared, or frustrated. This kind of stress isn’t good for you, and over the long-term can cause serious problems with your health.

Though stress affects everyone differently, there are many different causes of stress that can have a negative impact on your body, including:

Being bullied

Working too hard

Losing a job

Marriage or relationship problems

Recent break-up or divorce

Death in the family

Difficulty in school

Family problems

Busy schedule

Recent move

Long-term Stress is where we have let our stress spiral on for too long, which can have a very negative impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health, especially if it becomes chronic. You need to be made aware of the warning signs of chronic stress so you can take care of it before it gets out of control.

Physical symptoms of chronic stress include:

Headache

Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much

Muscle pain or tension

Digestive issues

Change in sex drive

High blood pressure

Emotional symptoms of chronic stress include:

Feeling you can’t get things done

Moodiness

Anxiety

Restlessness

Lack of motivation

Irritability

Sadness or depression

Sometimes you may feel like you have too much stress to handle and that is called a stress overload. If you think you just can’t cope any longer, you may want to seek help from a specialist, such as a personal life coach, therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care doctor. Talking to your primary care doctor can help him or her gain inside to help you determine whether what you’re experiencing is stress or an anxiety disorder.

Signs of stress overload include:

Panic attacks

Worrying all the time

Feeling you’re under constant pressure

Drinking or doing drugs to deal with your stress

Overeating

Smoking

Depression

Withdrawal from family and friends

If your stress has gotten to the point that you’re thinking of hurting yourself or someone else, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. You can also call one of the free suicide prevention helplines, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You don’t need to give your name.

I have noticed that a lot of the time when people are feeling stressed, having one to talk to really helps. I have found the having a personal life coach can help you in so many different creative and fun ways. One thing that I like to do when I am feeling overwhelmed is to garden. Having a hobby can really reduce the amount of stress you feel on your body. Don’t have a clue of what you can do for a hobby? That’s ok. A lot of people are unaware of the things they can do when they put their minds to it. Sometimes it just takes a little help setting goals to relieve that stress and the amazing feeling you have when you have reached those goals is just something that cant be described in words. If this describes you and you don’t know where to go or how to start, send me a message, and let's talk. The first consultation is free so from there you can decide where you want to go! Here at Guiding Life Pathways, we take pride in taking every step with our clients. We are just a message away!