First described by Hans Selye is 1936, stress is the body s reaction to a wide range of strong external stimuli, either physiological or psychological. The effects of stimuli may vary from person to person in as much that a person may find a particular event quite stressful while another may not even be affected by the same event at all. Further, Selye described the general adaptation syndrome brought about by stress as to having three stages: alarm reaction in which the body perceives and identifies external stimuli; this is followed by the adaptation itself, in which the body applies the supposed measures to counteract the stressor; when the body begins to run out of defenses, then the body engages in exhaustion.

Stress is actually misconstrued to be bad for the body; what a lot of people fail to realize is that there are actually two types of stress, positive stress or eustress and its negative counterpart or distress. Although when the word stress is used, it commonly refers to distress. If not handled well, distress can actually greatly affect the body s functions since it raises adrenaline and corticosterone levels in the body which in turn increases heart rate, blood pressure, respiration that stresses the body organs and in the long run may be a factor that contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other illnesses.

Stress is actually what the body experiences as a result to constantly adjusting to the changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects which may create positive or negative feelings. Good stress helps the body be alert and helps motivate the body to face challenges and solve problems. Eustress is deemed necessary in providing the push which drives the body. On the other hand, distress causes the body to create feelings of rejection, distrust, anger and even depression.

Perceiving the manageability of external stimuli is manifested by our bodily functions and its reaction to it. Handling the changes that occur in our daily lives must then be done optimally to alleviate the effect of distress.

Stress provides detailed information on Stress, Stress Management, Stress Reduction, Stress Tests and more. Stress is affiliated with Hypertension Symptoms.

Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton

In order to keep from becoming stressed, one of the first things to do is to be aware of the signs of stress. This is, admittedly, difficult, since people who are stressed are usually too stressed to notice that they are stressed. This is because stress tends to wrap itself up into a self-concerned package that not only alerts you to everything that you need to do or everything that is going wrong, all the while preventing you from actually taking care of anything that is stressing you. However, if you are aware of the signs of stress, you can at least tuck this information into your subconscious so that your brain might just remind you that your biggest problem is stress itself.

Of all the signs of stress the most obvious is persistent worrying. This is a state where your brain is constantly reminding itself of problems or issues that need resolving. In fact, this is not only a sign of stress, it could be referred to as stress itself. After all, stress is a condition where worry and concern take over the mind to the exclusion of all other thoughts. Though worry is sometimes unavoidable, stress is actually a condition where worry is so all-consuming that there is no other room in the mind for anything else. Unfortunately, this can lead to physical health problems that will hurt you in other ways.

Second on the list of the signs of stress is the headache. This is the most common physical ailment that arises from stress and it can be debilitating. In fact, stress headaches can sometimes reach into the area of migraines and those can leave you unable to even move. However, stress headaches can also appear when you are relaxed, simply because your brain is so used to being stressed, it does not know how to be anything else. Thus, the relieving of tension can create a wicked headache, or even a migraine, that will also leave you debilitated. So if you don’t want to be knocked out by stress every weekend, you should keep stress at bay during the week.

Another common sign of stress is insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep. The most common cause for this is the fact that, when you are under stress, your mind tends to keep racing even when you are trying to relax. Thus, rather than resting, your brain simply continues its frantic pace of activity, preventing you from getting the sleep you need to keep your stress under control. Yes, sleep helps manage stress, yet stress can leave you incapable of sleeping. This is yet another example of the ways in which stress can work to simply continue itself.

Other sleep problems that arise from stress include nightmares, sleepwalking, sleep apnea — not breathing during sleep, which causes the body to wake up — and hypersomnia — or persistent fatigue and desire to sleep. Unfortunately, these syndromes are debilitating and can cause many problems all their own. Thus, if you are suffering from any of these, you should probably see a doctor in order to manage both the condition and the stress that is causing it.

Physical signs of stress can also include ulcers or acid reflux disease. Ulcers are caused by small areas of bleeding in the stomach and acid reflux is a condition where acid enters the esophagus, causing bleeding. Of course, these are very severe problems, since they cause actual bleeding as well as problems digesting food. In the most extreme cases, the bleeding can be so severe that it actually presents problems of blood loss. Needless to say, ulcers and acid reflux disease are no laughing matter and you should see a doctor if you are suffering from either condition.

A frustrating symptom of stress is simply memory problems. These can arise when you are so stressed that your mind has trouble forming new memories. Obviously, this is an extreme case and you should be concerned when you are having trouble remembering things. Unfortunately, this sign of stress can be the most frustrating, simply because you don’t know why you cannot remember things. This, of course, gives you even more stress, recreating the original problem.

Among the most dangerous of the signs of stress is high blood pressure. This is caused by the fact that, when people are under stress, their heart tends to beat faster, sending more blood to the body and mind, allowing it to react to physical danger. Of course, most of the problems in today’s world do not actually involve physical danger and the automatic, bodily reaction to stress is utterly misplaced. You do not need the “fight or flight” response when you are trying to get some things done at the office, so the increased blood pressure is doing you no good. However, it is especially dangerous because it can create circulatory problems that can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Thus, stress must be managed if you want to avoid causing yourself permanent, debilitating harm or even death.

The signs of stress are not just mental problems. In fact, stress creates physical problems as well. Thus, if you want to keep yourself healthy, you need to manage stress. And the best way to do it is to be aware of the signs of stress and attend to them before they do you permanent harm.

About the author:

LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

Stress is not all bad. In fact, a certain amount of stress can make life interesting and engaging. We cannot escape every deadline or every commitment, so, rather than trying to eliminate stress entirely, we need to attempt to control stress as best we can. Interestingly enough, if we don’t have enough stress, we may end up feeling tired and hopeless.

It would be wonderful if we could come up with a mathematical formula for stress–the amount of stress an individual could conceivably accept without going into overdrive. However, optimal stress levels vary from person to person and from situation to situation. In fact, a situation that might make your skin crawl might be invigorating for another person. Likewise, a person who thrives on constant change would be stressed out in a job that is mundane, while an individual that hates change would be stressed out in a position that is constantly in a state of flux.

Experts believe that many illnesses are directly tied to stress. If you find yourself becoming constantly ill, or you feel nervous much of the time, you need to develop strategies for coping. It should be noted, however, that stress management is a practiced art–you can’t expect to master it in a single day. However, if you keep at it, chances are you will learn ways to deal effectively with stress.

One of the first things you should do is to learn what your primary stressors are. Is it cooking dinner? Preparing for a presentation? Driving to work? While you cannot necessarily eliminate these chores, you can make them more manageable. For instance, if cooking dinner stresses you out, consider ordering takeout once a week in order to take a break from your normal routine. If preparing presentations is a problem, learn to divide up the project so that you’re only focusing on a section at a time. If your morning commute leaves you frazzled, try leaving for work fifteen minutes earlier. The idea here is to recognize your stressors and come up with ideas for limiting their impact.

You should then try if at all possible to lessen your emotional reactions to stressors. You may notice that stressors cause you to think negatively, focusing on the worst aspects of a situation. Instead, consider a stressor an opportunity for improving your life. Try to determine whether you are overreacting to certain situations. It is entirely possible that every stressor you encounter is not urgent–that you can take your time to assess the situation and therefore reduce your stress level. Also, think of yourself as being in control of your emotions. While you may not be able to do anything about a certain situation, you can control your reactions to it.

Pay close attention to your physical reactions to stress. For instance, adopt deep breathing techniques in order to decrease your heart rate. If your physical reactions to stress are severe, you should consult your doctor to see if you should be on medication. However, a simple reaction to stress is to simply take a break from the action. This way, you can get some valuable “alone time” to think through a situation and see if you can find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Another effective way to fight stress is to strengthen your body. You should engage in aerobic activity at least three times a week. You should also make sure you’re eating nutritious food. Try to avoid stimulants such as sugar and caffeine, and make sure that you get enough sleep each night. These simple strategies can help you to cope when situations seem overwhelming.

You have to recognize that stress is an inevitable part of life. You cannot go through life coasting from one situation to the next and not expect to encounter some stress. However, with effective management techniques, you can turn stressful situations into opportunities for growth. The more strategies you invoke to deal with stressors, the happier and healthier you will be. But remember to start slowly and build up your emotional reserves. A gradual approach works best when it comes to stress management–otherwise, you could actually become stressed out by the pressure of it all.

About the author:

Tony Robinson is a husband, parent, webmaster and international author. Leading a full and busy lifestyle he is fully aware of the needs of a stress free life. For tips, techniques and further information visit http://www.stress-gone.com