WHAT IS STRESS?

Everybody deals with stress or is affected by it in one way or another every day.  Stress can be good (called "eustress") when it helps us perform better, or it can be bad ("distress") when it causes upset or makes us sick.

What are the causes of stress?  The causes of multiple and varied but they fall into two general groups:  external and internal.  Consider the causes of stress in your life with these examples:

External Stressors Include: 

• Physical Environment:  noises, bright lights, heat, confined spaces.
• Social (interaction with people): rudeness, bossiness or aggressiveness on the part of someone else.
• Organizational:  rules, regulations, "red tape", deadlines.
• Major Life Events:  death of a relative, lost job, promotion, new baby.
• Daily Hassles:  commuting, misplacing keys, mechanical breakdowns.

Internal Stressors Include:

• Lifestyle Choices:  caffeine, not enough sleep, overloaded schedule.
• Negative Self-Talk:  pessimistic thinking, self-criticism, over-analyzing.
• Mind Traps:  unrealistic expectations, taking things personally, all-or nothing thinking, exaggerating, rigid thinking.
• Stressful Personality Traits:  Type A, perfectionist, workaholic, being a people pleaser.

It is important to note that most of our stress is self-generated.  This is a paradox because so many people think of external stressors when they are upset (it is the weather, the boss, the children, the spouse, or the stock market).  Recognizing that we create most of our own upsets, however, is an important first step to dealing with them and learning to master them.

What are common symptoms of stress?  People feel stress in numerous and varied ways, but stress reactions can generally fall into four categories:

• Physical:  fatigue, insomnia, muscle aches/stiffness (especially neck, shoulders and low back), heart palpitations, chest pains, abdominal cramps, nausea, trembling, cold extremities, flushing or sweating, and frequent colds.
• Mental:  decrease in concentration and memory, indecisiveness, mind racing or going blank, confusion, loss of sense of humor.
• Emotional:  anxiety, nervousness, depression, anger, frustration, worry, fear, irritability, impatience, short temper.
• Behavioral:  pacing, fidgeting, nervous habits (nail-biting, foot-tapping), increased eating, smoking, drinking, crying, yelling, swearing, blaming and even throwing things or hitting.

Ways to Master Stress
Here are some ways to help deal with stress in your life.  Often we encourage people to use a variety of these ideas to create a balanced life between work and home.

But I'm stressed right now!  Take several deep breaths.  Slow down or go for a short walk.  Return and deal with the issues.

Adapted from an article by Dr. David B. Rosen