Is stress Normal ?
Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger, whether it’s real or imagined, the body’s defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. In emergency situations, stress can save your life. It also helps you rise to meet challenges by helping you to perform under pressure and motivates you to do your best.
What are the long term effects of stress ?
However, modern life is full of demands, deadlines, hassles and frustrations making stress so commonplace for many people that it has become a way of life. People’s mind and body pay the price causing major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships and quality of life. Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. Modern life has become more and more stressful. Often stress is something that gets a grip of you and does not let go. You may feel your life is turned upside down by it. You may feel it changes your nature. Stress impacts our feelings – anxiety, fear, sadness, panic, guilt, anger and dissatisfied about yourself and your life. You might feel you are easily overwhelmed by life.
Stress impacts our thoughts ?
Stress impacts our thoughts - thoughts about what could go wrong. Thoughts about the way you believe you have screwed things up in your life. Thoughts about being a failure. You may have low self-esteem. You might feel full of doom and gloom about your life.
Stress impacts our behaviours ?
Stress impacts our behaviours — you avoid places in case something bad happens to you. You escape from places when you feel tense. You slow down. You cry a lot. You drink more. You retreat from life. You try to protect yourself against the world.
How does Stress impact our body ?
Stress impacts on our body — you may feel unwell and tense. You lack energy.Your heart races, you get headaches, your stomach churns.
Long-term stress can also rewire the brain leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Health problems caused or exacerbated by stress include:- pain of any kind, heart disease, digestive problems, sleep problems, depression, obesity, autoimmune diseases and skin conditions such as eczema.
Make sure your Stress levels aren’t out of control.
Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it is important to know your own limits and to recognise when your stress levels are out of control. One’s ability to tolerate stress and to stay calm and collected under pressure depends on many factors, including the quality of relationships, general outlook on life, emotional intelligence and ability to relax. Counselling can help people examine their lives for stress and look for ways to minimise it and adopt healthier lifestyle habits.
