STRESS - INTERESTING FACTS AND HOW TO MANAGE IT

Stress is the human body’s natural response to any change in the environment that requires an action, reaction, or adjustment to what’s normal. How a person handles it very much defines stress for that person.

Here are interesting facts about stress:

1. According to an opinion poll, the major cause for stress in nearly all countries surveyed is money.

2. Bringing up a family in a highly developed and urbanized city – where everyone has to put up with the high costs of living, rising crime rate, traffic congestion and air pollution, is highly stressful.

3. Stress is one of the main factors causing insomnia and other sleep disorders. When stressors are present, the body naturally heightens its response system, thus, leading to wakefulness.

4. Stress causes chest pain, high cholesterol, cardiac problems, depression, and a host of assorted problems. It is not the culprit that causes gray hair; but it does cause hair loss.

5. A stressor, the stimulus that causes stress which can be real or imagined, can affect a person in a short term (acute) or over long periods (chronic).

6. Stress poses a great threat for diabetes and heart attack by altering blood sugar levels. This can cause fatigue, impulsive mood changes, and hyperglycemia.

7. Reaction to stress makes the blood thicker and more viscous which can lead to a blood clot. Powerful hormones, intended for urgent situations only, flood the brain and can kill healthy brain cells.

8. Stress triggers blood vessels to close, thereby reducing profuse bleeding from a flesh wound. The term stress means to draw tight, which originated from the Latin word stringere.

9. Extremely loud noises can cause acoustic stress that can spark off a spell of Long QT Syndrome – a heart disorder.

10. Stress is interconnected with the topmost causes of death globally: accidents, cancer, heart disease, suicide, lung disorders, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Managing Stress

1. Laughter is usually the best natural medicine. It lowers levels of cortisol, adrenaline, and epinephrine, which are stress-aggravating hormones; and it releases feel-good hormones, such as, dopamine. 

2. Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health.

3. Eat healthy. Avoid too much sugar. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

4. Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.

5. Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.

6. Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

7. Ask yourself what you can do about the sources of your stress. Think through the pros and cons. Take action where you can.

8. Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.

9. Chewing gum eases, not only the jaw, but stress as well. Ancient Mayans and Greeks chomped on resin gum; stress sure had been around a long time.