The Affects of Stress and How to Begin Reducing It

(This blog site and all of it's material has been moved over to my own domain at www.PeaceAndHappinessProject.com.  Please follow from there as this will not be receiving updates.  Thank you for stopping by.)

With some of the most major results of stress being deadly I feel it is important to start with this subject by helping you to gain a better understanding of stress, what causes it and how to reduce it. With this information we can begin our journey to a happier life with greater peace.

WebMD sights that, “90% of doctor related visits are due to stress related ailments or complaints.” With those numbers being so high, it is important that we all take as many steps as possible to reduce it.

Stress Defined

Stress is a major cause of a great number of illnesses that can be mild to severe, even deadly. What exactly is it? The best definition I found was from www.TheFreeDictionary.com which states, “Stress in humans results from interactions between persons and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their well-being.”

I am currently working on a project to assist people like you in learning the necessary tools to reduce the effects by teaching you how to adapt easier when stress arises.

Stress comes in may forms, from many different directions and can send us over the edge in a matter of minutes but with the right techniques you can learn to cope quickly and get back in the game, making strides toward controlling the issues that caused the stress so they do not control you or your physical heath.

Stress is everywhere. We even cause our own stress when it is not necessary simply by the power of our own thoughts. That's why I chose the definition above. I would like to share with you and others methods of fighting back and regaining control over it by using certain tools and techniques that I will explain in detail in this blog and the program I will be releasing in a few weeks.

Side Effects of Stress

Long-term stress without relief will build up causing toxins in the body as well as in the mind. The following is a few short lists of some of the symptoms that could result from prolonged stress:

Emotional Symptoms

• Depression
• Losing touch of reality
• Suicide attempts
• Irritability and loss of temper
• Higher tendency to turn to substances for relief
• Inability to exercise self-control
• Unable to use rational thought
• Decrease in emotional awareness
• Anxiety

Physical Symptoms

• Ulcers
• High blood pressure
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Heart attack
• Obesity
• High blood sugar and diabetes
• Stroke
• Asthma
• Acid reflux disease
• Cancer
• Fatigue
• Arthritis
• Decreased metabolism
• Headaches and migraines
• Unexplained stomach issues including but not limited to vomiting or diarrhea

Results of Stress

• Strain on relationships
• Divorce
• Abuse
• Decreased sexual drive
• Job loss
• Loss of interest in hobbies
• Seclusion

The lists above are short compared to the actual number of ways stress can attack our minds and bodies, the way it can control us and the fallout that manifests. If you think you may be in danger of stress having extreme effects on you, please seek professional help from your primary care physician or a therapist.

The types of stresses that people carry are as unique as the individual themselves. It could be something small such as an assumption of what someone thinks about you, anxiety over your child or a loved one's behavior, or as extreme as a prolonged major life changing event such as a job loss, divorce, death of a loved one or a life-threatening disease.

One thing that is often not considered is that prolonged minor stress can cause the effects that could lead to major stress. The cycle must be slowed and minimized in order to prevent this.

Stress Can Affect Brain Volume

In a January 2012 Article in Time written by Alice Park, she discusses an article written in the journal, “Biological Psychiatry” by Dr. Rajita Sinha, Director of the Yale Stress Center. Dr. Sinha reported on a study which stated that extremely stressful life events can lead to shrinkage in parts of the brain responsible for regulating emotions and metabolism and that a lifetime of stress can cause dramatic changes in brain volume especially in the frontal lobe which is responsible for self-control, emotions and physiological functions such as maintaining proper glucose and insulin levels.

A Few Ways to Reduce Your Stress Level

There are so many different techniques that they could not all possibly be expressed in one article. I hope to do that over time however, in order to assist you with better health and increased peace in your life by reducing some of your stress.

In closing, I would like to touch on a few things you can do immediately to reduce your current stress level. In upcoming blog articles I will go into further detail about additional techniques and give you tools to use. Please try incorporating a few ideas from the list below:

• Choose to associate with positive people and lessen time with negative people
• Increase your physical activity
• Be aware of your thoughts
• Delegate tasks when possible
• Sleep 8 hours per night
• Keep an ongoing list of what you need to accomplish
• Make a schedule
• Find a hobby that will allow you to take your mind off what you cannot change
• Try Meditation or Yoga

These are some of the most well-known but often forgotten ways to reduce stress. It is a great beginning. Make the ones that suit you a habit and we will build from there.

Please return often for updated information and I encourage you to ask questions or comment below.

For further reading, see my sources for this article below:

Http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/stress

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/09/study-stress-shrinks-the-brain-and-lowers-our-ability-to-cope-with-adversity/

Biological Psychiatry Journal

 (This blog site and all of it's material has been moved over to my own domain at www.PeaceAndHappinessProject.com.  Please follow from there as this will not be receiving updates.  Thank you for stopping by.)