Stress Management Series – What Is Stress And Why It Is Important To Manage Stress Effectively!
So are you ready to learn about stress related behaviors, symptoms and illnesses? Studies show that when people are under stress they tend to overeat and crave foods that make them feel good. Men often go for fatty foods such as potato chips and cheeseburgers and women go for sweets like chocolate or cookies. Obviously, your weight suffers if you habitually use high fat foods as a strategy to cope with stressful situations in your life.A simple solution: have healthy snacks handy and eat them instead!
Stress by itself is not good or bad. Often it is stress that motivates us to a higher level of creativity and performance. However, too much stress — DISTRESS — experienced over a long period of time has a negative effect on our health and effectiveness. People who are under a lot of stress may experience some physical, mental and/or behavioral symptoms:
Symptoms of Distress
Physical
- Sleeplessness
- Too much sleep
- Shallow, rapid breathing
- Oily skin
- Cold hands & feet
- Lack of interest
- Fatigue
- Racing heart
- Tight, sore muscles
- Back, neck and shoulder pain
- Increased blood pressure
- Chest Pain
- Digestive problems
- Grinding teeth
- Excessive perspiration
- Jaw Clenching
Mental
- Anxiety attacks
- Forgetfulness
- Depression
- Irritability
- Impatience
- Lack of interest
- Sadness
- Apathy
- Worry
- Poor concentration
- Mental fatigue
Behavioral
- Outbursts of anger
- Crying too easily
- Overeating
- Fatty, sugary snacks
- Excessive use of alcohol and/or drugs
- Too much smoking
- Isolation – avoiding social contact
- Procrastination
- Reckless driving
- Poor hygiene
- Poor performance
A combination of these symptoms experienced over a long period of time could lead to a growing list of stress related illnesses listed below. Experts claim that over 50% of all physician office visits in the U. S. are stress related. Stress Related Illnesses
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- Heart attacks
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Obesity
- Migraine & tension headaches
- Insomnia
- Diabetes
- Ulcers
- Asthma
- TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Pain)
- Immune system diseases
- Many types of cancers
Distressed people often adopt destructive, unhealthy approaches to managing their stress despite the potentially harmful effects. The next article in the Stress Management Series will discuss the difference between Destructive & Effective Stress Management. For a Deep Relaxation Experience click BestofHealth.com!
Mr. Kailash Narayan, President, LIFELINE International, has a B.S. from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India, and an M.S. from the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Mr. Narayan conducts seminars and workshops on various topics including Reenergize Yourself! – focused on managing stress effectively and enhancing performance.
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