Understanding, Managing and Reducing the Stress in Your Life

It would be impossible to survive an entire day without experiencing stress. Many people would laugh at that statement only because they do not understand what stress really is. Stress has taken on a connotation of being a negative thing that causes great discomfort and even early death.

Television ads sell countless medications designed to relieve stress. But the only real way to escape stress is by dying. The problem that our society faces is that it does not understand stress or how to deal with it, nor does it see its benefits.

What is Stress?

Stress is the body's non specific response to any demand placed on it, whether that demand is pleasant or not. The body's response to stress, whether pleasant or not, is the same. The important factor is how much demand it places on an individual to re-adjust. Stress can come from two different forces: physical activity, such as exercise or hard work, and mental or emotional activity.

Harmful Stress or Distress

This type of stress causes an individual to constantly re-adjust or adapt to the stressors. The good type of stress, eustress, is necessary for well-being. But whether it's defined as good or bad, all types of stress must be controlled before it becomes harmful. If the stress goes unchecked, it will change from distress to fatigue, exhaustion or even mental breakdown.

The body can cope with greater amounts of stress if that stress is accompanied by frequent periods of relaxation. When stress is constant, illness is more likely to occur. There are basically two ways to deal with stress. One is to remove the stressors, but this can be complicated. The other is to increase the resistance to stress by improving one's diet and amount of exercise.