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Symptoms of Stress and Life's Challenges
 The events that give rise to symptoms of stress in your life are called stressors. Stress is psychological reaction to demands made on you by the external environment. Symptoms of stress appear when you perceive a situation as threatening. Psychological effects of stress vary according to your perception of danger in the situation. Consider the case of roller coaster. Have you ever observed closely the expressions of all the people taking the ride in the roller coater? - You must have noticed the wide variation of emotions being felt by them. Some of the riders are terrified; some are mildly disturbed, while some are thoroughly enjoying the thrill of danger. All these people are exhibiting varying degrees of physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. The intensity of the response is in proportion to your perception of danger in the given situation. The same situation gives rise to varied psychological effects of stress in different people. The psychological effects of stress depend on the degree of control that you think you have over the situation. Psychologists tell us that people with higher levels of self esteem feel threatened less often than those with lower self esteems. Will You Fight?Physical symptoms of stress are the manifestation of what is called ‘fight or flight’ response in your body. It is body’s way of preparing itself to take action. This is an automatic survival reaction built into the species. The physical symptoms of stress bring into play such reactions in your body that are vital for survival in threatening life situations: the survival instinct. This is how it comes about.. The brain releases large doses of adrenaline into the blood for preparing the body. This increases the heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate. The blood is diverted away from skin tissues to the vital organs and large muscles of the system, like arms and legs, which now have available to them large quantities of oxygen in preparation for any massive action that might be called for. If conditions producing stress go away, body adjusts and restores itself to the normal state, though it takes time for the body to do so. Psychological effects of stress take a little longer to go. But, if the stressful situation continues for a long time, it gets harmful for the physical and psychological well being of any individual. In such cases, stress shows up in various ways - Physical symptoms of severe stress 1. Headaches, dizziness, neck ache, back pain, 2. High blood pressure, chest pain, palpitations, 3. Heart Disease, 4. Frequent colds, infections, 5. Rashes, itches, hives, 6. Fatigue and constant tiredness, 7. Frequent stomach pain and heart burn. Psychological Effects of stress 1. Anxiety and nervousness, 2. Insomnia, nightmares, bad dreams, 3. Difficulty in concentrating, 4. Difficulty in decision making, 5. Irritability, anger bouts, 6. Feeling of loneliness and worthlessness. Behavioral Manifestations of Stress 1. Social withdrawal and isolation, 2. Increase in alcohol consumption, smoking or taking drugs, 3. Excessive gambling, 4. Excessive activities like exercise and buying, 5. Loss of interest in appearance, 6. Neglect of punctuality, 7. Not taking interest in work, not feeling motivated to do anything. 8. Not sharing thoughts with others, and decrease in social interaction. Do you identify some of these symptoms as your own? – If yes, you need to take some action now! Further Reading How Does Stress Affect a Person....How It Affects You? How Good Are You At Stress And Time Management? Stress Relief Tips & Techniques: Top 10 Stress Relievers 6 Simple Steps to Relaxation Response Aromatherapy for stress relief: How Natural Scents Change Your Moods Back to HOME from Symptoms of Stress and Life's Challenges
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