Stress is Sort of Funny
Stress sort of funny. Not *chuckles* funny, but *strange* funny. It can make you act heroic, or it can destroy your health and life.
How stress affects you Depends on your quantity of stress and what kinds of stress you have. It can also depend on what kinds of stress you’ve had in your past and how you learned to deal with it.
The physical signs of stress are supposed to help you survive – fight or flight. In the modern world, this is very rarely any help. Most stress today is psychological.
Psychological stress will come from issues such as concern about money, relationships, and your health. Your body’s physical reaction to stress does not help these situations. Since these situations are common and long-lasting, your body can potentially be in a constant state of stress.
Your body being in a constant state of stress causes stress related health problems ranging from muscle pain, sleep disorders, poor decision making, PTSD, depression and stomach problems. The health trouble from stress can add to the stress you already have.
It becomes obvious that managing your stress is preferred to letting it go. But, there are thousands of people telling you how to do this. Making the right choice for you comes down to finding what fits your problems as well as your lifestyle.
Looking into what causes you stress as well as how you experience stress.
It can be helpful to decide of your stress is situational or behavioral – Is your stress reaction appropriate for the current situation or does it feel blown out of proportion? Figuring this out can require some brutal honesty on your part.
If your stress is situational, what are the situations and can they dealt with in a practical way? Do you have the time and energy to get some form of exercise and a proper diet? (I know from personal experience, if I have high stress, it is when my life is too busy to work-out or get to the grocery store for planned meals. That’s when I need to slow down.)
If it is behavioral, spending some time looking at the situation analytically may help. Look at your past and see if it is affecting your present, such as memories of past emotional trauma. (The stronger the emotion, the more vivid the memory. The more vivid the memory, the stronger the stress you will continue to feel from it.)
After becoming more aware of your stress, you will have a better idea of how to take care of it.
Situational stress is easier to figure out and will eventually be behind you. Behavioral stress may require outside help to get through. But, it IS possible, and IS worth accomplishing.
Seek professional help. Medication is sometimes an answer, but many people that have used medication for stress, experience side effects that affect their enjoyment of life. They often say they don’t know which is worse, to be on the medication or to be stressed.
Explore and educate yourself about your options. Then, make use of them. When it comes to improving your life, the only poor choice is to not try.
Filed under: Business