The short answer to this question is....
Stress Defined: Stress is the result of changes that take place in your body when you are faced with a threat. This is the body's built in survival method also know as Fight or Flight.
It's symptoms can be similar to those caused by anxiety. To be able to correctly identify stress, it's important to understand the difference between the two.
What do you consider a threat? What gets your heart pounding and palms all sweaty? Is it a quickly apporoaching deadline at work, or being stuck in heavy traffic? This is something that you have to consider to truly have your stress defined.
I was guilty of trying to take on the world. I tried to do it all and be all to everyone. I had created an unrealistic view of what I should have been, and placed unnecessary stress on my body. To really understand what stress defined is, you have to also define a threat.
Defining a threat was pretty easy for our less civilized ancestors. It was anything that could possibly cause them harm.....wild animals, hanging off a cliff, or invasion by nearby enemies. These threats were on a more physical level.
In today's world we identify threats on a more psychological level. What's considered a threat to one, may not be to another.
There are many common things that may trigger stress (overdue bills, traffic jams), but how we see our world also plays a big part in this.
You might ask....
"What
makes stress such a bad
thing? Stress is
what keeps me going...."
what keeps me going...."
This is actually a valid question.
Not all stress is bad for you. There is such a thing as good stress.
Stress can be good for you, but only in small doses. It does serve a purpose in our lives.
Here are 2 benefits you're probably familiar with.....
o Life Saver: Helps
you escape a dangerous situation by releasing adrenaline, and
increasing blook pressure for an extra boost of energy and clear
thought.
o Goals Preparation (Short-Term): Provides improved mental alertness, preparing the body for that big speech or to reach that work deadline through released adrenaline.
o Goals Preparation (Short-Term): Provides improved mental alertness, preparing the body for that big speech or to reach that work deadline through released adrenaline.
When I was a new mom, I am was very familiar with the "Life Saver" benefit. My little one's curious nature and unstable movements constantly threw me into "Super Mom" mode.
To have stress defined from another angle, let's take a look at what happens to your body when you become stressed.....
Our day to day lives are filled with so many stressors, that this response is triggered constantly. The body has to work hard each time stress is experienced. This makes it very important that you relax to bring the body's functions back to normal after the event.
I have to admit that I was not very good at this. I could hardly identify that I was stressed, let alone make time to relax. Stress was such a regular part of my day that it all just blended together.
When you don't take time to relax the body after stressful events, it can lead to chronic stress.
For more information on chronic stress click here. If the body remains in this stress mode for long periods, serious health problems can develop such as obesity and heart disease.
Here's something that most people don't realize.....you CAN control the stress in your life. Ultimately, you use the power of thought to learn to manage it.
Now that you know what stress defined is, it's time to learn some natural stress relief methods.
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NOTE: The content of this website is for informational purposes only. Consult a physician before attempting any of the natural stress relief options listed.