October: Emotional Health

Impact of Stress on Emotional Health

What is stress?

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger, whether it’s real or imagined, the body's defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life, giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching television.

But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health and your quality of life.

The Body’s Stress Response

When you perceive a threat, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action.

Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand.

How do you respond to stress?

It’s important to learn how to recognize when your stress level is out of control. The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it – and it can start to feel familiar, even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it is taking a heavy toll on your health. The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body and behaviour in many ways and everyone experiences stress differently.

Stress Doesn’t Always Look Stressful

Psychologists use driving analogies to describe the three most common ways people respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress:

• Foot on the gas: An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional and unable to sit still
• Foot on the brake: A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out and show very little energy or emotion.
• Foot on both: A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.

Keep in mind that the signs and symptoms of stress can also be caused by other psychological and medical problems. If you’re experiencing any of the warning signs of stress, it’s important to see a doctor for a full evaluation. Your doctor can help you determine whether or not your symptoms are stress-related.

How much stress is too much?

Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it’s important to know your own limits. But just how much stress is “too much” differs from person to person. Some people roll with the punches, while others crumble at the slightest obstacle or frustration. Some people even seem to thrive on the excitement and challenge of a high-stress lifestyle.

Your ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of your relationships, your general outlook on life, your emotional intelligence, and genetics.

Things That Influence Your Stress Tolerance Level

Assess how these things play a role in your life:

• Your support network: A strong network of supportive friends and family members is an enormous buffer against life’s stressors. On the flip side, the more lonely and isolated you are, the greater your vulnerability to stress.
• Your sense of control: If you have confidence in yourself and your ability to influence events and persevere through challenges, it’s easier to take stress in stride. People who are vulnerable to stress tend to feel like things are out of their control.
• Your attitude and outlook: Stress-hardy people have an optimistic attitude. They tend to embrace challenges, have a strong sense of humour, accept that change is a part of life, and believe in a higher power or purpose.
• Your ability to deal with your emotions: You’re extremely vulnerable to stress if you don’t know how to calm and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry, or afraid. The ability to bring your emotions into balance helps you bounce back from adversity.
• Your knowledge and preparation: The more you know about a stressful situation, including how long it will last and what to expect, the easier it is to cope. For example, if you go into surgery with a realistic picture of what to expect post-op, a painful recovery will be less traumatic than if you were expecting to bounce back immediately.

Am I in control of stress or is stress controlling me?

Ask yourself these questions to help figure out if you’re in control of stress:

• When I feel agitated, do I know how to quickly calm and soothe myself?
• Can I easily let go of my anger?
• Can I turn to others at work to help me calm down and feel better?
• When I come home at night, do I walk in the door feeling alert and relaxed?
• Am I seldom distracted or moody?
• Am I able to recognize upsets that others seem to be experiencing?
• Do I easily turn to friends or family members for a calming influence?
• When my energy is low, do I know how to boost it?

Sources:

Ask.com

Ask the Trainer

Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology by Elaine N. Marieb

PT on the Net

Stress and Your Body by Robert M. Sapolsky

Stress.com