What is stress?

Stress is a complex, dynamic process of interaction between a person and his or her life. It is the way we react physically, mentally, and emotionally to the various conditions, changes, and demands of life.

Stress can be:

• Acute (immediate), which can be a one-time incident that usually comes and goes quickly. Its effect on us can last from minutes or hours to days or weeks. Examples of acute stress include narrowly avoiding an automobile crash or a violent incident with someone.
• Chronic (long-term), which can be caused by a continuing string of stressful incidences or an ongoing situation. Examples of chronic stress include a difficult job environment, caring for someone with a chronic disease, or a state of loneliness.

We experience stress in levels: Low levels may not be noticeable; slightly higher levels can be positive and challenge us to act in creative and resourceful ways; and high levels can be harmful, worsening chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease. These changing levels occur regularly as we pass through life cycle transitions like graduating from high school and college, getting or changing a job, or getting married.

What causes stress?

Stress results from the tension and anxiety caused by:

• A number of specific irritating events throughout a time period, such as a traffic jam on the way to an appointment, an argument with a customer or boss, a bad lunch, and so on.
• General conditions in your life, such as poor physical health, lack of a support system, emotional problems, loneliness, depression, and unsatisfactory living and work situations.
• Life cycle transitions and developmental stages, such as getting married or decreased physical abilities. When other stress occurs within one of these, it increases the cumulative stress level.
• Conflicts with your belief system, such as placing a high value on family life but not having the family life you want.

What does stress do to me?

People react differently to stress. How you react depends on your strategies for coping with stress, your previous experience with stress, your genetic makeup, and your level of social support and how you view your social support. The greatest factor, however, is how you perceive stress and control its outcome. What is stressful to one person may not affect another.

Stress affects you in both its acute and chronic forms:

• In acute stress, the body responds to a perceived threat. Your body releases chemicals that increase your heart rate and breathing and provide a burst of energy. This is known as the stress response or the fight-or-flight response.
• In chronic stress, the body's response depends on the severity and duration of the stress and how you respond. The cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the immune system may be affected. Chronic stress plays a role in many health problems, including coronary artery disease, diabetes, and asthma.

Stress also may cause moodiness, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. It may lead to depression, relationship problems, and poor performance at work or school. Chronic stress also limits your ability to develop skills that are uniquely yours; it can hinder your ability to excel in a way that is unique to you.

How do I evaluate my stress level?

We all experience stress differently; what causes stress for one person may cause little or no stress for someone else. How you evaluate stress depends on the nature of the event, your personality, how you perceive it, how much control you feel you have, your resources, your social support, and other events occurring in your life at the time.

When evaluating stress, consider:

• Stress because of life cycle transitions, developmental stages, and changes you are experiencing.
• Stress because of your job, family, or personal life.
• Stress because of a lack of time to do what you want.
• The severity, duration, and intensity of the signs of stress.
• How well you cope with stress, including how you perceive it, how much control you feel you have, and your social support.

Tracking stressful events and noting your reaction and coping strategies (a stress journal) are other ways to discover what is causing you stress and how much you may feel.

What can I do about stress?

To deal with stress, you need to identify its sources in your life. You need to recognize how stress affects you, understand how to avoid harmful stress, and know how you can deal with it when it occurs. You also need to realize that some events are out of your control. You want to reduce the stress you feel and help eliminate the emotional, mental, and physical problems it may cause.

Strategies to avoid stress include managing your time and commitments; establishing a strong system of social support and effective coping strategies; and leading a healthy lifestyle, including getting adequate sleep and eating healthfully.

Techniques to relieve stress include physical activity and exercise, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and massage.