STRESS; The Deadliest Disease!
Can you define stress?
Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.
Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline, at least you can remember putting that in your CV/Resumé:
I CAN WORK UNDER PRESSURE
The pressure there means stress!
But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health. You can protect yourself—and improve how you think and feel—by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.Your nervous system isn’t very good at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats. If you’re super stressed over an argument with a friend, a work deadline, or a mountain of bills, your body can react just as strongly as if you’re facing a true life-or-death situation. And the more your emergency stress system is activated, the easier it becomes to trigger, making it harder to shut off. In psychology, we simply call it STRESSOR (Dr. Animashaun: Dept of Counselling, University of Ibadan).
If you tend to get stressed out frequently, like many of us in today’s demanding world, your body may exist in a heightened state of stress most of the time. And that can lead to serious health problems, and trust me, death!
Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems (that's why sometimes you might find it difficult to eat when you're stressed), increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the aging process. It can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders like hallucination, amongst others.
According to Dr. Animashaun (2016), there are two main types of stress:
Acute stress.
This is short-term stress that goes away quickly. You feel it when you slam on the brakes, have a fight with your partner. It helps you manage dangerous situations. It also occurs when you do something new or exciting. All people have acute stress at one time or another.
Chronic stress.
This is stress that lasts for a longer period of time. You may have chronic stress if you have money problems, an unhappy marriage, or trouble at work. Any type of stress that goes on for weeks or months is chronic stress. You can become so used to chronic stress that you don't realize it is a problem. If you don't find ways to manage stress, it may lead to health problems and even death.
STRESS AND YOUR BODY
Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones. These hormones make your brain more alert, cause your muscles to tense, and increase your pulse. In the short term, these reactions are good because they can help you handle the situation causing stress. This is your body's way of protecting itself.
When you have chronic stress, your body stays alert, even though there is no danger. Over time, this puts you at risk for health problems, including:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Diabetes
Obesity
Depression or anxiety
Skin problems, such as acne or eczema
Menstrual problems
And if you have an health challenge before now, chronic stress will surely worsen it!
SIGNS OF TOO MUCH STRESS
The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you, you can hardly tell when it's off, because it create that comfort zone for you. You get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll.
Let me burst your bubbles, many people think that once they sleep and wake up the stress will be gone, na lie! Big fat lie!... That’s why it’s important to be aware of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress overload.
Cognitive symptoms:
Memory problems
Inability to concentrate
Poor judgment
Seeing only the negative
Anxious or racing thoughts
Constant worrying
Emotional symptoms:
Depression or general unhappiness
Anxiety and agitation
Moodiness, irritability, or anger
Feeling overwhelmed
Loneliness and isolation
Other mental or emotional health problems
Physical symptoms:
Aches and pains
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea, dizziness
Chest pain, rapid heart rate
Loss of sex drive
Frequent colds or flu
Behavioral symptoms:
Eating more or less
Sleeping too much or too little
Withdrawing from others
Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
Stress can cause many types of physical and emotional symptoms. Sometimes, you may not realize these symptoms are caused by stress. Here are some signs that stress may be affecting you:
Diarrhea or constipation
Forgetfulness
Frequent aches and pains
Headaches
Lack of energy or focus
Sexual problems
Stiff jaw or neck
Tiredness
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Upset stomach
Use of alcohol or drugs to relax
Weight loss or gain
There are lots of stressor in our everyday lives. The causes of stress are different for each person. You can have stress from good challenges and as well as bad ones. Some common sources of stress include:
Getting married or divorced
Starting a new job
The death of a spouse or close family member
Getting laid off
Retiring
Having a baby
Money problems
Having a serious illness
Problems at work
Problems at home
Relationship problems (trust me, this one ehn, I no go talk)
Lol.
Now, the question is, how much stress is too much?
Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it’s important to know your own limit. But just how much stress is “too much” differs from person to person. Some people seem to be able to roll with life’s punches and lemons thrown at, while others tend to crumble in the face of small obstacles or frustrations. Some people even thrive on the excitement of a high-stress lifestyle.
Factors that influence your stress tolerance level include:
Build a support network.
A strong network of supportive friends and family members is an great slayer stress like Buffy; the vampire slayer. When you have people you can count on, life’s pressures don’t seem as overwhelming. On the flip side, the lonelier and more isolated you are, the greater your risk of succumbing to the dangers of stress. Even just a brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help calm and soothe your nervous system. So, spend time with people who improve your mood and don’t let your responsibilities keep you from having a social life.
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. On the other hand, if you believe that you have little control over your life—that you’re at the mercy of your environment and circumstances—stress is more likely to knock you off course. Just like the spoken words I did some time ago, SOME MOUNTAINS HAVE TO BE CLIMBED ALONE, SOME RIVERS HAVE TO BE SWAN ALONE...
Your inlook and outlook.
The way you look at life and its inevitable challenges makes a huge difference in your ability to handle stress. If you’re generally hopeful and optimistic, you’ll be less vulnerable. Stress-hardy people tend to embrace challenges, have a stronger sense of humor, believe in a higher purpose, and accept change as an inevitable part of life.
Your ability to deal with your emotions.
If you don’t know how to calm and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry, or troubled, you’re more likely to become stressed and agitated. Having the ability to identify and deal appropriately with your emotions can increase your tolerance to stress and help you bounce back from adversity or jinx in life!
Improving your ability to handle stress:
Get moving.
Upping your activity level is one tactic you can employ right now to help relieve stress and start to feel better. Regular exercise can lift your mood and serve as a distraction from worries, allowing you to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed stress. Rhythmic exercises such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing are particularly effective, especially if you exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the physical sensations you experience as you move).
Engage your senses.
Another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of your senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the sensory input that works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee (I love this one, people that know me well, knows how much I love just perceiving the aroma of a prepared coffee, lol) Or maybe petting an animal works quickly to make you feel centered? Or drawing? Or writing? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment to find what works best for you.
Learn to relax.
Boss man Boss lady learn to go for vacation! You don't have to travel to UK, you can travel to your village. Sha pray before you go, so that as you go there go relax dem no go use you com relax! Lol. You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control how much it affects you. Just as I said earlier on, that stress doesn't go away by merely sleeping and waking up. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness, that is, the polar opposite of the stress response. When practiced regularly, these activities can reduce your everyday stress levels and boost feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure.
Eat a healthy diet.
This cannot be overemphasised. The food you eat can improve or worsen your mood and affect your ability to cope with life’s stressors. Eating a diet full of processed and convenience food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary snacks can worsen symptoms of stress, while a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, high-quality protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, can help you better cope with life’s ups and downs.
Get your rest.
Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. Let me tell you how this happens, do you know that it is when you're even more tired that you find it difficult to sleep. Probably you must have left the, or even night vigil, and you're telling yourself, I'll so sleep immediately when I get home. Trust me when you get home, you will find that sleep tire! That is a symptom of stress. All you need at that point in time, what works for me though, get off your bed, take another shower, even if you've had one before then, don't towel dry your body, just lie down like that, and keep your thoughts out! Tahdaaaah! Off you go to the dream!
I dedicate this article to my father figure - Prof. Jonathan Ohiorenuan Osiki, who passed away on the 1st of April, 2019. A great man, who never saw himself as a lecturer but a Teacher!
GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL Sir!
Adieu My Prof!
Please you can read more on stress management.
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