stress

Veronica Kinch1

Mr. Robinson2

Health3

12 October, 20094

Stress5

There is no definition of stress that everyone accepts. “People have very different ideas with respect to their definition of stress. Probably the most common is, "physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension". Another popular definition of stress is, a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize," states the makers of AIS (The American Institution of Stress). 6

Stress can be caused by multiple things. Some people are more easily stressed than others. But either way if you hold back a lot of stress, it can be very unhealthy for you. I happen to be one of those people who are affected by stress easily. Things that may stress a person are; a test, a lie, unlucky events that have happened, certain demands. The seven leading causes of stress are finances, work, family, Personal concerns, personal health and safety, Personal relationships, and death. Things that I am stressed by are people, what they expect of me, the demands my family put upon me, my friends, babysitting, my step father, and the unlucky events that have happened this summer. 7

Stress makes you irritable, angry, depressed, have lack of focus, worrying, insecure feelings, closed off, anti-social, and various other things. Stress can take a major toll on the human body. It can cause pain of any kind, heart disease, anxiety, digestive problems, sleep problems, high blood pressure, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and skin conditions, such as eczema. “People under a lot of stress tend to have weaker immune systems, thus becoming more susceptible to disease than people with normal amounts of stress. Often time’s people turn to alcohol, drugs, overeating, tobacco, and suicide because of stress. The fact is, stress kills,” says the Jonathan Hatch, a writer from getridofthings.com.8

“We all experience stress from time to time. When stress gets to be too much, it can take a toll on our health and wellbeing. That's why effective stress relievers are essential in restoring inner peace and physical health.” The ways that I relieve stress are by meditating, which is one of my favorite ways to do so, cook, argue, study, research or run. I also wrestle with a friend sometimes. Pets have been known to help relieve stress. Other ways to relieve stress are by exercising, laughter, throwing out your to-do-list, massage, drawing, writing, dancing, listening to music, and etcetera. PMR (progressive muscle relaxation) is another great technique used to relive stress. “As you practice tensing and relaxing all the muscle groups in your body, you can move to a shortened procedure, deep muscle relaxation, where you rapidly relax your whole body. As you reduce the tension you carry in your body, your whole being will feel less stress and you will enjoy increased physical and emotional health.”9

I feel based on this information that stress is bad. It can cause major health problems. If you’re stressed, relieve it. Don’t hold back and cause yourself both emotional and physical problems. There are many easy ways to relive stress.10