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 Chronic Stress
The constant pressure associated with
living in a fast-paced world has created an environment where nearly everyone
is suffering from excessive stress.
Stress is a general term used to describe the reactions our body and
mind experience in reaction to everyday
tensions and pressures. While it
is often easy to notice the effect that large changes have on our functioning,
we often underestimate or ignore the impact of the common everyday hassles—like
rush hour traffic, waiting in line, and problems at work. These “minor” stressors are often the ones
that cause the most damage over time.
 Stress often expresses itself as
resistance, tension, strain, or frustration that throws off our physiological
and psychological equilibrium, keeping us “out of sync” and off balance. If our balance is disrupted for too long, the
stress can show up as disease or emotional problems.
Stress affects people physically,
mentally, and emotionally. According to
the American Institute of Stress, up to 90% of all health problems are related
to stress. Too much stress can
contribute to and agitate many health problems including heart disease, high
blood pressure, stroke, depression, and sleep problems. Research has clearly shown this link between
stress and illness:
- Over one-half of heart disease cases are not explained by the
standard risk factors, such as high cholesterol, smoking, or sedentary
lifestyle.
- According to the Mayo Clinic, among individuals with heart
disease, psychological stress was the strongest predictor of future
cardiac events, such as cardiac death, cardiac arrest, and heart attacks.
- Three 10-year studies each concluded that emotional stress was
more predictive of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease than
smoking. People who were unable to
effectively manage their stress had a 40% higher death rate than
non-stressed individuals.
 What can you do about stress?
First it is important to
understand that it is not the events or situations that do the harm—its how you
respond to those events. Emotions have a
powerful effect on the human body.
“Negative” emotions like frustration, helplessness, and anxiety inhibit
optimal functioning. “Positive” emotions
like appreciation, care, and love promote health and well-being. Various strategies can be used to help you
decrease the amount of “negative” emotions and increase the positive. These include Counseling and Therapy, Mindfulness Training, and
Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRV).
Talking with a trained
professional can help to identify the contributing factors to your stress, help
you evaluate your current strengths and areas of needed growth, and develop a
plan for addressing needed skills and lifestyle changes.
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