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Hello and welcome to HealthiNation, I’m Dr. Keri Peterson.
We all know being “stressed out” is unhealthy. But what about just being stressed? It’s
not always a bad thing. Surprisingly, it can be good for you.
Stress is a natural body reaction and can help us flee a dangerous situation, or hit
that homer in the company softball game. It all depends on the source of the stress and
how you choose to deal with it.
Stress is a word used to describe how a person, or even an animal, reacts to different experiences
and environments around them. It usually causes tight muscles, mental tension and other symptoms
in the body like that adrenaline rush we all know.
During a stressful time, the brain signals certain glands to produce adrenaline and cortisol.
These two hormones increase your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and your metabolism.
Your blood vessels open up to allow more blood to flow into the muscles and brain, and the
liver releases stored energy –putting your body at the ready for a fight-or-flight response.
On top of all that the body starts to sweat, keeping it cool. And, the pupils in your eyes
dilate, or open up, improving your vision. Some people react to these changes by using
them to their advantage. A baseball player who feels a little stressed my have better
hand-eye coordination because of the open pupils and immediate energy in the muscles.
But an office worker under intense deadline pressure may feel a pounding heart, a sour
stomach and a rise in body temperature. Not ideal conditions to get work done.
The short term effects of stress are usually harmless, but long-term stress can actually
hurts the body. Unmanaged stress can contribute to chronic high blood pressure, heart attack,
stroke, depression and for some people, substance abuse and eating disorders – among other
problems. So, how can you tell if you’re stressed?
Here are some of the symptoms: Anxiety or panic attacks
Irritability, moodiness and anger Physical symptoms, such as stomach problems,
headaches, or even chest pain Sadness or depression
Insomnia High blood pressure
Stiff neck Constipation
Diarrhea Stress can even make some conditions, like
eczema or asthma worse. So, keep an eye on those too.
While it’s important to recognize when you’re stressed, it’s also important to figure
out why you’re stressed. These factors are called stressors – and there are two types.
Those you can control, and those you can’t. Some examples of the stressors you can control
are: -personal schedules
-your interactions with people -your career
Some examples of the stressors that are out of your control are:
-Chronic illness -traffic
-weather
Once you know what your stressors are, you can take steps to ease the effects of stress
on your mind and body. In cases where you control the stressor you can make changes,
and in cases you can’t control the stressor – it helps to have mastered some stress
reducing strategies. Watch our stress reducer videos for more on those techniques.