What is stress?
Stress is the body’s physical response to a real or perceived threat, demand, or danger.
When you feel threatened, your body releases stress hormones which prepare the body to respond. This is called the “fight or flight” response.
Stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, make your:
- heart beat faster
- muscles tighter
- breathing faster
- blood pressure higher
- senses sharper
Sometimes a pressurised situation triggers a stress response. The situation may not actually put you in danger. But your body may react as if it does.
A stress response can be helpful in some situations. It can increase your performance. But sometimes it can be detrimental to your mental health.
Recognising the different types of stress — and how your body responds to them — can help you get help with stress when you need it.
Common types of stress
There are three main types of stress. These are acute, episodic acute, and chronic stress. We explore each type of stress below:
Types of Stress and Their Symptoms
Will Joel Friedman, Ph.D. is a seasoned clinician with experience working with adults, couples, families, adolescents and older children since 1976. His aim …Read More
Given that stress has been linked as a co-factor in 95% or all disease processes, a keystone of holistic, alternative health and healing is learning how to effectively manage stress. This learning process begins with recognizing or identifying four specific types of stress affecting you and how these stressors (that is, what demands a change from you) are showing up or manifesting as symptoms in your life.
Stress factors broadly fall into four types or categories: physical stress, psychological stress, psychosocial stress, and psychospiritual stress.
Physical stress: trauma (injury, infection, surgery), intense physical labor/over-exertion, environmental pollution (pesticides, herbicides, toxins, heavy metals, inadequate light, radiation, noise, electromagnetic fields), illness (viral, bacterial, or fungal agents), fatigue, inadequate oxygen supply, hypoglycemia I(low blood sugar), hormonal and/or biochemical imbalances, dietary stress (nutritional deficiencies, food allergies and sensitivities, unhealthy eating habits), dehydration, substance abuse, dental challenges, and musculoskeletal misalignments/imbalances.
Psychological stress: emotional stress (resentments, fears, frustration, sadness, anger, grief/bereavement), cognitive stres (information overload, accelerated sense of time, worry, guilt, shame, jealousy, resistance, attachments, self-criticism, self-loathing, unworkable perfectionism, anxiety, panic attacks, not feeling like yourself, not feeling like things are real, and a sense of being out of control/not being in control), and perceptual stress (beliefs, roles, stories, attitudes, world view).
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Psychosocial stress: relationship/marriage difficulties (partner, siblings, children, family, employer, co-workers, employer), lack of social support, lack of resources for adequate survival, loss of employment/investments/savings, loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, home foreclosure, and isolation.
Psycho-spiritual stress: A crisis of values, meaning, and purpose; joyless striving (instead of productive, satisfying, meaningful and fulfilling work; and a misalignment withn one’s core spiritual beliefs.
Overall, improperly or ineffectively managed stress usually takes a toll on the body. When stress-related feelings, moods, emotions are pushed into the body, the soma, this is usually termed psychosomatic or psychogenic illness, including headaches, heart palpitations, physical/cognitive/emotional pain and suffering, constricted throat and shallow, constricted breathing, clammy palms, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, allergies, asthma, autoimmune syndromes related to an ineffective functioning of the immune system, hypertension (high blood pressure), and gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea, upset stomach, duodenal ulcers and esophageal reflux syndrome.
Prolonged stress can result in suppressed immune function, increased susceptibility to infectious and immune-related diseases and cancer. Emotional stress can also result in hormonal imbalances (adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, etcetera) that further interfere with healthy immune functioning.
(Adapted from Larry Trivieri, Jr, The Health Plus Letter, Vol. 2, No. 2, www.1healthyworld.com)
Cognitive: Anxious thoughts, fearful anticipation, poor concentration, difficulty with memory.
Emotional: Feelings of tension, irritability, restlessness, worries, inability to relax, depression.
Behavioral: Avoidance of tasks; sleep problems; difficulty in completing work assignments; fidgeting; tremors; strained face; clenching fists; crying; changes in drinking, eating, or smoking behaviors.
Physiological: Stiff or tense muscles, grinding teeth, sweating, tension headaches, faint feelings, choking feeling, difficulty in swallowing, stomachache, nausea, vomiting, loosening of bowels, constipation, frequency and urgency of urination, loss of interest in sex, tiredness, shakiness or tremors, weight loss or gain, awareness of heart beat.
Social: Some people in stressful times tend to seek out others to be with. Other people withdraw under stress. Also, the quality of relationships can change when a person is under stress.
Ketamine therapy is a relatively new treatment option for stress and anxiety that has shown promising results in clinical studies. It is administered intravenously, often in a series of low-dose infusions over the course of several weeks or months. Ketamine works by modulating the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly glutamate, which is involved in the regulation of mood and behavior. It is also important to have a thorough evaluation by a qualified healthcare provider before starting ketamine therapy to ensure that it is appropriate for your specific situation. Interested in learning more about ketamines for anxiety? Find a ketamine therapy clinic near you.
(Compiled by University of Miami psychologist Michael Antoni and colleagues, in Kenneth R. Pelletier, Ph.D. Between Mind and Body: Stress, Emotions, and Health in MindBody Medicine, Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. and Joel Gurin, Eds., Consumer Reports Books, Consumer Union: Yonkers, New York, 1993, 19-38, citation: 24).
Keep Reading By Author Will Joel Friedman, Ph.D.
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These days it’s hard not to get overwhelmed once in a while. Between juggling work, family, and other commitments, you can become too stressed out and busy. But you need to set time aside to unwind or your mental and physical health can suffer.
Learning how to manage your stress takes practice, but you can — and need to — do it. Here are 10 ways to make it easier.
1.Exercise
Working out regularly is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. Plus, exercise will improve your mood. But you have to do it often for it to pay off.
So how much should you exercise every week?
Work up to 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise like brisk walks or 75 minutes of a more vigorous exercise like swimming laps, jogging or other sports.
Focus on setting fitness goals you can meet so you don’t give up. Most of all remember that doing any exercise is better than none at all.
2.Relax Your Muscles
When you’re stressed, your muscles get tense. You can help loosen them up on your own and refresh your body by:
- Stretching
- Enjoying a massage
- Taking a hot bath or shower
- Getting a good night’s sleep
3.Deep Breathing
Stopping and taking a few deep breaths can take the pressure off you right away. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel once you get good at it. Just follow these 5 steps:
- Sit in a comfortable position with your hands in your lap and your feet on the floor. Or you can lie down.
- Close your eyes.
- Imagine yourself in a relaxing place. It can be on the beach, in a beautiful field of grass, or anywhere that gives you a peaceful feeling.
- Slowly take deep breaths in and out.
- Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
4.Eat Well
Eating a regular, well-balanced diet will help you feel better in general. It may also help control your moods. Your meals should be full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein for energy. And don’t skip any. It’s not good for you and can put you in a bad mood, which can actually increase your stress.
If you’re stressed, whether by your job or something more personal, the first step to feeling better is to identify the cause.
The most unhelpful thing you can do is turn to something unhealthy to help you cope, such as smoking or drinking.
Not taking control of the situation and doing nothing can make your problems worse.
Some of the keys to good stress management are building emotional strength, being in control of your situation, having a good social network, and adopting a positive outlook.
What you can do to address stress
Try these 10 stress-busting suggestions:
Be active
Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it can reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you deal with your problems more calmly.
For more advice, read about exercise for depression.
Get started with exercise
Take control
If you think you cannot do anything about your problem, your stress can get worse.
That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.
The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it’s a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.
Get tips on how to manage your time
Connect with people
A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.
The activities we do with friends can help us relax and relieve stress.
Talking things through with a friend may also help you find solutions to your problems.
Read about 5 steps to mental wellbeing, including the benefits of connecting with other people.
Have some “me time”
Many of us work long hours, meaning we often don’t spend enough time doing things we really enjoy.
It’s important to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise.
You could try setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality “me time” away from work.
Challenge yourself
Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, can help build confidence. This may help you deal with stress.
It can also make you want to do things and be active.
Avoid unhealthy habits
Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping.
They might provide temporary relief, but in the long term, these crutches won’t solve your problems. They’ll just create new ones.
It’s best to tackle the cause of your stress.
Help other people
Evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, often become more resilient.
If you don’t have time to volunteer, try to do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues.
Find out more about giving for mental wellbeing
Work smarter, not harder
Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that’ll make a real difference.
Leave the least important tasks to last. Accept that you will not have time for everything.
Get tips on how to manage your time better
Try to be positive
Look for the positives in life, and things for which you’re grateful.
Try writing down 3 things that went well, or for which you’re grateful, at the end of every day.
Audio: unhelpful thinking
In this audio guide, a doctor helps you to replace negative thoughts with more positive thinking.
Accept the things you can’t change
Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over.
For example, if your company is making redundancies, you could focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.
Audio: sleep problems
In this audio guide, a doctor explains what you can do to give yourself the best chance of a good night’s sleep.
