Just as stress is different for each of us there is no stress reduction strategy that is a panacea.
Is all stress bad?
Not all stress is distress: a certain amount of stress or pressure is necessary and shows a positive adaptation being made by a person. This is called eustress.
Bad or negative stress is called distress: the negative physiological and emotional response when stress is intense and unresolved.
There are three degrees of stress:
Low: This is distress leading to boredom, fatigue, frustration or dissatisfaction.
Optimum: This is eustress leading to creativity, problem solving, progress, change, learning and energetic satisfaction.
High: Involves irrational problem solving.
What is the definition of stress?
Stress is defined as a person's response to his environment. Stress is measured in terms of arousal or stimulation. As such, stress must be present for a person to function.
Each person has his own normal (homeostatic) level of arousal at which he functions best. If something unusual in the environment occurs, this level of arousal is affected.
There are three phases of arousal:
Phase 1. Alarm phase: When an unusual (or stressful) event occurs, the output of energy drops for a short period as the event is registered in the person's mind.
Phase 2. Adaptation phase: Next, the output of energy increases above the normal level; arousal is heightened as the person seeks to deal with the situation. Adaptation responses available to humans include physically running away, fighting, freezing (self immobilization), suppression emotion or learning.
Phase 3. Exhaustion phase: Finally the person's available energy is expended and his capacity to function effectively is reduced.
Excessive stress is a leading cause or contributor to many serious illnesses: Heart attacks, cancers, skin diseases, strokes, depression, and anxiety, etc. Excessive stress can also cause havoc to relationships: Anger, infidelity, conflicts, risky behaviors, etc. The good news is that with self-education and effort, stress can be significantly reduced and healthy relaxation and peacefulness increased.
What is the stress/relaxation physical response cycle?
Signs of physical response include:
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, perspiration, pupil dilation and muscle tension. In the state of chronic stress, heart rate, blood pressure and respiration are chronically elevated.
The signs of relaxation response include:
Decreased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, pupil dilation and muscle tension.
A stress management strategy involves evoking the relaxation physical response on a regular, daily basis.
Common stress-related illnesses include:
* Coronary artery disease
* Peptic ulcer
* Mental Illness
Personal Life Events Analysis
To learn the level of stress (distress) in your life, circle the value at the right of each of the following events if it has occurred within the past 12 months:
Event--Value
* Death of spouse--100
* Divorce--73
* Marital separation--65
* Jail term--63
* Death of close family member--63
* Personal injury or illness--53
* Marriage--50
* Fired from job--47
* Marital reconciliation--45
* Retirement--45
* Change in family member's health--44
* Pregnancy--40
* Sexual difficulties--39
* Addition to family--39
* Business readjustment--39
* Change in financial status--38
* Death of close friend--37
* Career change--36
* Change in number of marital arguments--35
* Mortgage or loan over $10,000--31
* Foreclosure of mortgage or loan--30
* Change in work responsibilities--29
* Son or daughter leaving home--29
* Trouble with in-laws--29
* Outstanding personal achievement--28
* Spouse begins or ceases working--26
* Starting or finishing school--26
* Change in living conditions--25
* Revision of personal habits--24
* Trouble with boss--23
* Change in work hours or conditions--20
* Change in residence--20
* Change in schools--20
* Change in recreational habits--19
* Change in church activities--19
* Change in social activities--18
* Mortgage or loan under $10,000--17
* Change in sleeping habits--16
* Change in number of family gatherings--15
* Change in eating habits--15
* Vacation--13
* Christmas season--12
* Minor violation of the law--11
How to analyze your score:
Add the circled values. If your total score is more than 150, find ways to reduce stress in your daily life so that your stress level doesn't increase. The higher the score, the harder one needs to work at staying physically well.
Suggested uses for personal Life Events analysis:
1. Become familiar with the different events and the amounts of stress they promote.
2. Put the list of events where your family can easily refer to it several times a day.
3. Practice recognizing the stress level when one of these events happens.
4. Think about the meaning of the event for you and identify your feelings.
5. Think about the different ways you can adjust to the event.
6. Take your time in arriving at decisions.
7. Anticipate life changes and plan for them well in advance whenever possible.
8. Pace yourself. It can be done even if you are in a hurry.
9. Look at the accomplishment of a task as a part of ongoing daily living; avoid looking at such an achievement as a stopping point. Congratulate yourself and push ahead.
10. Recognize that your internal mechanism of coping with stress is directly tied to how your health and well being will be influenced by it.
Note: This scale is derived from the Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Scale. Holmes, T. & Rahe, R. (1967) "Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale," Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. II.
