Stress....What is it?

Have you ever felt like you were lost and trapped in your own world that sooner or later becomes inescapable? Have the feelings of doubt, anger and emotional distress come upon you as you try to complete tasks? All these unwanted and negative characteristics revolve around the physical and mental factors that everyone experiences in their daily lives, stress. Stress is essentially the various feelings of helplessness, tension, paranoia and confinement. As formally defined, stress is "a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stress can be external (environment, psychological) or internal (illness, cognitive/behavioural)" (Definition of Stress, 2015). In the long-run, stress will always be there, it is just a matter of how strong and overwhelming it is. Every individual will experience stress differently and the effects will not always be consistent with one another. Stress influences our lives in many ways and in some severe cases it can cause short-term or even long-term side effects/illnesses such as depression or anxiety.

Stress can cause a various amount of physical and mental effects. Common physical problems of stress include: muscle or general body pains, fatigue, frequent sicknesses, and irregular or distressed sleeping patterns. People under stress can also have unusual behavioural patterns, such as, gaining irregular eating habits or obtaining negative/unhealthy routines like alcoholism or drug abuse. On the other hand, some regular symptoms of mental effects of stress are, problems in concentration, experiences of anxiety, fear, depression, anger or basic emotional difficulties. From personal experience and first-hand knowledge, it can be more or less said that young adolescents come across stress more often than others, mainly due to the fact that there is a greater demand of life from them. Student stress, more specifically, can arise from multiple stressors and can be the most influential. Students of post-secondary schools can suffer from stress caused by, academic failure, numerous assignments, increase in workload, poor relationships with other students, and family or personal problems at home.

Other possible situations where students can experience and be impacted by stress are: completing homework or assignments, studying, writing exams and maintaining a social status. Stress can be seen as the inevitable, and it may be something that never actually goes away, but, there are solutions to reduce and conquer stress in your life. These solutions are called relievers. Discussed throughout this personalized blog are five unique ways to relieve yourself of stress.

What is your formal definition of stress? How does stress affect you in your everyday lives?

As once said by American actor Peter Marshall

"When we long for life without difficulties, reminds us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds, and diamonds are made under pressure” (About Health, 2014).

 What are your interpretations or thoughts about this stress-related quote? Do you agree that "diamonds are made under pressure" when referring to students in this scenario?

1. Music

Everyone has different ways of coping with stress, and each individual will develop their own strategies to deal with it. From first-hand experience and knowledge, I'd say that listening to music is a common stress reliever for most post-secondary and/or young adolescents. When dealing with a stressful situation or stress in general, sometimes the best thing to do is avoid it and distract yourself. Some students tend to listen to music while completing tasks or studying, but in my opinion that is a more difficult pathway since your mind is attempting to focus on multiple things at once.

I believe that interrupting what you are doing and taking a mental break, eases the stress and eventually helps in decreasing any possible physical or mental side effects that could happen later on. Listening to instrumental, spa, or relaxing music are some of my top favourites as it brings me into a state of silence, calmness and restoration. It is important to know though, that when you are avoiding or distracting yourself from stress, it does not make it go away and you eventually have to face it again at some point. A short break is healthy for you though and I find that when stress is reduced, your abilities to complete tasks become more efficient and productive.

From an article posted by Jane Collingwood regarding the impact that music has on reducing stress: listening to music, especially classical, has a tremendous relaxing effect on our minds and bodies. Music has the power to act as a distraction which aids in meditation and music therapy. As stated in the article, "music can have a beneficial effect on our psychological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones" (Collingwood, 2007). Scientific studies have also been conducted in analyzing the effects that music has on people who are experiencing or have dealt with stress before. Studies have shown that music significantly reduces stress and anxiety in hospital or ill patients, it can relieve depression and increase self-esteem, it can improve overall mood, music therapy and/or meditation can reduce emotional distress and boost a person's quality of life, and listening to music can also help in memory retention as well as functions of the brain.

Check out the article for more inspiring and unique information on how music is a good, positive and healthy stress reliever. A personal challenge for you the next time stress enters your life, try listening to something new and different. Listen to Mozart or classical music and feel the difference it brings. http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress/000930/2

2. Exercise

Exercising is not only a growing trend nowadays, but it's also an excellent healthy life style to acquire. Whether it's a leisure walk, run or workout routine, any type of physical activity is good for all ages and helps you to stay in better shape. Exercising, or participating in physical activities, can increase and improve self-esteem, mood, and motivation, and can reduce stress, feelings of tension, anxiety, and in some cases depression. Stress affects the body and the mind, but, by exercising, it helps to ease and potentially decrease the negativity and unwanted feelings that stress causes. At times, stress can mentally and physically drain you of your energy, but, exercising is a great way of reducing fatigue and improving mental abilities, cognitive functions and concentration. Staying in shape and acquiring a healthier lifestyle is also beneficial as it improves your physical condition and builds a stronger immune system to fight off diseases. Exercising, in some instances, is significant for maintaining mental fitness and reducing your chances of facing stress or any symptoms of stress.

Why, and how exactly is exercising good for you, you ask? From a more complex and scientific point of view, when you perform any type of physical activity, your body releases a chemical called "endorphins". Endorphins are the body's natural pain relievers that interact with receptors in the brain that reduces or limits your perception of pain while also triggering a positive feeling in the body. Therefore, by exercising or even meditating or deep breathing, your body releases endorphins which overall helps in decreasing stress and the feelings that stress brings upon us. All good comes from exercising and the following are some possible actions that you can take to get in better shape, reduce stress and stay healthy; walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga, gardening, housework.

 

Check out this awesome video on how exercise impacts the brain and works together to reduce stress! It truly is important to keep a fit body and mind and by participating in physical activities it's easy to shrug off all those negative feelings and thoughts!


Content provided has been based off of the information presented from http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression. For more details and information about how exercise influences stress and its beneficial attributes, feel free to check out the link above.