Our son’s 18th birthday was a beautiful day and perfect for a fun family celebration! The birthday cake, however, had other ideas and proved to be a huge source of stress. Poor Terri!!
GOOD sense is, of all things among men, the most equally distributed; for every one thinks himself so abundantly provided with it, that … they do not usually desire a larger measure of this quality than they already possess.' René Descartes
Isn’t it the same with stress?
Don’t we all think we have enough of it??
Interesting. And then there are the psychologists, who say that
92% of all our worries are totally unnecessary!
If that is true, we really have a problem. Just imagine, our lives could be so much easier! We get stressed much too easily. Life needn’t be so troublesome! Shall we take a look at it?
What is Stress?
Definition
Stress is "a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances."
There are several different kinds of stress:
Survival Stress - fight or flight
Environmental Stress - response to noise, crowding, work and family pressures
Fatigue and Overwork - a cumulative stress that builds up over a long time
Internal Stress - worrying about things we cannot control or that are not really important
A stress reaction is a subjective condition that arises from the fear that we will soon be confronted with some (probably) unavoidable, negative situation, which will seem to continue indefinitely. The accompanying belief is that one cannot influence the outcome using one’s available resources.
When we think of stress, it’s not just the causes we think about, but mostly the effects we notice it has on our bodies as a result of real or imagined external demands (stressors) placed on us. So stress we feel is actually the body’s response to these stressors.
The body’s response to these stressors, bzw. seine Reaktion auf diese.'
What Stress IS
o the body’s reaction to a challenge
o a strong feeling of physiological and psychological tension
o the beginning of many illnesses
What Stress IS NOT
o Stress is not necessarily negative. Sometimes it helps us to reach our goals.
o It is not exactly fear.
o It is not the direct cause of sickness and disease, but promotes their development.
So, not all stress is equal. Here is a more exact definition:
Distress (Negative Stress)
> Stimuli that are judged to be disturbing, threatening or excessively demanding are called distress.
> Stress is judged as negative when it occurs often without achieving physical recuperation between episodes.
> Distress can be avoided by learning and applying certain coping strategies.
Eustress (Positive Stress)
> Stressors can also have a positive influence on the organism. This produced stress is called eustress .
> Eustress occurs when a person is motivated to action and during periods of happiness, like during sports, games, excitement, work and success.
People of varying strengths carrying the same load
strong average weak
We are all different. Weaker people need physical and emotional support in order to be able to meet stressful situations with any success.
The same person carrying different burdens
heavy medium light
As long as we have our burdens under control, all is well, but everyone has a breaking point. So it’s important to know one’s own limits.
Two people dealing with the same obstacle
Don’t you feel sorry for the man on the left? If he knew he could set most of his burden down, he would surely do it. Wouldn´t he? So many people go through life carrying unnecessary burdens. They could get rid of them if they actually wanted to!!
The Best Attitude toward Stress Factors
Psychologists R. Lazarus and S. Folkman came to the conclusion that people evaluate their own stress factors according to the following three criteria and see them as:
1 irreparable damage 2 danger / a problem 3 a challenge
What do you think is the most successful attitude for dealing with stressful situations?
Challenges are problems for pessimists, but for optimists, every problem is a challenge! Those who can view stress factors through optimistic eyes will have a decided advantage in life.
How are stress and achievement related?
There is no stress in the area between A and B, and production is low. Between B and C the people are highly motivated, and their accomplishments are at an optimum. The area between C and D is a critical point where too much stress begins to cause performance to sink. Stress levels between D and E are so high that production dwindles and illnesses begin to develop.
Burnout
When stress levels remain in the D-E for a prolonged period of time, burnout is a logical consequence. “Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.”1 Depression can also follow. The sufferer can become aggressive and can more easily succumb to addictions.
Burnout was first observed in individuals in helping professions, but has long since spread to many others including those employed as sportsmen, politicians, researchers and even salespeople. Longtime care-givers for handicapped relatives are also at risk.
ATTENTION: Early Danger Signals:
Some examples of observable characteristics in the initial stages of burnout are as follows:
- More dedication to certain goals
- Nonstop work, no breaks
- No time to relax or recuperate
- Feels indispensible and strong
- Work is the main reason for living, lives to work
- Hyperactivity and ignorance of one’s own needs
- Failures are ignored or blocked out
- Social contacts suffer, for example neglecting one’s customers or partner
- Exhaustion and chronic fatigue
- Seeking distraction or comfort in alcohol, tobacco, Internet, computer activities, food or in more frequent sexual intercourse
- Loss of the ability to concentrate
- Sleeping disorders
Boreout
Boreout or boredom burnout syndrome is a psychological disorder that causes physical illness. This theory was first expounded in 2007 in Diagnose Boreout, a book by Peter Werder and Philippe Rothlin, two Swiss business consultants .
Victims of boreout are underchallenged at work and become bored. They feel they must develop strategies to appear busy in order to avoid being detected as dispensable in the company. The problem is not laziness. Though the causes of burnout and boreout are diametrical opposites, the effects of both are very similar.
How do we react to stress?
Cats react immediately to stress, and our inner organs are just as responsive. A variety of hormones are released, circulation quickens as the pulse races, blood sugar levels rise and red blood cell production increases. Breathing is also accelerated and all our senses become more alert, while certain other bodily functions, such as digestion, are suppressed.
Influence of Stress on Thoughts and Imagination (at the cognitive level)
With stress, the ability to concentrate is diminished. One is more easily distracted. Short- and long-term memory are both affected. The ability to prioritize is reduced. More errors occur. Analysis of present situation and future plans are often neglected. Logical thought processes crumble into chaos.
The Emotional Level
Because of difficulty relaxing, nervousness increases. Pain may also be imagined (hypochondria). Impatience, intolerance, power games and thoughtlessness can be manifested toward others. Self-control and morals are successively surrendered. Despondency and feelings of inferiority grow.
The Behavioral Level
Speech can be affected: stuttering may cause a loss in linguistic flow. Hobbies lose their charm. Absenteeism at work follows. The consumption of alcohol, tobacco, coffee and other drugs tends to rise. Vitality sinks, insomnia rises, relational skills wither (the blame game thrives), personality structure is altered, and the most tragic of all: suicidal thoughts multiply.
Recognize Frustration
When the expectations placed on us by ourselves or others are too high, it is only natural that frustrations will arise. It is desirable and possible to react to these immediately. But how?
1. Recognize frustration.
2. Analyze frustrations. Are adjustments possible? Sometimes circumstances can be altered; sometimes we have to alter ourselves. Choosing to make adjustments and identify with the new situation without getting frustrated can be a big step in the right direction.
3. Make adjustments and wait. After making a decision, expectations must be adjusted. Patience can pave the way for frustrating circumstances to be transformed.
An Ounce of Prevention
It’s always better to recognize a problem when it appears and deal with it while it is small than to wait until it gets worse, hoping it will go away. It’s a good idea to make a plan, think it over and give yourself enough time to handle any unforeseen issues that may arise. More on that in the next blogs.
1 How to Fight Burnout Syndrome and Fall in Love with Job Again www.livechatinc.com
