Stress

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Q. What is Stress? Pronunciation (stres)

A. Reactions of the body to forces of a deleterious nature, infections, and various abnormal states that tend to disturb its normal physiologic equilibrium (homeostasis).

1. In dentistry, the forces set up in teeth, their supporting structures, and structures restoring or replacing teeth as a result of the force of mastication.
2. The force or pressure applied or exerted between portions of a body or bodies, generally expressed in pounds per square inch.
3. In rheology, the force in a material transmitted per unit area to adjacent layers.
4. In psychiatry and psychology, the abnormal mental and emotional state in response to a physical or physiologic stressor.
5. Stressor, in the sense that psychological stress can be a stressor to a person physically and the physical stress of illness can also be a psychological stressor.
6. In endocrinology, state of threatened homeostasis in which stressors are the threatening forces and adaptive responses are the forces of the organism that reestablish homeostasis.

[L. strictus, tight, fr. stringo, to draw together]

Evaluating Stress

Feeling the effects of stress is a normal part of life, especially when you are facing major challenges. However, each person responds to stress differently. What causes a lot of stress for one person may not cause stress for someone else. That's because a large part of stress is a matter of perception-how you view a situation determines how much stress it causes you. Therefore, only you can best evaluate the amount of stress in your life and learn better ways to cope with it.

Ask yourself the following questions to learn what is causing you stress and how you respond:

What job, family, or personal stress do I have?

Chronic stress can be caused by an ongoing stressful situation such as:

• Family or relationship problems.
• Caring for a family member who is elderly, has chronic health problems, or is disabled. Caregiving is a major source of stress. For more information, see the topic Caregiver Tips.
• Job stress.
• A family member who is under stress.

Do I have recent major changes in my life?

Stress is an unavoidable part of life and can be good or bad. We routinely experience both types of stress when we go through life changes such as getting married, having a baby, or having a child move away from home.

To estimate your current stress level based on recent changes in your life, use this Interactive Tool: What Is Your Stress Level?

How am I coping with stress?

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. For example, as you sleep, your body recovers from the stresses of the day. If you are not getting enough sleep or your sleep is frequently interrupted, you are losing a chance to recover from stress.

Your actions and behavior can be a sign of stress. Some people who face a lot of stress respond by smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating poorly. The health risks posed by these behaviors are made even worse by stress. Your body experiences stress-related wear and tear from two sources: the stress itself and the unhealthy habits you've developed to respond to stress. Evaluate how you respond to stress by identifying your positive and negative coping strategies. Use this coping strategies evaluation form(What is a PDF document?) to see how you respond to stress.

Do my beliefs cause me stress?

Some people feel stressed because their beliefs conflict with the way they are living their life. Examine your beliefs to see if conflict between what you believe and what your life is like causes you stress.

If you are not sure that you are stressed or are not sure what is making you feel the way you do, you need to discover what is causing stress. One way to do this is to keep a stress journal, a written record that can help you identify stressors so you can find better ways to cope with them.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.Please consult your physician !

Wishing You Great Health!

Glen Edward Mitchell

Any questions? Ask Glen