Eustress, Distress, We All Feel Some Sort of Stress

Tension is who you think you should be; Relaxation is who you are.- Chinese Proverb

Ah, stress. Or perhaps that should read UGH, STRESS! We're just going about our day trying to live our lives and it attacks. Stress is a multi-headed Hydra, bearing its' teeth as you get stuck in a traffic jam on your way to work....rush to the grocery store to find they're sold out of the one ingredient you need...not being able to sleep and angrily staring at the glowing numbers on the alarm clock, counting down the minutes of sleep you're missing out on...oh, I could go on but we all know what stress is and that it decides to show up at the worst possible moments. Or does it? There are multiple types of stress, both good and bad, or too much versus too little. 

The Types of Stress

A stressor consists of anything that causes stress, including physical, emotional, and environmental problems and barriers. These include, but are not limited to factors such as disability, illness, fear, worry, pollution, and noise (Powell & George-Warren, 1994; Seaward, 2006).

We tend to think of stress as being bad but there are multiple types of stress. Stress can be good, bad, long-term and/or short-term. Stress can be a one-time reaction to a temporary situation or it can become a permanent way of coping with life.

1. Eustress is good stress. This is a short-term stress that gives you a boost, like the stress you feel before public speaking or going to a job interview.
2. Distress is bad stress. This stress comes from a short-term adverse events, like illness or death.
3. Hyperstress is a feeling of constant stress. This type of stress is long-term and common among people who "never have enough time in the day", like working mothers or stock traders
4. Hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress, and it is a lack of stress or excitement in life. Hypostress can be caused by an unchallenging job and leads to restlessness and boredom.

That's a lot to be stressed about! Luckily there is an ideal amount of stress and that ideal varies from person to person. The perfect amount of stress is such that you feel challenged and invigorated, not exhausted and overworked.

                          

Stress' Effect on Your Health

From the Mayo Clinic, here are some common acute and chronic effects of stress:

                         

On your body

1. Headache
2. Muscle tension or pain
3. Chest pain
4. Fatigue
5. Change in sex drive
6. Stomach upset
7. Sleep problems

On your mood

1. Anxiety
2. Restlessness
3. Lack of motivation or focus or anger
4. Sadness or depression

On your behavior

1. Overeating or undereating
2. Angry outbursts
3. Drug or alcohol abuse
4. Tobacco use
5. Social withdrawal

Our bodies are much the same as our ancestors so our response to stress remains similar. Yet our ancestors tended to be faced with acute, short term stressors - like a fast approaching wild animal. The modern world has created far more stressors so many people are dealing with the effects of chronic stress. Whether we're faced with a wild animal or stop-and-go-traffic, the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system (aka "fight or flight") kicks in starts producing cortisol and adrenaline.

The over-use of our sympathetic system can lead to a disruption of natural processes. Chronic stress can lead to some of the following problems:

1. Heart disease
2. Sleep problems
3. Digestive problems
4. Depression
5. Obesity
6. Memory impairment
7. Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema

Sources here and here.   

Thoughts on Stress Management

I believe that stressors can be put into one of two categories: things that you can control, and things that you cannot. If you cannot control the stressor, you can at least control your reaction to it. If you can control the stressor, create a SMART plan to diffusing the situation next time.

I advise my clients do the following to identify how stress affects them:

1. Note how you're feeling. Are you anxious, upset, giddy, excited?
2. Note your physical reaction. Are your hands clammy? Do your shoulders hurt? We each have varying physical reactions to stressful stimuli.
3. Note your behaviors. Do you over-eat, withdraw emotionally, sacrifice sleep?

Now that you know how you react to the situation you'll recognize it's cues before the stress is full-blown.

Now, ways to handle stress:

1.  Relax. Stop thinking about your stress and allow 20 minutes to clear your mind. This can be done via yoga, meditation, and/or breathing exercises. Clear your mind, focus on your breathing and how your body feels.
2. Keep it positive. It's hard to be upset and frazzled when you're consciously engaging in the opposite. Repeat your mantra or affirmations, look at your vision board, do something nice for someone "just because". Maybe the stressor won't seem so, well, stressful when things are in perspective.
3. Manage your time. In my experience a lot of stress is caused by poor time management. Create a to-do list for the day, buy (or use) your planner, program reminders into your phone, do whatever works best for you and your lifestyle to stay organized. For some people, saying "no" to certain obligations is the only way to get things done. Take a good look at your life and priorities and decide what needs to be accomplished today. 

If you'd like assistance creating a SMART plan to manage stress (notice I didn't say "remove") contact me at SeeMeFit. Stress management tools can make a huge difference is your quality of life.