Got Stress?

Stress is an unavoidable emotion that every living thing feels at some point in their lifetime. Stress is very much a part of our lives and it doesn't always have to be bad like the assumptions. Stress can be good or bad; the way a person reacts to stress is what makes it good or bad. Maureen Killoran, a Life Coach and Unitarian minister explains stress simply as, "Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose" (Source 1). Let's discuss stress: its effects, personality responses, and coping techniques.

Stress is not something that is easily defined as it is different for every person and each person reacts to stress different as well. I checked around for definitions and combined two definitions that seemed to fit the ideal of how most people would imagine stress. Basically stress is a response the body has to a stimulus like physical, mental, or emotional tension that interferes with normal day to day life (Source 2). Experiencing a high level of stress can have many different effects on the body and as most things the more you experience it the more chances you have of gaining side effects. Some effects of high stress are diminish of the immune system leaving one more vulnerable to illnesses or making a current illness worse, elevated blood pressure, depression, anxiety, fatigue and a lot others (Source 3). If you find yourself with a high stress level it may be due to your personality type and there are ways to learn how to cope with stress to avoid the negative side effects.

When talking about stress it is important to remember that people differ in responses to stress. Some people have more patience than others, some are more laid back, or some are just able to tolerate things more. When reacting to stress there is cognitive response and emotional response. Cogitative response helps determined how stressful something is. This response is distinguished by your assessment of the environment, effect and significance of the event, and by one's ability to successfully cope with the event. Emotional response is determined by one's evaluation of the situation, coping abilities, and temperament. It goes back to how everything is connected within the body. The way one thinks will affect the emotional response that one experiences. Someone who thinks "I'm in control" is going to react differently than someone who thinks "This is impossible to handle" (Source 4).

A person's personality will also affect how well a person will react to stress. Someone with a "Type A" personality exhibits traits such as always in a hurry, competitive, perfectionist, holds feelings in, and never late. People with "Type B" portray qualities as easy going, calm, unhurried, and not competitive (Source 5). I found out that I am "Type AB" which is a mixture of both and usually healthier as long as I monitor myself so I don't slip too much into "Type A". To find out which type you are take the online quiz here http://stresscourse.tripod.com/id25.html. The differences in our personalities are all influenced from social, behavioral, biological, and psychological factors. These factors begin as early being in the womb. The way mom reacts to stress will affect the baby. When we are born we are also born with genetic temperaments which will affect how someone reacts to stress. The combination of genetics and experience form a person's personal way of behaving, feeling and thinking (personality) which will all help in how someone responses to stress (Source 6).

Rather you experience a large amount of stress or small amounts there are ways to cope. The first way to learn how to cope with stress is to just realize what type of person you are. Once you realize things about yourself it is easier to understand why you do the things that you do. The next way to cope is to simply learn how to relax! So many people get caught up in this business of society or begin to accept high stress as normal that they honestly do forget how to relax. Relaxing can be achieved by mediating in a quiet place, some people like exercise such as yoga, and take time out of every day to enjoy a hobby like gaming, crafts, or reading. Another thing that will help is to realize what exactly it is that is causing stress for you. Try to avoid this stress if possible or think of ways to cope around it if it is a stress that you must face. There is always good in something if you look hard enough to find it.

Stress does not have to be a bad thing. The way you react to stress and let it control you can make it pleasant or unpleasant for you. Try to figure out what your response is to stress and from there go about making changes if you think they are necessary. Be in control of your responses and don't let stress beat you!

To find out if you have a high-stress personality visit: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=499

Sources:

1. Unknown. "Stress Quotes". Inspirational Words of Wisdom. 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.wow4u.com/stress/index.html. Unknown.

2. Unknown. "Stress." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 24 Sept. 2008. Dictionary.comhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stress. Unknown.

3. Steve Bressert, Ph.D. "The Impact of Stress". PsychCentral. 24 Sept. 2008. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/the-impact-of-stress/. 17 Feb. 2006.

4. Ben Martin, Psy.D. "Stress and Personality". PsychCentral. 24 Sept. 2008. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/stress-and-personality/. 17 Feb. 2006.

5. Unknown. "Stress and Personality". Stress Management for Health Course. 24 Sept. 2008. http://stresscourse.tripod.com/id166.html. Unknown.

6. Unknown. "Personality Types Impact on Response to Stress". Discovery Health. 24 Sept. 2008. http://health.discovery.com/centers/stress/articles/pnstress/pnstress.html. Unknown.