Stress: we all know what it can feel like
.jpg)
In 2005, close to a quarter of British Columbians indicated that they had "quite a lot" of life stress; around two-thirds had "some stress." It's an everyday part of life and part of what makes us human. But what exactly is stress, and what can we do about it?Stress is a physiological response of the body to any demand being placed upon it at any given time. These demands can come from inside the body (feelings, perceptions, attitudes, beliefs) or from somewhere in the environment (exposure to heat/cold, noise, someone yelling at you). When you deem a situation to be threatening, your brain releases hormones and chemicals that send alarm signals throughout your body so that it can prepare to take action. This adrenaline-pumping response results in increased perspiration, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, muscle tension, and sensory alertness. It's this "fight or flight" stress response that enabled our human ancestors to survive when face to face with a sabre-toothed tiger. Unfortunately, most of our modern "dangers" like workloads or family conflict are not situations we can easily fight with our fists or run away from.
It's actually quite important for us to have some stress in our lives; in healthy doses, stress can make us feel challenged, motivated and invigorated. When people are routinely under-stressed, they feel bored, and this can lead to depression. However, if what is supposed to be a short-term bodily coping mechanism continues over a long period of time, the reaction does more harm than good and can compromise a person's physical and mental well-being.
Statistics Canada has found that women are more likely to report stress than men. They also found that men and women report reacting to different kinds of stress. Women tend to react more to chronic stressors like time constraints, meeting others' expectations, marital relationships, children, and family health. Men, on the other hand, are more affected by work-related stressors like a change in job, demotion, pay cut, and financial difficulties.
Disturbingly, adults aren't the only ones stress can impact. The Toronto-based Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health argues that parents pass their stress on to their young children like "second-hand smoke."
The consequences of stress on the body are wide-reaching. Signs of stress can include digestive upsets or ulcers, migraines, lower sex drive, restlessness or fatigue, frequent colds, or muscle aches. One study monitored 10,000 participants over the course of 14 years, and found that increased work stress was linked to higher chances of developing symptoms of poor metabolic health—including obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol—leading to heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Men who are highly stressed are twice as likely to suffer symptoms than men who are not; stressed-out women, alarmingly, are five times as likely.
In fact, stress can be deadly for older women, studies show—it has been found to be a predictor of death among women 65 and older. Both psychological distress and financial stress play a role.
Sleeplessness is another problem for stressed-out individuals. Insomnia is reported by nearly one in four Canadians who experience high levels of life stress. In someone who is already vulnerable, stress can also be a trigger for most mental disorders, depression and anxiety being the most common.
If a person continues to be stressed for a long period of time, signs of this can often be seen in their lifestyle as well. For example, they may develop unhealthy coping strategies, like an increase in drug, alcohol or tobacco use; dependence on caffeine to get through the day; or preoccupation with food. They may also feel isolated from others, feel angry and irritable all the time, worry constantly, become apathetic or unenergetic, and develop depression. Stress can be serious; one in six Canadians admit there's been a time in their life when they've been under so much stress they've wanted to take their own life.
Stress can come from both the good and the bad: getting married, moving, changing jobs, getting divorced, having a baby, or coping with the death of a loved one. Things that often cause a person to worry can be major stressors too. For instance, frequently worrying about how to pay the mortgage or the rent, or how to get through a long-term illness can be very stressful. The day-to-day hassles of living, like traffic jams, rude people, and frustrating office machines heighten the general atmosphere of stress.
A national Ipsos-Reid survey found that four in 10 British Columbians listed work and finances as their primary sources of stress. Another read more
