Ahhh Stress Drilon! A common gay term here in the Philippines for stress (thanks to Ces Drilon) that I have come to use to make stressing a little bit lighter. Stress I believe is inevitable. I think it is part of life but I’d like to believe that one has an option to manage the sources of stress in their lives. Sadly for others it has become a way of life, unconsciously giving in to the thing or person that causes them to feel stressed.
Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger – whether it’s real or imagined – the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.
The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life – giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.
The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you are attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you would rather be watching TV.
But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.
It is important to learn how to recognize when your stress levels are out of control. The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it. It starts to feels familiar even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll. The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently.
Here are some signs & symptoms of stress:
| Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms | |
Cognitive Symptoms |
Emotional Systems |
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Physical Symptoms |
Behavioral Symptoms |
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I for one get affected easily may it be the little things in life. As a Virgo (yes, my personality speaks much of my sign) I am very meticulous and I strive to do things perfectly, with these characteristics it is very easy for me to feel stressed whenever things do not go the way I want to. I tend to dwell and retrace my steps and actions on how things happened the way it shouldn’t be. I get super frustrated whenever I know people don’t meet my expectations and that goes as well when I know I don’t meet people’s expectations. In short, I get stressed easily.
Becoming a new mom could be a valid reason to feel stressed out. The thought of failing and not knowing what to do are just some of the reasons new moms can give into stress. When I became a mom to Gabbie, that’s when I realized that stressing out on things (even the littlest of things) only made me depressed and unproductive. Instead of focusing my energy and time on the baby, half of the time I was stressing out on things I shouldn’t be and situations beyond my control. I think I can blame my expectations as a new mom on being stressed out. All the stories of love that family life promises to bring made me expect and believe that it’s all happiness, I was confident that it’ll be a walk in the park only to find out it wasn’t.
But then again I realized if I indulge on stress nothing would really happen. I know it sounds as if it’s easy to do, believe me it isn’t. It took me a few months to finally realize that I have a new life and that motherhood is my priority above everything else. Sure I have a supportive husband, family and friends but at the end of the day I know that the life that has changed the most is mine. Because I am the mother and a little creature is depending on me 101%.
Knowing what stress is and what you can do about it is a great way to prepare yourself for any new endeavor in your life.
Want to know what causes you stress and how you can handle it? Read my full article on New Beginnings’ website and click HERE.
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