TURN-UP YOUR SOUND FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MARK KENT
Thanks for taking a very important step in your life, these 7 Super
Stress Solutions will help you understand more about stress and how to make effective decisions that will improve your quality of life and overall and overall sense of well being.
I have developed the 7 Super Stress Solutions from over 25 years of study and practice in the field of Health Psychology, Behavioral Science and Stress Management. I strongly believe that when you read and apply this knowledge imparted to you it will empower you and dramatically improve your ability to develop mastery over stressful situations in your life.
Super Stress Solution Day 1 What is my personal response to stress?
Initially a stress response takes place on a perceptual and hormonal level. To the layman stress is often misunderstood as scientists define stress to mean the observable, physical, emotional and behavioral changes that takes place as a result of a stressor in the environment. When there is a perceived physical or psychological threat for example being attack by a animal or feeling embarrassed in front of a crowd you might notice a change in your physiological response for example rapid heart rate, increased irregular breathing and sweating. However your may not be aware of a chemical changes in your body or brain. The stress response we experience when confronted by a significant threat has been coined the fight/flight response. This was identified by an American physiologist Dr. Walker Cannon in the 1930's. Essentially your brain emits an arousing chemical called corticotrophin releasing factors which triggers the sympathetic nervous system to put your physical body on alert. For example you may notice that under stress you become more hyperactive and have difficulty concentrating as you seem more sensitive than usual to your surroundings.
When stressed your sympathetic nervous system increases your heart rate so more oxygen can get pumped around the body. Your spleen contracts releasing red blood cells which carry oxygen for just such an emergency. Sugar stored in your liver is released into the blood stream to be used by the muscles and blood is diverted away from nonessential organs i.e. extremities and the stomach to more important organs such as leg muscles, heart, lungs and the brain. As well cortisol is released from the pituitary gland which mobilizes the body's energy stores and increases the amount of sugar and fats in the blood system. Cortisol also suppresses your bodies immune system and normal defenses which is why stress is often associated with immune system related to diseases for examples flu's, colds and canker sores. As well when you become stressed there is a release of noradrenalin which can stimulate pleasure centers in the brain that may be why thrill seekers and exercise addicts thrive on stress because of the addictive high it provides and the endorphins that are secreted to produce a higher sense of well being.
The classic theory of how you adjust to prolonged stress was formulated by Dr. Hans Selye who thought we all go through three stages in the stress response which he called the General Adaptation Syndrome. First comes the alarm reaction when a person is exposed to some stressors. If the stressor continues for several hours or days the body may begin to adapt to it and this is the second stage. If the stressor is more serious or goes unresolved over a period of time this is called the exhaustion stage when we lose the ability to adapt and the alarm stage is restimulated causing severe hormonal imbalance and possible illness and stress related diseases.
Quite simply how you respond to stress in your life follow four stages.
You experience a stressor - i.e. you go through a series of cognitive and emotional changes that assesses the intensity and meaning of the stressor.
Preparation stage - body goes through a series of physiological changes which prepares it to respond.
Action stage - The fight/flight response either resolves the stressor or renders it less threatening.
Relaxation stage - Body's physiological, emotional and cognitive processes come back to normal to reenergize your body for future and further demands.
So you can see we respond to stress on a perceptual, physical, emotional and behavioral level. As well, whether the stressor is resolved or not is a primary prediction of future prolonged stress and possible illness or disease. Also it is important to have relaxation time between stressors which is necessary to maintain a hardy resilience towards the harmful effects of the stress.
