A Research on Stress and Stress Management

You know whats great? When you write a speech about how stressed out society is. It gives you a great excuse as to why you have no clever attention getter. Why should I stress while trying to come up with something funny and unique? That would be hypocritical of me! We all know what its like to be stressed. To feel like there just arent enough hours in the day. There are just too many full days of school this month. What if I dont get into that great college? Why does my computer have to freeze at a time like this? When am I going to write and memorize that informative speech? I dont know about you, but Im a pro at stressing over being stressed. I can spend a good long time sitting on Facebook just to avoid stress. Its not like Im even entertained by reading what my hundreds of friends have on their minds. I just loathe the thought of opening my backpack and attempting to get every assignment finished. Clearly, Americans are pushing their limits with stress. On one hand, stress can be a killer. But, stress can also push people to excel in their performance. Today, I am going to discuss the positive versus negative effects of stress.

In a survey conducted by the National Consumers League, 80 percent of adults said that stress is a problem in their lives. But, stress isnt only affecting adults. More than half the nations 1217 year olds are at a greater risk for substance abuse due to high amounts of stress in their lives. In an article on MSNBC, health editor Jane Weaver compares stress to a roller coaster. She says, A speeding ride on a roller coaster is torture for some, while others race for the next ride. Multi-tasking or living in a hectic urban environment is a thrill for some, a confusing sensory overload for others. For those who often feel overloaded by stress, it can actually cause some serious debilitating diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, insomnia, alcoholism, and acid peptic disease. Now, in contrast, some people live for the rush of that roller coaster thrill ride.

Have you ever subconsciously hit the snooze button multiple times, until finally you look at the clock and realize you have 4 minutes to get out of the house? That surge of energy flies through your body as you scramble to get ready and get out the door. That is stress pushing us to perform better. And THAT stress is good stress. Dr. Lynne Tan says, Stress is a burst of energy. Its our body telling us what we need to do. Moderate amounts of stress can help people perform tasks more efficiently and can even improve memory. Recent research is predicting that small surges of stress can protect against Alzheimers disease. So, why has our country put such a negative stigma on stress? Because theres a fine line that too many people cross. Its under the circumstances of chronic stress or extreme, severe stress that we suffer the negative effects.

Dr. Maureen Killoran once said, Stress is not what happens to us. Its our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose. So, the solution to this stress epidemic is learning how to respond and cope with stressful events in our lives. If we can learn to enjoy the rollercoaster ride, rather than fight it, or run away in fear from it, our day to day lives will become much more manageable. Some stress reduction techniques include: aerobic exercise, prayer and meditation, yoga, listening to music, taking up hobbies you enjoy, aromatherapy. And most importantly, getting enough sleep and eating healthy. With stress as a prevalent problem in our country, it is no surprise that obesity rates are so high. Stress is known to be directly related to overeating. People use food to cope with their emotions. Rather than feeling disempowered by stress, train yourself to focus that energy on what you need to do. You have the power to make the situation positive. When difficult times arrive, you can either fight, or flee from the problem. Try surrounding yourself with positive people, and manage your time wisely. We all need to stop stressing over stress itself.

In the words of The Beatles, we must learn to, Let it be. There are some things in life we cannot control. But for the things we can control, we can channel our energy positively towards them. So, when its Friday night and you have a big forensics speech to perform the next day, you can relax knowing youre already prepared.

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