What is Stress?
Stress originated form the French word rétrécir, meaning narrowness, a constriction or the limiting factor of power. The most harmful type of stress is negative stress- generally it occurs when you view change and pressure as a burden and perceive rising demands as threats. You feel a sense of frustration or helplessness.
Repeated or prolonged negative stress can trigger complex psychological reactions that may involve more than 1,500 different chemical changes in the brain and the body. It may even lead to an exhaustion of mental and physical energies and a weak immune system.
In a landmark study conducted at Harvard, it was discovered that people who handled stress poorly became diseased four times more often than those with good coping skills. Mismanaged "negative stress" affects the immune system, functioning of the heart, hormone levels, the nervous system, memory and thinking, physical coordination and metabolic rate. It raises blood cholesterol, blood pressure and uric acid levels; and also increases the risk of many diseases, including heart diseases, cancer, immuno-deficiency diseases and even common cold. In addition, negative stress also affects brain cells and nearby areas to prematurely age the adult brain.
The sources of stress are highly personal and may vary from person to person: what may affect you may not irritate others at all. However, for many of us, the ability to stay calm and healthy depends on "small things" How we respond to the irritations of everyday life- such as anger, rejection, interruptions, traffic jams and deadlines, etc., are often indicative of our psychological and physical stress.
Your own reactions or overreactions are the sole factors that cause stress. Very few people realize relaxation actually means a state of restful alertness, when you can distance yourself form life's tensions and distractions, and cultivate a clearer mind at your own will.
Stress & Anger
Vikas Malkani