F Y I - FOR YOUR INFORMATION - HELPFUL HINTS

STRESS

What is stress?
Stress is your body's reaction to a demand placed on it.

Is all stress bad?
No. There is positive stress that acts as a motivation or challenge, and there is negative stress that causes hopelessness and feelings of being overwhelmed.

What makes stress positive or negative?
How you perceive stress determines if it is positive or negative. For example, if you are laid-off from a job you have held for 9 years, you can perceive this as a motivation to return to school and start a new career track or you can perceive the lay-off as a personal attack on your abilities and feel worthless.

Is stress only caused by negative events such as a death in the family or a relationship breaking up?
No. Stress may be caused by positive events such as a wedding, being accepted to college, receiving a promotion, etc. Remember, stress is how your body perceives an event so it does not matter if it is a positive or a negative event. If your body feels it cannot handle this event, stress will result.

What are some signs that I am experiencing too much negative stress?

  • change in sleeping patterns - always tired or unable to sleep
  • headaches, upset stomach, back pain or an increase in frequency of colds
  • loss of concentration
  • change in eating habits
  • problems in controlling your temper
  • memory problems
This list reflects just a small number of stress reactions. Stress should always be considered when there is some change in your physical or mental health.

What can happen if stress is not controlled?
If a person remains at a high level of stress for a long period of time physical and mental health can be affected, leading to high blood pressure,ulcers, nervous twitch, migraines, stroke, depression, and unhappiness

Are there any other factors to encourage me to reduce stress?
Holems and Rake completed a study that showed a high stressed person is 50% more likely to fall ill or have an accident.

Do alcohol, chocolates and smoking really reduce stress?
No. These activities only give a false appearance of calming you when in essence they may actually increase your level of stress. These activities may also have a more detrimental affect on your body then the stress does.

IF YOU FEEL YOUR STRESS LEVEL IS UNCONTROLLABLE SEE A COUNSELOR OR ADVISOR FOR SOME STRESS MANAGEMENT HELP!!!