Category: Stress

Anxiety Treatment and Stress Management

While anxiety symptoms vary wide, odds are sensible that at some purpose you’ve knowledgeable occasional physical and emotional distress signals like panic-struck respiration, your heart pounding in your chest, hassle sleeping, feelings of dread, or perhaps loops of worry. That’s traditional. By itself, anxiety isn’t a controversy. It anchors the protecting biological response to danger that reinforces heartbeat and respiration, pumping aerated blood to your muscles as your body prepares to fight or take flight. A small indefinite quantity of healthy anxiety will persuade you to urge to figure on time, push you to review arduous for associate degree test, or discourage you from wandering dark streets alone.

“Experiencing anxiety is traditional,” says Dr. Cistron Beresin, executive of the Clay Center for Healthy Young Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. “A specific amount of hysteria will even be useful. the matter is that generally the systems underlying our anxiety responses get dysregulated, so we tend to react or react to the incorrect things.”

Constant anxiety levies a toll on health. for instance, anxiety will increase levels of the strain internal secretion Cortef, raising force per unit area, that contributes over time to heart issues, stroke, aeropathy, and sexual pathology. And a 2017 Lancet study exploitation brain scans measured activity in a locality known as the corpus amygdaloideum, that mounts split-second responses to danger and encodes recollections of horrifying events. bigger activity within the corpus amygdaloideum related with higher risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, possibly, the researchers speculated, by triggering system production of additional white cells to fight perceived threats. In individuals fighting emotional stress, this would possibly drive inflammation and plaque formation that ends up in heart attacks and strokes. Quality of life suffers, too. Intrusive thoughts, dread of panic attacks, intense self-consciousness and worry of rejection, and different hallmarks of hysteria disorders compel individuals to avoid anxiety-provoking things. This interferes with relationships, work, school, and activities as individuals isolate themselves, flip down opportunities, and forgo doable joys in life.

Max Psychiatry, www.maxpsychiatry, we are purposefully here to support ,create awareness and fully focused on providing complete behavioral healthcare at large. We have expertise in treating variety of mental/behavioral health disorders in adults and adolescents. Ideally, at Max Psychiatry with vast and in-depth research and surveys were able to analyze key signs and symptoms that we are going to discuss to help create awareness and ultimately allow individuals to be able to curb anxiety related problems.

Sign and symptoms of anxiety

• Difficulty Concentrating-Some studies show that anxiety will interrupt remembering, a kind of memory accountable for holding short info. this might facilitate make a case for the dramatic decrease in performance individuals usually expertise in periods of high anxiety.
• Irritability-According to one our recent study as well as over half-dozen,5000 adults, over ninetieth of these with generalized mental disorder reportable feeling extremely irritable in periods once their anxiety disorder was at its worst
• Fatigue-For some, fatigue will follow an attack, whereas for others, the fatigue will be chronic. It’s unclear whether or not this fatigue is because of different common symptoms of hysteria, like sleep disorder or muscle tension, or whether or not it’s going to be associated with the secretion effects of chronic anxiety

However, it’s vital to notice that fatigue may be an indication of depression or different medical conditions, thus fatigue alone isn’t enough to diagnose AN mental disturbance.

• Trouble Falling or Staying Asleep-Waking up within the middle of the night and having hassle falling asleep are the 2 most ordinarily according issues. Sleep disturbances are strongly associated with anxiety disorders
• Panic Attack-Panic attacks turn out associate degree intense, overwhelming sensation of worry which will be draining. This extreme worry is often in the middle of speedy heartbeat, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, chest tightness, nausea and worry of dying or losing management.

Having listed some of the key signs and symptoms, our organization come up with almost possible solutions to help individuals navigate through these difficulties. Below are some activities we researched on to help one distract and possibly curb anxiety.

• Get your heart pumping, lungs respiratory deeply, muscles operating, and positive hormones flowing, walk, jog, run stairs, Jump rope, swim, move your body any manner you’re ready and you get pleasure from. think about it as sweating the anxiety out of you.
• Learn something new-browse a shop and gather some books on a subject that sounds fascinating to you. you’ll be able to do that at a library, too. you’ll be able to explore on your own with no pressure to perform. If you relish categories and getting ready work for a grade, that’s an excellent distraction, too (as long as you actually relish this and also the else pressure of analysis won’t increase anxiety).
• Lifestyle Changes-Things like obtaining exercise, avoiding alcohol and different recreational medication, limiting caffeine, maintaining a healthy diet, and obtaining enough sleep will usually facilitate to calm anxiety.
• Medications-Medical prescriptions to treat anxiety. Commonly used are antidepressant-anxiety medications such as buspironea, benzodiazepine for relief of panic attacks.

MENTAL HEALTH AWERENESS-STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management starts with characteristic the sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as easy because it sounds. whereas it’s simple to spot major stressors like dynamical jobs, moving, or a longing a divorce, pinpointing the sources of chronic stress are often a lot of sophisticated. It’s only too simple to overlook however your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors contribute to your everyday stress levels. Sure, you will recognize that you’re perpetually disquieted regarding work deadlines, however perhaps it’s your procrastination, instead of the particular job demands, that’s inflicting the strain.

To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses:

• Do you make a case for away stress as temporary (“I simply have 1,000,000 things occurring right now”) although you can’t keep in mind the last time you took a breather?
• Do you outline stress as Associate in Nursing integral a part of your work or home life (“Things are invariably crazy around here”) or as a component of your temperament (“I have lots of nervous energy, that’s all”)?
• Do you blame your stress on people or outside events, or read it as entirely traditional and unexceptional?
• Until you settle for responsibility for the role you play in making or maintaining it, your stress level can stay outside your management.

While stress is Associate in Nursing automatic response from your system, some stressors arise at sure times: your commute to figure, a gathering together with your boss, or family gatherings, as an example. once handling such sure stressors, you’ll be able to either amendment matters or change your reaction. once deciding that choice to opt for in any given state of affairs, it’s useful to consider the four A’s: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept. Avoid unnecessary stress, Alter the situation, adapt to the situation, or Accept the things you cannot change.

Stress will be effectively managed in many alternative ways that. the most effective stress management plans sometimes embrace a mixture of stress relievers that address stress physically and psychologically and facilitate to develop resilience and cope skills.

Use fast stress relievers. Some stress relief techniques will add simply some minutes to calm the body’s stress response. These techniques provide a ‘quick fix’ that helps you are feeling calmer at the instant, and this may facilitate in many ways that. once your stress response isn’t triggered, you will approach issues additional thoughtfully and proactively. you will be less probably to knock at others out of frustration, which might keep your relationships healthier. Nipping your stress response within the bud can even keep you from experiencing chronic stress.

Quick stress relievers like respiration exercises, as an example, might not build your resilience to future stress or minimize the stressors that you just face, however they’ll facilitate calm the body’s physiology once the strain response is triggered. Develop stress-relieving habits. Some techniques are less convenient to use once you are within the middle of a nerve-racking state of affairs. however, if you apply them often, they’ll facilitate you manage stress generally by being less reactive thereto and additional able to reverse your stress response quickly and simply.

Long-term healthy habits, like exercise or regular meditation, will facilitate to market resilience toward stressors if you create them an everyday a part of your life. Communication skills and different modus vivendi skills will be useful in managing stressors and ever-changing however we tend to feel from ‘overwhelmed’ to ‘challenged’ or perhaps ‘stimulated.’

Eliminate stressors once you will. you will not be able to fully eliminate stress from your life or perhaps the most important stressors, however there are areas wherever you’ll be able to minimize it and acquire it to a manageable level. Any stress that you just will cut out can minimize your overall stress load. as an example, ending even one virulent relationship will facilitate your additional effectively cater to different stress your expertise as a result of you will feel less engulfed.

Stress Management and its Techniques

Abstract

Stress is one of the most predominate challenges people face every day. According to the anxiety and depression association of America, seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress daily, and some say it interferes at least moderately with their lives (Stress is an inevitable, 2018). Stress is defined as a situation where a person’s homeostasis is affected and thrown off balance in response to the situation. This research paper is dedicated to identifying different types of stress and analyzing unique stress management techniques. The types of stress I will be covering in the body of this paper include Acute Stress, Episodic Acute Stress, and Chronic acute Stress. I will examine the primary reasons why they are caused, some health complications that come along with these types of stress to include both mental and physical. Finally, I will discuss different techniques we can incorporate into our daily lives that would be most beneficial to combat and overcome these stressors.

Stress Management

Stress is a common obstacle that inhabitants of this world are faced with every day, both animals and humans alike. From a rabbit being chased by a fox, to a person who just found out that he is going to be laid-off and does not know how he will provide for his family next. Both of these situations cause a natural response to help cope with the events taking place. The issue that are troublesome to humans is that there are many different situations that can trigger this response and sometimes its multiple events that can pile on added stress. Prolonged periods of stress can cause serious health issues. It is critical that we become familiar with stress and ways that we can overcome stress to prevent any adverse effects.

What is Stress?

Stress is a common term that we use every day, but how often do we really think about what this really means and what exactly happens to the body when this is happening? According to Dr. Erica Jackson of ACMS Health & Fitness journal, stress is the disruption of the body’s homeostasis or a state of disharmony in response to a real or perceived threat or challenge (Jackson, 2013, p. 14). The perceived threat or challenge is what we identify as a stressor. When we encounter these stressors, our body disperses many hormones to prepare us to confront this threat. The chemicals are known as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. This affects the body by increasing the heart rate, heightened muscle responsiveness, alertness, and even sweating. This is called the body’s natural “fight-or-flight” response. As we are all probably too familiar with, stress is not only caused from something that is life threatening, but sometimes even smaller issues. Some examples include; job issues or responsibilities, privation of time or money, family problems, relationships, driving in heavy traffic, or even waiting for an important outcome. With each unique situation we face, we may also encounter different types of stress depending on that vary situation.

Types of Stress1

Stress management can be complicated and confusing because there are different types of stress. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), These include acute stress, episodic acute stress, and Chronic stress, each having their own symptoms, characteristics, longevity and treatment styles.

Acute stress is recognized as the most common type of stress. It comes from momentarily dwelling on recent past events and the concern of how these events will affect you in the near future. Acute stress can be stimulating in small amounts, but an excessive amount can be wearing. This is because of the consistency of this stress, over long periods of time it can take a heavy toll on the body. Some familiar scenarios that contribute to this stress are car accidents that may have caused some body damage on your car, a deadline you are trying to meet, possibly even issues your child may be facing in school. Symptoms of this stress can include emotional distress in combination of anger, anxiety, and depression. Acute stress can also cause physical symptoms such as muscular problems like tension headache, back pain, jaw pain, and muscle tension.

According to APA, Episodic Acute Stress can be attributed to those whose lives are so disordered that they are subjects in chaos and crisis. They are always in a rush, but always late. If something can go wrong for these individuals it usually does, and usually they take on to much they can handle (Stress-kinds, 2019). People who suffer from episodic acute stress are usually short-tempered, irritable, anxious and tense. Additionally, they can be seen in a hurry, abrupt, and often their irritability comes off as hostile. They find the workplace to be extremely stressful to them. Personality traits associated with these individuals are often seen as having an excessive competitive drive, impatience, aggressiveness, and always having a sense of urgency. These people are at greater risk for coronary heart disease.

Chronic stress is undoubtedly the most severe type of stress a person can suffer from. This is the type of stress that breaks a person down day after day, and even year after year. APA describes this as destroying the human mind, physical body, and our lives as it inflicts chaos through long-term exposure. This is the stress of monetary scarcity, of broken families, being trapped in a torn marriage or in a unfavorable job or career (stress-kinds, 2019). Essentially, Chronic stress is derived from a miserable situation that appears to be no way out of. Symptoms from chronic stress are some of the most harmful or even deadly. These include violence, stroke, heart attack, and even suicide. Because physical and mental resources are exhausted through long-term attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are some of the most difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management (“stress management can be,” 2019).

Identifying the Right Stress Relief Technique

Finding the right technique to use is the first step to proper stress management and is essential because if you do not use the correct one, it will be challenging to make any progress. Some techniques are ineffective for one of two reasons: either they are a poor match for the person’s personality, or for the situation (Scott, 2018). For someone who is a healthcare provider, or any other challenging profession, simply using breathing techniques may not be sufficient enough in effectively reducing stress for that situation. According to the health and science journal, Transcendental meditation is referred to as a simple and easily learned technique, requiring only to be practiced for 20 minutes twice daily while sitting with eyes closed and repeating a ‘mantra’, a meaningless sequence of sounds specific to each individual, to promote a natural awareness to a wakeful but deeply restful state (Varvogil, Darviri, 2011). This technique may have amazing benefits overall, but this can be hard for someone who is feeling overwhelmed and lacks the patience to learn a new practice. It is important to identify what type of stress you may be experiencing, and then determining which techniques are most appealing to your personal preferences. This will make the process easier and smoother when attempting to managing your stress.

Management Techniques for Stress. As we discussed earlier, acute stress is a type of stress that only effects you momentarily. It happens quickly and often times unexpectedly and does not typically last too long. Further examples include an argument with someone in your life, or an exam you don’t feel adequately prepared for. A good practice for this type of stress are breathing exercises. They can be coupled with other strategies, such as yoga or meditation. Breathing exercises is also one of the more common techniques because of its simplicity, and it is effective for virtually everyone. They work quickly, you can do them anywhere (no extra equipment is required, just your lungs), they are cost free, and only take little practice to master. The benefit of breathing exercises is that it almost immediately begins to reverse your flight-or-fight response bring you back to homeostasis.

Another good stress management technique for acute stress is cognitive reframing. Have you ever over analyzed a situation to the point where you started to psyche yourself out of your own comfort zone (overstressed) only to find out all your concerns where unnecessary? That may have been a time when cognitive reframing may have been beneficial to counteract your unnecessary stress. Sometimes we tend to be overly cautious and critical, as humans normally do, of a tasking or situation when ultimately our over cautiousness does more harm to ourselves than good. It causes us to cloud our judgement or even make mistakes we would have not normally made if we were able to think straight. Cognitive reframing is a way of changing the way you look at something and changing your experience of it. For example, seeing something that would be challenging to be bravely overcome, or a viewing a really bad day as a mildly low point in a largely positive life. Even seeing a negative event as an opportunity to take it as a learning experience. Reframing positively affects stress because your stress is often triggered by what you perceive, not what is actually taking place. By reframing your thinking, you are likely to minimize, if not, neutralize your stress all together. Reframing can be simplified into a four-step process; learning about your thinking patterns, noticing your thoughts, challenging your thoughts, and finally, replacing your thought with more positive thoughts (Scott, 2018).

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a relaxing and effective technique for relinquishing body tension and psychological stress. For this technique, you will be required to tense and relax all of your major muscles in your body in order from head to toes. By tensing your muscles prior to relaxing them you enable yourself to relax them more effectively after you release. To effectively do this technique you will first need to find some time, at least 15 minutes. Next, you want to find yourself a place where you can feel comfortable for all your tensing needs. Now you first begin with your face; making a tight grimace, clinching your teeth, closing your eyes as tightly as possible, clench your teeth, for about eight seconds. Then you let go of all of your tension by exhaling and relaxing completely. Next comes your neck and shoulder areas, then you continue to repeat by working your way down your body with all of your muscles. The final step is to just practice and then abbreviate. Now you can use this technique to destress virtually at any time.

With managing Chronic Stress, often times it may require a combination approach with some short-term stress relievers and some long-term stress relief habits. An excellent long-term lifestyle change technique that can prove to be beneficial is exercising on a regular daily basis. Exercising is effective against stress for many different reasons. For one, it can serve as an outlet for frustrations. It allows you to turn negative emotions into motivation for improved health. Additionally, stress can increase your feel-good hormones like endorphins, and decrease stress hormones like cortisol. From a physical standpoint, with working out you will also feel and look healthier and it may boost your confidence relieving stress. With consistent physical activity it can even distract you and take your mind off of your problems.

Taking a much needed vacation away from work, in my opinion, is probably be the best stress management technique. Sometimes you just need to get out of your daily routine, an opportunity to clear your mind from all the troubles of the regular world with a five day trip to a tropical coastline, leaving all your worries behind. When you return, you will be refreshed and you may even be able to bring back some recently kindled motivation. The only issues that come with this technique is it may be the costliest compared to others. If the money is a concern, you would most definitely not want to place yourself in a financial burden adding even more stress. If money is a constraint, the next best thing I would suggest is making the most out of your weekend. This does not necessarily suggest spending your money to make you feel better, but spend some time doing the things you enjoy and leave work or other stressors for Monday. Whose to say weekends should not be treated as mini-staycations.

References

1. American Psychological Association (n.d.) Stress: the different kinds of stress. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds
2. Jackson, Erica, M. (May/June 2013) Stress Relief: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management.
3. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal p. 14-19 retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/acsm healthfitness/fulltext/2013/05000/STRESS_RELIEF__The_Role_of_Exercise_in_Stress.6.aspx#O3-6-3
4. Scott, Elizabeth (15 February, 2018) Stress Relief Techniques: Why The Right Fit is Essential
5. retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-relievers-for-each-type-of-stress-3145249
6. Varvogli, Liza, Darviri, Christina (2011) Stress Management Techniques: Evidence-based
7. procedures that reduce stress and promote health. Health and Science Journal p. 78 Retrieved from http://www.hsj.gr/medicine/stress-management-techniques-evidencebased-procedures-that-reduce-stress-and-promote-health.pdf
8. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (n.d) Physical Activity Reduces Stress.
9. Retrieved from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st

Stress and Its Effects: Informative Speech

In this module, I was able to measure my knowledge of just how much stress I’m under and how that’s impacting my mind and body. I was however astonished to find out about the effects of long-term stress on both my brain and my body.

APA Quiz Results

When I took the WebMD quiz, I managed to score 92 percent, missing just one question. Hardly any of the responses were especially surprising to me since I had many stressful experiences personally and as part of my previous career. I was on active duty Army for over 18 years and was responsible for the preparation and management of all the logistics management that took place in my company. I’ve been under stress often, and I’ve been doing studies on my own to take steps to reduce stress and deal with environmental and personal stimuli. Part of my job was to manage property loss during training exercises and manage the movement of all property. Stress came with the job because I had to manage multiple people and their properties. Seeing all the impacts that stress could have on the human body is rather alarming and therefore should not be taken lightly, particularly in a job like the Army. I begin to understand more about stress, its effects, and ways to reduce stress in my life.

Common Myths

In Article 6 Myths About Stress, the APA lists several of the most common stress myths. Stress has been indicated in many research studies in exacerbating very real physical illnesses — everything from heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease (APA, 2018). The misconception that I find most inaccurate is that only severe symptoms demand attention. It strikes a chord for me, as a previous active military member, this is an issue that doesn’t seem to be fading away. Life in the military is very stressful. You are away from your families for weeks sometimes months. Then you throw deployments in there. Now you have more stress from being away from your family to being in a different country fighting to stay alive. Soldiers do find themselves somewhat stressed out, and then the next thing you know, you’re beginning to see the reports about a rise in suicides among service members. Minor symptoms of stress are the early warnings that your life is getting out of hand and that you need to do a better job of managing stress (APA, 2018).

How Stress Affects the Brain

Many people understand that stress will affect you over time if it’s not under control. Since watching the video (Murgia, 2017) I will make an effort to get my stress under control. He guides us through the chemical process through which the human brain is affected by stress and the long-term effects that it has on our bodies. Stress is really not a bad thing. Stress is beneficial when it improves our concentration or increases adrenaline, for example in sports or public speaking. Prolonged stress that many of us encounter in relationship issues, employment issues, financial problems, etc., will significantly change the brain. Chronic stress can affect the size, structure, and function of the brain.

Stress starts with the pituitary-adrenal axis hypothalamus (HPAA). A variety of connections between the brain and the kidneys. The HPAA also regulates how the body responds to stress. If you’re under stress the HPAA releases a hormone called cortisol. Increased cortisol levels over a prolonged period of time can damage your brain. Chronic stress increases the number of neural pathways in the amygdala, the brain’s fear core, and as cortisol levels continue to increase, the hippocampus degrades. The hippocampus is essential for people’s memories, learning, and stress management and also reduces the activity of the HPA Axis. When the Axis of HPA is diminished, so is the ability to control stress. Cortisol will make the brain shrink. Too much cortisol contributes to the reduction of the pre-frontal cortex that controls decision-making, attention, judgment, and social interactions. This could cause depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

The video also revealed a study with rats in which the amount of affection that the mother rat gave her baby played a big part in how that baby reacted to stress later in life. The newborns that were nurtured by their mothers produced more cortisol and were not as prone to stress. The babies of neglectful mothers were the complete opposite. They were far more susceptible to stress. This is called epigenetic alterations and can be corrected in the same way that the results of prolonged stress can be changed in our brains. Work outings and meditation with breathing exercises will reduce stress and increase the size of your hippocampus by helping to improve your memory.

Do you think cognitive stress has the most influence (or impact) on the body’s response to stress? Explain.

I most definitely agree that cognitive stress has the greatest effect on the human body. It has the biggest impact on the body more than any other stressors or stress-related symptoms. Cognitive stress has an effect on your brain. Your brain is the command center of your whole body. The second you change that command center; things will begin to get crazy. Long-term stress results in an increase in cortisol, which can be harmful to the brain. Extended periods of cognitive stress usually equate to loss of memory and Alzheimer’s disease. It can be difficult to cope with the effects of chronic stress. Since the cause of prolonged stress is more continuous than acute stress, the body never receives a clear message to return to normal operation. For chronic stress, the same life-saving reactions in the body will affect the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, sleep, and reproductive organs. So it’s my opinion that if you let stress overwhelm you and let it affect you for a long period, you’ll start breaking down.

Short-Term Versus Long-Term Stress

The brain is impacted rather differently by contrasting short-term stress with long-term stress. Stress is your brain’s way to arrange and coordinate things. When you think of short-term stress, you think of the fight or flight response. Short-term stress can sometimes be effective. Stress could push you to prosper in such circumstances as taking an exam or interviewing for a job. Stress could keep you vigilant and focused, too. On the other end, prolonged stress is harmful to you, because your body never receives all the evidence to return to a normal state of homeostasis. The issue, however, is this; the body reacts to both of them in the same way. While short-term stress could be beneficial for you, long-term stress has many negative consequences on your body.

If managed correctly, can stress be a good thing?

Indeed, stress can be a good thing if it’s managed properly. You should first identify the signs of your body’s reaction to stress. When you see that stress has a harmful impact on your health, attempt to identify and minimize stressors as much as you can, and if you’re unable to do otherwise, speak to your doctor. Daily exercise and relaxation could also help to control stress. You are coping with stress such as a new job or wedding plans, establishing a prioritized timeline, and setting goals that can be accomplished. Checking the boxes could contribute to completion and permit your brain to rest if only for a few moments. I personally think that stress can be controlled and used efficiently because, without stress, we would not be here as humans.

Informative Speech on Stress and Its Influence

When the human body responds or reacts to an adjustment or something new, that reaction is called stress. The response of the human body varies from a mental to a physical one. Stress is a natural feeling that the human body is prepared to fight it. However, when there is continuous stress without a break or a pause this stress will become a virus to the body. This overstress forces the human body to change physiologically to adapt to this new change. the physiological change is a disturbance of balance in the body that causes headaches, trouble breathing, and depression plus other bad things that can hurt the body. In addition to that stress can cause a lot of deaths since it is one of the important factors that creates cancer, brain and heart attacks, and suicides. Moreover, people try to calm stress with substances that in fact will make their case worse for example: drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking a lot of cigarettes, and taking other harmful things. The consumption of these substances makes its consumer a prisoner in a looped feeling of stress. Moreover, stress is also contagious, the sources of the stress are not mainly related to the person in question they are also from other people. For example, if a person intimate such as a friend or a member of the family is having some serious health problems or an issue in a relationship. You will feel also stressed even though you are not concerned.

Stress is a natural feeling in the human. It is in fact a healthy feeling to experience if it is happening during a certain or brief amount of time. However, when it becomes a quasi-permanent feeling that becomes a serious problem because that will cause an excess in the amount of the stress hormones inside the human body which leads automatically to serious health issues (McEwen, B, 2006). The release of a great amount of stress hormones can cause a lot of problems in the human body. For example, In the digestive system, it will of course affect the stomach and all organs that are responsible for the digestion of food. It also causes obesity which is logical since when a person is stressed his appetite increases therefore there is a lot of weight gain. Not to mention that being obese increases your chances of having diabetes and blood-related problems. Speaking of blood-related problems, stress is also responsible for the dysfunction of the cardiovascular system it increases the blood pressure, and the rate of the heart it also increases the fat in the blood (cholesterol and triglycerides). All of these things affect the body and put the person in question a risk of developing heart disease (Stults-Kolehmainen, 2014). The body encounters many problems when getting exposed to a lot of stress. For example, Anorexia induction, Reduction of food and water intake, prevents stomach emptying, accelerates the colon movement, increases the movements of terminal parts, and decreases the initial part of the GI tract (Mönnikes et al., 2001).

The biological response to stress is a process or you can say a bunch of steps. This process of how the human body responds to stress whether it is short or long term is called Allostasis. Stress causes numerous changes in the human body. First, stress hormones are released after being produced, the release of stress hormones makes energy stores available to use immediately. Energy is transmitted to the tissues which makes them ready to work when the body is feeling stressed. The immune system’s cells migrate to battle stations (Dhabar & McEwen 1997). The process of digestion and the production of the gonadal hormones activities are suspended. In addition to that studies showed that stress has serious effects on the CNS which is the central nervous system. The main areas involved are the Glucocorticoid receptors and the Noradrenaline. These effects can be declarative memory disorders, reduction in spatial memory, weakening verbal memory, disturbance in hippocampus-dependent loading data, reduction of cognition and cognitive and mood disorders, and disorders in hippocampus-related cognition decreasing the reaction time ( Yaribeygi, 2017).

Studies showed that stress has some serious effects on the psychology of the person. Stress who was originated from violence and abuse during childhood results in creating disturbances and disorders in the brain of the person. Studies showed that people who go abused sexually, physically, or mentally encounter some serious psychological disturbances and disorders when they grow up. In addition to that people who grew up with parents who got divorced are often antisocial and have high depression levels compared to other people (Schneiderman, 2005). Moreover, studies have shown that children who were raised in an environment that was exposed to war or terrorism encounter psychological disorders and both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms (Schneiderman, 2005). Statics made showed that 70% of children who were living in Kuwait encountered severe symptoms which are called PTSD effects after the gulf war (Nader A, 1993). In addition to that other studies showed that 43% of the children from Lebanon were victims of post-traumatic stress symptoms because of the war they were exposed to (Macksound M, 1996). That shows that exposure to intense and chronic events during childhood is likely to cause stress disorder which affects the psychology of the person. In addition to that, studies showed that people who were diagnosed with a dangerous disease such as cancer, are often diagnosed with depression which makes their case more difficult and their recovery pretty much impossible (McDaniel et al. 1995).

People who get stressed easily and during numerous periods of time need to calm the stress in any way possible. As a consequence, most stressed people try to calm themselves with substances like tobacco. A lot of surveys showed that people who smoke tobacco are often stressed and anxious and the tobacco helps them to control their anxiety. However, people think that they found a cure for stress but the use of tobacco is more dangerous to the human body if it is consumed in heavy quantities. In this case, the human body gets exposed to stress effects and tobacco effects. To conclude, stress damages the human body and pushes people to get addicted to substances that will ruin their bodies

Stress is a natural thing and everything natural is created for a reason. This feeling is a vital and healthy feeling for the human body if its limits are respected. However, when stress is becoming a permanent thing it hurts the body very badly. As was explained in this research paper many disorders and disturbances the person faces either psychological or physical originate from stress, especially if the stress is severe and prolonged. Results showed that persons who are optimistic have a great chance of benefiting from stress than getting hurt because of it (Glanz & Johnson, 1999). On the other hand, if stressors are stronger and more powerful than individuals who are physically or psychologically vulnerable because of age, gender, or past experiences stressors may lead to devastating effects. In addition to that, people who have witnessed horrific events in their childhood are more likely to encounter some serious mental problems due to heavy stress.

Stress Thesis Statement Essay

The Health and Safety Authority defines Work-Related Stress (WRS) as stress caused or made worse by work. It simply refers to when a person perceives the work environment in such a way that his or her reaction involves feelings of an inability to cope. It may be caused by perceived/real pressures/deadlines/threats/anxieties within the working environment. Ireland’s frontline emergency services are under immense strain at the moment due to a range of issues. Worryingly, the issues do not appear to be anywhere close to a resolution and staff have taken the decision to take industrial actions. During the economic downturn in Ireland from 2008 onwards, a moratorium on recruitment was introduced in the public and civil service which was not lifted until 2015. This cessation in new employees entering professions such as our security and healthcare professions intensified pressures and the workload on those in the workforce. In 2018, a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was published and identified that the number of Irish workers who described themselves as stressed at work more than doubled in the five years from 2010 to 2015, with job stress among employees jumping from 8 percent in 2010 to 17 percent in 2015. The study further acknowledged that workers who experience angry clients or had to hide their emotions were more commonly stressed. The major question to be asked from this study are how stresses amongst employees affect their performance in their role and whether it impacts their satisfaction in their job. Secondary objectives to be achieved include identifying stressors in the workplace, identifying the controls in place from management, and the need for a positive work-life balance. The hypothesis is that work-related stress has a negative impact on both workers’ job performance and job satisfaction.

Literature Review

Arnold and Randall (2017, p. 380) define stress as a negative emotional state that results from the transactions between a person and their environment. It is something caused or made worse by work. They suggest the word stress is derived from the Latin word stringere meaning to draw tight. The term stress is not defined in terms of environmental pressures but instead its impact on mental well-being.

APA (2019) suggests some stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that provides the drive and energy to help people get through situations like exams or work deadlines. However, an extreme amount of stress can have health consequences

Sources of work-related stress

Organizational success depends highly on human resources. Human resource departments therefore have a responsibility in ensuring that employees are content in their roles and that the threat of stress is minimized. Identifying stressors at work is key to limiting the risks of employee absenteeism or industrial unrest which may adversely affect an organization’s profits or cause reputational damage. Cartwright and Cooper (1997) set out the major stresses of work originally suggested by Cooper, Cooper, and Eaker (1988).

1. Working conditions

Physical surroundings such as noise, poor lighting, or physical set up of office or assembly line

2. Shift work

Working irregular hours can impact sleeping patterns and family and social life. Additionally, studies have shown that shift work impacts negatively on workers’ health.

3. Long hours

Employees working extensive hours may suffer from health issues and work performance may slow. The European Working Time Directive limits employees to a maximum 48hr working week.

4. Travel

Many workers must commute long distances to attend their place of work due to low employment where they are from or forced to live outside cities to rent prices.

5. New Technology

The modern workplace is now centered on new and emerging technology. Workers are required to learn new skills in order to do their job.

6. Work Overload

French and Caplan (1973) suggest that quantitative refers to having too much to do, whereas qualitative means work that is too difficult.

Furthermore, Cooper and Payne (1978, p. 85-88) identify role ambiguity, role conflict, and responsibility as three additional factors of stress within an organization. An employee can be overcome with unnecessary stress when there is a lack of clarity about what the objectives and expectations are of them in the role. Role conflict exists when a worker feels they must do something they do not wish to do such as when there exists two expectations of them between two different groups. Responsibility, particularly in management roles is an identified cause of stress. Responsibility for getting the best out of employees or achieving set targets brings pressure. It often involves attendance at meetings and working alone.

Mind (2015) conducted a survey amongst emergency service personnel in 2015. The survey concluded that of 3500 surveyed, 87 percent of workers experienced stress at some point while working in their role. Emergency service workers are also far less likely to face stress issues due to the nature of their job and perceptions from the public and employers.

Overview of Research Approach / Proposed Methodology

It is proposed to use a mix of both quantitative research methods and qualitative research methods to conduct this study. According to DeFranzo (2011), quantitative research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables. Check and Schutt (2012, p. 394 state qualitative research methods are designed to capture life as participants experience it rather than in categories predetermined by the researcher.

The aim of this proposed study is to identify the stressors in the workplace amongst frontline emergency service workers and how these impact work and job satisfaction. The research will further identify how these stresses are managed by employees and line managers. An extensive literature review will assist in compiling a questionnaire which will be distributed to a selection of Gardaí with varying levels of service and backgrounds. This study strives to highlight the major issue of work-related stress and its impacts on employees and in turn employers and organizations. A hypothesis put forward by this proposed study is that there is a high level of work-related stress amongst emergency service personnel due the exposure to trauma, interactions with the public, and workload. Frontline personnel often have no definite job description and take on multiple roles. The issue and impacts of work-related stress are not well understood in this sector and this research paper will assist in identifying how employees can be better served.

The literature will be reviewed from a range of sources such as books, journals, scholarly articles, and websites. This review will form the basis of the proposed research. The questions on the questionnaire will probe issues highlighted from the reading of previous findings and observations. I propose to conduct the survey over a four-week period. The nature of the job of emergency service personnel means it would not be possible to have surveys completed in a single day. Affording the participant time and space to complete the questionnaire at their convenience will give a more honest and accurate reflection of the stresses impacting them. Closed questions will be the main type of question used. In addition to this, space will be given for open-ended questions to give the participant the opportunity to give their own opinions.

For confidentiality reasons, the identities of participants will not be disclosed.

Limitations and project risk

There are many limitations and risks to the success of this proposed study. In terms of the quantitative research method outlined, the structured questionnaire and its closed questions will limit the data available to collect. The limited options for answers may not accurately convey a participant’s views and opinions. It will also involve a substantial amount of resources from the time consumption of compiling the questionnaire and distributing it, to collecting the results and analyzing the data. Similarly conducting interviews depends on the participant’s availability in a busy schedule. It too is time-consuming as it requires an hour per interview to be set aside including introductions and conclusions of the interview.

A risk to the project is the current environment An Garda Síochána finds themselves in. There have been numerous scandals in recent years with confidence amongst the public low. Furthermore, in the current environment with industrial action in the public service and public opinion, participants may have disdain for government and management resulting in them giving biased answers out of discontent.

Thesis Statement about Stress

Key theorists prominent in the recognition of stress include physiologist Walter Cannon in 1914, and endocrinologist Hans Selye continued its development in 1936. These theorists have defined the term stress and played a major role in its evolution. Stress Science: Neuroendocrinologyedited by Dr. George Fink describes in detail both theorists’ ideas about stress. Finks’s analysis of stress begins with Walter Cannon’s concept of homeostasis, where he describes the stability of an organism in relation to its internal environment (Fink 2009). This development in the study of stress led to Cannon formulating the phrase “fight or flight”, which could be considered an introduction to the physical response to stress.

The meaning of homeostasis has not changed over the last eighty years, the general understanding is the stable state of equilibrium (Greenfield, 2003). For myself, I find change challenging and sometimes have trouble adapting to dramatic changes in my life. I found myself in a mixed state of mind when reading Greenfields Homeostasisarticle, in one part I found myself relating to the scared and predictable person he was describing, a person manifesting homeostatic impulses tends to feel tense and uneasy about change, or even the thought of change’ (Greenfield, 2003). The other part wanted to embrace change so I did not see myself that way and be more accepting of changes within my life.

There are many authors and researchers interested in Cannon’s theory of stress, Goldstein and Kopin (2007) discuss Cannon’s ideas through the Evolution of Concepts of Stress, Seaward describes in detail the four stages of the fight or flight response and Shelley Taylor and her colleagues (2000) propose an alternative response for a female’s reaction to stress in the study Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: tend and befriend, not fight-or-flight.

The fight or flight responses our body experiences when stressed can be triggered when our territory or space is invaded and when we feel scared in a situation. Seaward describes the four stages of fight or flight being; when one of the five senses sends a message to the brain such as a scream. Next, the brain will determine whether the situation is threatening or not. If the brain believes that the situation is non-threatening, the response is over and the body goes back to a stable state. However, if the brain does determine that the situation is threatening the brain activates the nervous and endocrine systems to prepare for the fight or flight. The body will stay in this activated state till the brain believes the threat is over and the body returns to homeostasis (2006).

Shelley Taylor (2000) identified that a female’s reaction could be different from a male’s reaction when faced with a stressful situation. As discussed, Cannon’s theory of fight-or-flight could predominantly be based on a male’s reaction to stress. Taylor et al propose that “human female response to stress (as well as those of some animal species) are not well characterized by fight-or-flight, as research has implicitly assumed, but rather are more typically characterized by a pattern we term “tend-and-befriend” (Taylor et al., 2000). They argue that females may have a naturalistic urge to protect their offspring from harm or trauma and therefore may feel that they do not want to put themselves and their offspring in jeopardy or they may not be in a position to flee a threat (2000).

Taylor suggests that men and women respond to stress differently. The “tend and befriend” response created by Taylor provides a counter theory to Cannon’s fight-or-flight response (Taylor, 2000). Taylor and her team’s investigation into already existing knowledge and research showed that information surrounding stress was predominantly male-driven and therefore provided inaccurate results for women under stress. Taylor suggests, “women’s instincts lead them to protect their offspring (“tending”) and turn to others for support (“befriending”)” (Pitman, 2003). This theory offers a viable explanation for women’s reactions during stressful situations, however, critics have noted a lack of feminist theory within her writing.

Through Taylor’s writing, she provides an array of benefits linked to the “tend and befriend” response. To ensure the survival of the species, whether animal or human, tending and providing protection to offspring during a stressful situation is vital. Befriending and coming together in a group to receive and offer support is also beneficial for our mental and physical health during stressful events (Taylor, 2006).

P B Persson and A Zakrisson also found limitations within Cannon’s fight-or-flight theory. They suggest that in the modern day, it would not be appropriate to attack your boss or flee from your office if under pressure (2016). Persson and Zakrisson also suggest, “this back-firing of our biological system vs. our work life may result in stress-related illness” (Persson and Zakrisson, 2016). Due to the fact that we simply cannot run away from stress, this project looks to establish alternate devices for expressing, and relieving stress.

There are many items and devices available to purchase on the market directed at people suffering from stress. Websites, such as Amazon and eBay sell a variety of products geared towards relieving stress for all age groups. These products include fidget spinners, fidget cubes, vibrating massage tools, and acupressure massage tools. The fidget objects are designed to keep the hands busy and distract us from a stressful situation. The massage tools such as Theracane or Body Back Buddy are used to ease one’s tension in parts of the body, such as the back, shoulder, or neck.

The Theracane and Body Back Buddy are both lightweight handheld objects. Like its name suggests the Theracane is in the shape of a cane and has six knobs to target tense areas. The Body Back Buddy resembles an “S” shape, with eleven trigger point therapy knobs, this tool offers relief from stress and tension in muscles. Though it seems to be an improved extension of the Thera Cane, the Body Back Buddy has evolved since 2005. The “S” shape offers perfect balance when utilizing the trigger points knobs on various parts of the human body. The shape also allows for muscle relief in hard-to-reach places.

Aside from hand-held objects, there are pieces of furniture that also aid in stress management. The versatility of the Exocetchair by Stephane Leathead allows the users to create the desired shape for the body or the person’s needs. The chair is made from vertical wooden slats that encompass a metal cylinder at the base of the chair. The cylinder acts as a hinge so that slats of wood can change shape. The subtle curve of the wooden slats mimics the curve of the human spine, providing back support for the user.

While the term “stress” is more commonly linked to negative connotations, eustress is a form of positive stress. The understanding of eustress is underdeveloped (Nelson & Simmons, 2015), however, it is described as being a good and healthy form of stress. Eustress is a good type of stress that allows an individual to feel excited and motivated. While this feeling may only be short-term, our bodies and emotions are more equipped to deal with this type of stress. Nelson and Simmons suggest, ‘We believe that most individuals not only prefer eustress, they actually savor, or enjoy with appreciation, this positive response to aspects of demands they encounter at work’(Nelson & Simmons, 2015). Some examples of eustress could include; getting married, taking a holiday, receiving a promotion at work, and retiring.

Distress is a negative response to stressors that are more commonly studied due to its effects on health (Nelson & Simmons, 2015). Nelson and Simmons describe distress as dysfunctional and negative, the opposite of eustress. It is the bad stress that comes into our lives as a result of the death of a spouse or loved one, injury or illness, and unemployment. This form of stress can be all-consuming and may cause anxiety which, could be both short and long-term. Distress can lead to an individual’s decreased performance in both the workplace and home life and could result in mental and physical problems.

An individual’s distress could be formed by a range of biological, cognitive, and social processes when interacting within an environment (Matthews, 2016). Humans differ in their response to stress, their vulnerability to stressors could depend on their resilience and self-regulation in challenging situations. Many factors can influence distress, Matthews states, ‘distress reflects both situational influences, such as life events, and intrapersonal influences such as personality traits’ (Matthews, 2016). The factors could include, environmental, such as traumatic events and ill health. Other influences include, physiological, cognitive, and social. Due to distress being such a broad term for a range of responses to stress, it is hard to determine a means of assessment (Matthews, 2016). Matthews suggests that an individual could experience distress both on an acute emotional state level and as a chronic condition. There are three timescales that distress could be assessed, the first being a temporary state of distress lasting only a few minutes. The second is longer and could last up to weeks or even months and the individual is generally experiencing an episodic state of distress that could be a result of a life event. The third assessment is described as a personality trait, such as anxiety which may stabilize over decades.

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a precursor of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and although they experience similar symptoms such as avoidance, individuals experiencing acute stress disorder may have a strong emphasis on dissociative symptoms (Bryant, Harvey, Dang, Sackville & Basten, 1998). Healthline.com describes acute stress as a condition of an individual’s psychological state caused in response to a traumatic event. Causes of the particular stress could include death and threats of death and potential injury to the individual or others. Individuals at risk could include those who have experienced or witnessed past traumatic events, individuals who may have a history of acute stress disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder, and individuals who may already have a history of mental problems. Individuals experiencing acute stress may feel numb or detached, feel anxious and irritable, and may avoid people, places, activities, and conversations. People suffering from this stress could also experience recurring images, thoughts, nightmares, illusions, or flashbacks. This type of re-experience may prolong the stressed state.

Academic stress is characterized by three types of stress; acute stress, episodic stress, and chronic acute stress. Acute stress is the result of recent or anticipated stress and is one of the most common stressors experienced by students. Episodic stress is identified as acute stress that occurs frequently and sometimes in a pattern. Chronic acute stress can be seen as never-ending stress that breaks an individual down. The symptoms of academic stress are divided into four categories; physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. These manifestations could be the results of a number of causes including; moving away from home, academic demands, finances, and post-graduate plans. For most students, attending university could be the first time moving out of home and away from a support group, this in and of itself would place a great deal of stress on the individual.

The second part of my literature review analyses the concept of art therapy; what it is, the mediums and methods involved, and where and how this type of therapy may evolve in the near future. Within this review, I also want to look at visual art versus craft in relation to art therapy. Researchers such as Malchiodi paint a detailed picture of what art therapy is and how it has grown over the past 70 years, whereas Bucciarelli highlights the potential of a transdisciplinary approach to art therapy. I also want to look into art therapists working in the field, these include; Amanda Chambala and Nicolette Bodewes.

Art therapy is based on the creative process of art making and enables the participant or client to express their thoughts and emotions through nonverbal communication (Campbell, 2010; Malchiodi, 2011). This type of expression allows clients to self-evaluate their strengths and weaknesses by creating a visual communication of their mental state (Chambala, 2008). Art therapy appears to be a beneficial alternative to traditional forms of psychiatric therapy, the client may feel that it is a less intimidating form of expressing their emotions and feelings.

It is a general understanding that art therapy is interdisciplinary and crosses the lines between a range of fields. Bucciarelli suggests that art therapists utilize different approaches from various fields, such as, ‘visual arts, counseling, art education, rehabilitation, anthropology, neuroscience, and the study of creativity to create “art therapy”’ (Bucciarelli, 2016). The mediums used in art therapy are constantly evolving and keeping up to date with contemporary times. Some traditional forms include drawing, painting, and sculpting, however, with the influence of technology art therapists also use; filming, photography, and other forms of imaging making during sessions. The needs of the individual must be considered and although these tools have the potential to express one’s emotion, not all tools are ideal for all people or situations.

There has been much debate on the differences between art and craft in the art therapy domain. In the mid 70’s Ulman, Kramer, and Kwiatowska suggested that craft lacks self-confrontation and benefits from perfectionism, they also ‘propose that art and craft activities should have their own separate workspaces because art is more emotionally demanding and thus more challenging than craft’ (Hyland Moon, 2010). I disagree with this statement. For this master’s project, my practice lies somewhere between traditional art therapy methods and handmade craft, I find myself putting the same emotion into both categories. In the contemporary art world, Adamson explains, ‘although the crafting of a work is associated more with the concern for detail and quality, tactile encounters, and materiality, it no longer is seen as primarily focused in manual labor and devoid of the conceptual, intellectual, and emotional processes associated with art’(Adamson, 2007; Hyland Moon, 2010). Kapitan suggests ‘traditional craftspeople believe that their materials have memory and show the maker’s feelings and struggles’ (2011, pp94). However, in a survey conducted by Futterman Collier, where over 800 women handcrafters were surveyed, the results suggested that while the creative work was therapeutic and stress relieving, their discipline requires them to put aside negative emotions, so as to not make mistakes. The pieces that I create have a meaning behind them. In everything that I create, I have an emotional connection, whether it be expressing my emotions and feelings through the technical intricacies of making a ring or showing my frustrations by hand-forming a sculpture from clay, or expressing my thoughts through drawing.

The use of clay and fiber art are prominent materials that I use in my practice. Malchiodi describes the interaction with clay as “three-dimensional thinking” and promotes the use of tactile senses (2011). The versatility of clay is endless, there are many ways clients can work with this material, such as subtracting or adding to the clay, working, reworking, destroying, and rebuilding. Hyland Moon suggests that clay can be more interpretive than blank paper due to the client physically manipulating the material (2010). I also explore the collaboration of fiber art and natural materials in my practice. Traditional fiber art materials include; sewing, weaving, knitting, crocheting, batik, embroidery, and quilting. One thing about fibre art that resonates with me and potentially other women is the maternal connection associated with it for example, my mother taught me how to knit and her mother taught her.

Nicolette Bodewes Tools for Therapy is an interactive toolkit for clients to use during psychotherapy sessions. Her project is made up of white basic building blocks such as cylinders, cubes, and beams, as well as a set of twelve more complex objects. These more complex objects are influenced by the Jungian Archetypes created by psychologist Carl Jung and are in the forms of pyramids, egg shapes, and spheres. They are also made from different materials, including; wood, cork, marble, rubber, leather, porcelain, brass, and tin to name a few. Each material and form has a different meaning to each client and through using this toolkit they are encouraged to interpret the tangible and tactile forms to find a new level of communication. By using this toolkit, the clients may feel less intimidated and more open to expressing their thoughts and emotions.

Amanda Chambala is a practicing art therapist and anxiety suffer (2008). She designed an art therapy program for adults who were hospitalized in a psychiatric unit that ran for 8 weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, the clients were invited to exhibit their work, which served as a space for informing the public about the nature of anxiety (2008). The therapy program explored clients identifying their anxiety through drawing and developing coping strategies for panic and worry through drawing and painting. Chambala explains, ‘Overall, art making allowed clients to experience some form of containment and identification with regard to their excessive worries, to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses through creative expression, and to leave treatment with tangible reminders of their personal coping strategies’(Chambala, 2008).

Art therapy has evolved with contemporary times, but like many things can develop further. As stated above, art therapy is generally described as an interdisciplinary field, however, Bucciarelli proposes a transdisciplinary field, she states, ‘Art therapy viewed as a transdisciplinary field embraces unity with diversity, collaboration within autonomy, and innovation that still honors art therapy’s historical roots’ (Bucciarelli, 2016). There are six themes of transdisciplinary art therapy; unified, autonomous, holistic, collaborative, flexible, and innovative. If art therapists view art therapy as a transdisciplinary field, they can look beyond theoretical differences.

Through researching and understanding aspects of the broad term stress, I have been able to self-evaluate and identify my own physical symptoms of stress.

Stress Reduction Programs: Critical Essay

Stress Assignment

As the semester draws to a close, many college students often find themselves in a state of distress. Students can be found juggling a variety of tasks such as studying for upcoming finals, maintaining a decent grade point average, completing assignments with fast-approaching deadlines, and catering to responsibilities outside of school. Students must learn to deal with the pressures applied by academia as well as many other obligations that can cause a great deal of stress. Situation and circumstance also play major roles when it comes to stress; the mindset of an individual influences how stressors are handled and dealt with. Since stress is a process where one must appraise, and respond to a threat or challenging event, it can ultimately lead to a multitude of both, psychological and physical health issues (Myers, 2016).

How exactly does stress affect people? Most importantly, what are the physical and mental repercussions of one who frequently experiences stress? An entire field of study known as psychoneuroimmunology exists specifically to understand body-mind interactions of stress and stress-related illnesses and afflictions (Myers, 2016). According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), multiple common symptoms and signs physically affect the body. Jaw clenching, or painful headaches; racing thoughts or being unable to fully concentrate or focus on the task at hand; feelings of isolation, worthlessness, or loneliness; increased edginess, irritability, and frustration; overreaction, and the development of compulsive and obsessive behavior (“The American Institute of Stress,” 2019). The list goes on and on, however, a couple of the most fascinating effects stress has on the body are the ability to slow the rate at which the body heals itself; and how stress can leave the body vulnerable and more susceptible to colds.

Acquiring any type of major or minor wound when stressed will result in a decelerated healing time. Our healing factors are unable to efficiently keep up with the damage the body takes, wounds tend to heal much slower when facing a stressful situation. One study concluded that 40% of wounds heal slower before a major exam as opposed to wounds acquired during summer vacation (Myers, 2016). Additional studies conducted have shown that the immune system can be compromised by disease and age when paired with an abundance of stress; consequently, response time to vaccines lessens, which can contribute to early mortality (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004).

Myers (2016) explains how decreased immunity makes sense physiologically; energy is required to track and isolate harmful pathogens in the body and maintain normal body temperatures while simultaneously reducing swelling. Thus, if the body is diseased, muscular energy is reduced by increasing sleep and decreasing activity; stress does the exact opposite. Myers (2016) states that stress creates a competing need for energy; stress responses direct energy from the immune system to the brain and muscles during a fight-or-flight reaction increasing vulnerability to illness. Although stress is not directly responsible for making people sick, it does alter the immune system functionality which makes people more susceptible to infection. Although there are many effects stress has on the body and immune system; which can escalate a variety of infections and diseases, stress can also heavily impact the mind and the way people deal with stressors.

Stress is particularly good at “getting under the skin” and causing people to become emotional. Anger mixed with a pessimistic perspective and depression are common reactions that people who are highly stressed encounter. Myers (2016) tells us that when faced with a new challenge or threat; fear activates the flight, while anger activates the fight. People with Type A personalities (Friedman and Rosenman’s term for anger-prone people) have been linked to coronary heart disease, and stress-induced anger can become life-threatening if the problem is persistent (Myers, 2016). Memory is also affected by high levels of stress and has even been considered a risk factor associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease (Tatomir, 2014). A study conducted in 2017 demonstrated that time-dependent prospective memories appear more vulnerable to stress (Piefke, 2017). Stress is something that all people deal with in one way or another, the way people let it affect them is entirely up to the individual. Healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms alike, it behooves all to learn to control stress for health reasons.

Participant

The subject is a 29-year-old male, 185 lbs., an only child with Type A personality traits. The subject is an unemployed full-time college student and a father of two. The participant currently resides with his parents, significant other, and children, the participant practices unhealthy diet habits and claims to be under a great deal of stress. Family history consists of an extensive list of mental health issues such as depression, suicide, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, high anxiety, and multiple health problems including aneurysms, emphysema, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. The subject has agreed to undergo a week of stress reduction treatments while monitoring stress levels. Exercise and meditation will be implemented to help the subject deal with stress over the course of a week.

Methods

The daily exercise routine will consist of cardiovascular workouts, jogging, jumping jacks, burpees, sit-ups, push-ups, and weightlifting dumbbells and bench presses for 20-30 minutes when stress is heightened; exercise will be the catharsis of the experiment. The workout regimen is as follows: Jogging for 10-15 minutes, 100 jumping jacks, 20-30 burpees, 100 sit-ups, and 20-40 push-ups. Weightlifting: 40lbs dumbbells 3 sets of 10 reps, bench press 120lbs 3 sets of 30 at different inclines. Meditation will also be implemented in 10-30-minute intervals, the participant will distance himself from stressful situations; isolating himself from noisy areas, allowing the participant to become calm and collected. The participant will keep a journal on hand to document when stress levels are high and when implementations will be utilized.

Case Study

Sunday- The subject felt more alleviation due to the upcoming break from school, there was some moderate stress in the late afternoon. An attempt of meditation was made, to no avail. Meditation attempt included sitting in silence, however, the participant was unable to quiet the mind. The participant decided to implement some light exercising which consisted of two sets of push-ups; 20 reps. Moderate stress subsided after the exercise concluded.

Monday- The subject became stressed when studying for the upcoming biology practicum and presentation at approximately 4:45 pm due to hunger, and increased noise which caused the inability to properly study. The subject successfully relieved stress by weightlifting for 25 minutes. The workout consisted of alternate bicep curls using 40 lbs. dumbbells (2 sets of 10) and bench pressing 120 lbs. (2 sets of 30) followed by a meal. Slight stress was encountered later in the night at approximately 10:15 pm when the subject began to feel overwhelmed after struggling to get the children to bed. Another attempt at meditation was made, the subject meditated for 20 minutes achieving temporary stress reduction.

Tuesday- With the holiday fast approaching, the subject experienced more stress than usual, several times throughout the day. The subject was abruptly woken up by children; disrupting sleeping patterns, which caused irritability for the duration of the day. After the subject consumed morning coffee at roughly 6:50 am; the participant exercised to combat stress-induced irritability. The exercise was comprised of 100 jumping jacks, followed by 50 sit-ups; the subject felt as if the exercise did little to help with stress. The subject needed to acquire items from the store for the holiday when the subject found that most items were sold out, and stress increased around 1:15 pm. Since the subject was not home, the implementation of a stress-reduction strategy was not feasible; lack of relief ultimately led to higher levels of stress. In the evening stress occurred when the subject reflected on the list of assignments due within the next week, and the amount of studying that needed to be done. Close to midnight the subject successfully meditated reducing stress levels before the subject went to bed; the subject starts to grasp meditation induction.

Wednesday- Preparation of the holiday meal imposed on the amount of study time available to the participant which elevated stress levels. Stress levels remained high for the entirety of the day; the participant was unable to implement stress reduction until later that night. The participant meditated for 30 minutes; accumulated stress was reduced to acute levels.

Thursday- Stress levels were practically nonexistent all day, the subject enjoyed time spent with family along with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. The subject carried out stress reduction in the evening without being stressed; 10 minutes of jogging, followed by 15 minutes of meditation before bed.

Friday- The subject woke in a state of panic due to the lack of studying from the day before which led to escalated levels of stress; the participant relied on a brief workout to help reduce the stress felt at 9:10 am. The workout included dumbbells (1 set of 10 reps) and bench pressing 120 lbs. (1 set of 30 reps). The workout did very little to help ease the stress as the participant felt strapped for time. The subject studied for nearly 3 hours before conjuring thoughts of doubt that inevitably increased stress. The participant neglected stress implementation to study longer uninterrupted. Stress subsided after talking to a loved one and gaining reassurance after studying the session. At 4 pm the subject ineffectively attempted to meditate and concluded that meditation is best utilized during the night before sleeping. The subject continued to study while feeling acute stress; at 9 pm the subject meditated for 25 minutes diminishing lingering stress before going to bed.

Saturday- The participant found himself under immense stress for most of the day and well into the night; at 2:30 pm the subject went jogging for 15 minutes, stress was unaffected by the strategy. The participant watched his children from 3 pm to 10:30 pm, stress levels during the 7 hours peaked at a weekly high. At 5:15 pm the subject and children did 100 jumping jacks, followed by 15 burpees. Stress was somewhat alleviated when children grew tired. The participant finished the night with an extended meditation session which lasted nearly 45 minutes.

Summary

The participant underwent an entire week of stress reduction strategies, documenting the times, dates, and implementations that were utilized to reduce stress. The subject implemented a series of aerobic exercises, as well as meditation sessions when the subject felt stressed. When the strategies were properly applied, stress was successfully reduced. However, the subject faced difficulties when unable to apply the strategies due to the inconvenience of whereabouts. Thus, heightening stress levels; the subject became conditioned to alleviate stress when stress levels increased which resulted in both positive and negative outcomes.

Conclusion

Throughout the duration of the experiment, the subject’s stress levels started at a minimum and eventually escalated as the week progressed. The subject became conditioned to relieve stress when stress levels heightened, when unable to alleviate stress, stress worsened. Meditation worked best in the nighttime when the participant was able to isolate himself. The exercise proved effective and reduced stress levels; however, this stress reduction strategy was only able to be implemented when in the right environment. Stress reduction was not as effective towards the end of the study as deadlines approached. The subject will continue to implement the same strategies in the future to help deal with stress, the subject will also try other forms of stress-reducing strategies such as yoga, writing in a journal, and venting to a loved one. Stress is part of the daily routine in the life of a college student, although it is unavoidable, with the proper techniques it is manageable.

Stress and Time Management Essay

Topic and Purpose

We all experience stress whether we want to admit it or not. Many health problems are induced by stress, it is important that we understand how it affects our body and learn effective stress management techniques that will work for us rather than against us.

The definition of time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific activities (E. Reeder,2018). Some employers offer time management skills techniques for employees to help lessen their stress. The relationship between time management and stress is negative. In other words, stress will decrease with the right tools for time management. Some have a great deal of responsibilities at work and home. It will benefit you to keep track of responsibilities at both home and work. Some often use a notebook or keep a file on their computer that they check for tasks, projects, meetings, and other required responsibilities. I find that calendars are the best tool for important dates, tasks, and meetings. Setting a calendar reminder provides me with proper notification of an upcoming task, meeting, or project.

Potential Significance

The study of human relations looks at the interaction between people in the workplace and students. From studying for my master’s in leadership development to working from home during a pandemic, I understand how one can be stressed. Highly stressed employees and students are less productive, experience more health issues, and tend to be removed from family and friends. Therefore, good management is needed to combat stress. This critical reflection will examine signs of stress and focus on how to manage stress and time management.

Stress in the workplace does not only come from conflicts between employees, but it can also come from dealing with customers, or just daily tasks of work. The uncertainty of an organization’s policy can also result in tension.

Research shows that over 87% of employees worldwide are emotionally disconnected from their work and are likely to be unproductive. It is important not to overlook or ignore stress management. We should not ignore or overlook stress. Stress can escalate to a point where it becomes dangerous to the well-being of the organization or even to our health.

The new perspective that I plan to bring to stress and time management is that we are not alone. There are several ways of coping with stress and time management without ourselves. Having positive communication, and good management are all good ways to deal with stress within the workplace. Often, employers look for ways to create stress-free work environments to help motivate employees and to assist with production. Motivation is hard to achieve if the team is not motivated or has the proper tools to keep them motivated. In my personal experience, motivation comes with having a passion for what you do. If an employee is not happy with their job, they will not be motivated to be successful with it.

Framework and General Research Questions

I plan to bring to light how to cope with stress and time management within the workplace and in our personal lives. The research will include the following:

1. Does leadership help us to be inspired by the purpose and mission statements?
2. Do organizations provide acceptable work-life balance?
3. Has the pandemic caused additional stress?
4. Do organizations realize or care how much stress an employee is under?

Limitations

There are several limitations on stress and time management. Stress can cause health issues, irritability, withdrawal from family and friends, and depression. Lack of time management leads to stress. Stress limits our ability to interact, work efficiently, be in good health, and just have good overall peace of mind. Time management helps with work-life balance.