It’s all about stress

We typically associate stress with a bad week at work, finding out that something we assumed would be easy to accomplish is now fraught with problems, wanting something badly while the waiting period drags on.  Momentary stress can occur just before a public speech, going on a first date, during a first job interview.   You might call that feeling anxiety, and though the terms might sometimes be used interchangeably, there is a clear difference between stress and anxiety.

According to experts, stress can really come from any situation or thought that makes you feel angry, nervous, frustrated or even anxious.  It's important to note that what might be stressful for one person is not necessarily stressful for another person.  Anxiety on the other hand,  is often defined as a clear feeling of apprehension or fear.  You typically know what is causing this feeling of uneasiness and that can actually add to your distress.  Stress usually lasts for awhile (days, months even years) and often builds.  In both cases you can experience symptoms that include sweaty palms, a faster heart rate, and an unpleasant, churning stomach.  You may engage in hair pulling, biting your lip or your nails and you certainly may begin to suffer from insomnia.  You can become stressed when negotiations in a deal go sour or become protracted.  And in these tough economic times, health professionals believe that a significant percentage of the population is dealing with financial worries and difficulties that are creating ongoing and pervasive stress.

You know how you feel when you suddenly realize that you have slept past your alarm clock setting.  You jump up and if you already work in a highly pressured environment, you imagine your boss fuming as you arrive late to work.  We can call that anxiety or stress but the reality is that ongoing feelings like that are a part of many people's lives.  Maybe you're the family breadwinner and now you are incurring debt because your salary has been reduced.  Now, in addition to salary reduction, you find out your job may be eliminated.  That can now mean days, months or longer looking for a new job, as your bills - especially the important ones like mortgage begin to go unpaid.  You may lose the health insurance policy covering you and your family.  That is stress and it's happening to people around the nation.

Different kinds of stress

Acute Stress

Demands and pressure from recent past and new, anticipated demands can cause acute stress.  In the short run it can be exhilarating - in the long run, taxing and exhausting.  Most people identify and recognize acute stress, and because it's short term, it usually doesn't cause lasting or extensive damage.  In fact, it can be exhilarating.  But repeated bouts of short term stress can be harmful.  Signs of short term stress include: