What is Stress?

Stress is your body’s reaction to demands in your life. It is a natural part of everyone’s life. We all experience anxiety, tension and pressure at work and home. A certain amount of stress is necessary to meet life’s challenges and keep us motivated and productive. However, too much stress can make us tired, irritable and tense. Stress experienced over a long period of time without relief can seriously affect our physical and mental well-being. Stress decreases the quality of life by reducing feelings of pleasure and accomplishment.

Components of stress:

• Frustrations experienced while trying to meet their goals
• Conflicts occurred when people attempt to make difficult decisions
• Pressures (e.g., work, time and life event) resulted from the need to achieve their goals

Types of stress:

• Physical stress: environmental
• Psychological stress: emotional, perceptual stress.
• Psychosocial stress: relationships, isolation, discrimination.
• Psycho-spiritual stress: crisis of values, meaning, and purpose, joyless striving versus meaningful work, misalignment with core beliefs, etc.

It’s a worldwide phenomenon.

Statistics from a recent global stress research study show that increased stress is felt worldwide, and stress affects women differently than men.

A recent Roper Starch Worldwide survey of 30,000 people between the ages of 13 and 65 in 30 countries showed:

• women who work full-time and have children under the age of 13 report the greatest stress worldwide
• nearly one in four mothers who work full-time and have children under 13 feel stress almost every day
• globally, 23% of women executives and professionals, and 19% of their male peers, say they feel "super-stressed"

Stressors at work

• Lack of effective communication and mutual understanding
• Competition
• Lack of conflict resolution methods
• Work schedules/long hours
• Unreasonable expectations or demands for performance
• Too much time spent away from home and family
• Lack of participation in decisions that affect one’s tasks
• Office politics and conflicts between staff members
• Lack of job security
• Salaries do not correspond with levels of responsibility
• Discrimination and prejudice
• Limited or lack of child care accommodations
• Commute/transportation and amount of time spent to get to the workplace

Possible Consequences of stress:

• Pain/chronic pain
• Headaches: tension headaches and migraines
• Back pain
• Anxiety/fear/phobias/panic/temper outbursts
• Depression
• Nervousness
• Decreased attention, focus and concentration
• Memory problems/loss
• Stroke
• Increased heart rate
• Heart attack (infarction)
• Coronary heart disease
• Angina (ischemia)
• Weaker and/or suppressed immune system
• Allergies and sinus problems
• Lupus
• Increase risk of infection
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal bloating and/or cramping
• Digestion problems
• Sleep disorders (e.g., problems falling and/or staying asleep)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Hypoglycemia
• Colitis
• Peptic ulcer
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Weight loss or weight gain/obesity
• Eating disorders
• Arthritis
• Skin problems (e.g., rashes, eczema, acne, psoriasis, hives, rosacea, etc.)
• Hair loss/baldness
• Risk for gum/periodontal disease that can result in tooth loss
• Liver problems (e.g., cirrhosis)
• Cancer
• Hypertension/high blood pressure
• Neuromuscular syndrome
• Hormonal imbalances
• Perspiration
• Sexual and reproductive disturbances (e.g., diminished sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, inability to achieve orgasm in women, temporary impotence in men, etc.)
• PMS irregularities
• Prolonged, inconsistent or lack of menstruation in women
• Infertility
• Problems associated with getting or retaining/saving pregnancy
• Risk of premature birth or miscarriage