So, What is STRESS?
How one views/feels about a situation or event.

Everyone views events and situations differently. What causes stress for you may or may not be a source of stress for another.

Perception of a threat.
The way you think/feel about a situation is what causes you stress. You may feel that this event could be adverse to you or those you care about.

A stimulus that increases your level of alertness.
Awareness can be considered a positive (EUSTRESS) or a negative (DISTRESS) stress.

MYTHS

• All stress is bad As discussed earlier, there are two types of stress. A positive stress is necessary to get us motivated. Without it, not much would be accomplished. Striking the right balance is absolutely necessary to being productive and energetic. Too much or too little stress can create more stressful situations or intensify those we are already dealing with.
• Stress is avoidable Situations that need to be dealt with are around us everyday. We cannot control the outside world, only how we react.
• There is nothing I can do about it We can all do something about our stress. While it's true we cannot control all situations, we can control our reactions and learn ways to anticipate and manage stress that comes our way.

4 Types of Stress

• Survival Allows reaction of body to escape/deal with potentially hazardous situations
• Internal Stress Created by self through "thinking" about situations/events. Can also be physiological stress, such as, illness, exercise, fever, etc.
• Environmental Stressor that comes from an outside source that is beyond your control
• Lifestyle How you live, eat, sleep, procrastinate, etc can all bring about stress

Effects of Stress
Stress affects us all in many ways. Stress will increase the body functions. Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Breathing rate, Temperature and the rate at which the body uses energy are a few examples. If this increase in function continues over a long period of time the body will start to feel the effects. **Think of a car running at a very high RPM that is never brought down. What would happen to that engine over time? Our bodies respond in a very similar way. If we are constantly running in overdrive, our bodies will begin to breakdown in much the same way as a car engine.

Some of the conditions that can be brought on or exacerbated by stress are: High blood pressure (hypertension), High cholesterol (dyslipidemia), and increases in blood sugar (glucose) levels. People with high levels of stress are also more prone to develop colds and other minor illnesses. High levels of stress also make it more difficult to recover from illness.

Stress can cause the heart to, unnecessarily, work harder than needed to deliver blood. Heart patients and those with an increased risk of developing heart disease should learn to manage their stress for these reasons.

Stress Warning Signs

This list is very limited when compared to symptoms that can be experienced under stress. Please make note of any signs you experience and add to the list.

The 4 Step Approach
Following this simple approach can control quick on-set of stress quickly and effectively. When something "stresses" you:

1. STOP
Avoid the automatic reaction (many times we react without thinking and this usually makes the situation worse).

2. BREATHE
Take a deep breath. Totally expand the rib cage and fill the lungs, then slowly exhale - give the body time to slow down.

3. REFLECT
Look back on the situation and think about it step-by-step. This will allow you to see clearly what it was that caused stress. Also, this gives you time to see what the outcome of the situation actually was (not just what could have been). 4. CHOOSE
Choose an appropriate response that will help to alleviate the stress and make the situation better.

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