Can we learn how to handle stress?
Stress is something we all encounter in our lives, whether it is from work, relationships, finances or health. Some people are easier to manage stress while others are struggling to find the right balance. No matter how we handle stress, it is part of our everyday lives and something that affects us both physically and mentally.
As a parent, it is even more important to understand how stress affects our lives and how we can help our children deal with stress in a healthy way. Understanding what is a normal amount of stress and what is dangerous can make a big difference to our own health and for our children's health.
Is it good to stress?
Stress is a common phenomenon in our modern society, where we are often connected around the clock and constantly pay attention to several different distractions at the same time. Our need to always be connected can sometimes lead to increased stress, and this is a question that many parents today ask - is it good to stress?
According to psychologists and researchers, it depends on the type of stress that you are exposed to. Some stress can be positive and lead to motivation, higher performance and increased productivity, while too much stress can lead to physical and mental health problems. According to a 2013 study, it turns out that "positive stress" can be positive for health by increasing the levels of hormones that help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
So, if stress can be good, when does it go over the limit and get negative? According to psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, who coined the concept of "burnout" in the 1970s, stress can be negative if it becomes overwhelming and lasts for a long time without any form of recovery. This can lead to burnout, health problems, illnesses and mental illness.
Overall you can say that stress in the right amount can Be a good thing, but too much stress can lead to problems. It is important to learn to recognize signs of increased stress and find strategies to handle it.
How do you know what is good/bad stress?
So how do you know what is good or bad stress? The answer is not simply as it varies from person to person and situation to situation. An important factor is how long and how intensely the stress is going on. For example, short -term stress in an emergency situation can be good and help us focus and act quickly. But if the stress becomes prolonged, it can have negative effects on our health and well -being.
Another factor is the individual's experience of the stress. A situation that a person experiences as stressful can be completely insignificant to someone else. It is also about how we handle the stress, our personality, past experiences and support systems around us.
Research has shown that long -term stress can adversely affect our body by raising blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, impairing the immune system and causing sleep problems. It can also have negative effects on our mental health by increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. But stress, as I said, doesn't have to be completely negative, it can also motivate us and help us reach our goals. Research has shown that moderate stress can have positive effects on our cognitive function and creativity.
In other words, it is important to have a balance and be able to handle the stress effectively to avoid negative effects on health. This may include having a healthy lifestyle, using relaxation methods such as yoga or meditation and having a good support system around it.
One of the most common questions when it comes to stress is how to distinguish between good and poor stress. According to psychologist Kelly McGonigal, who has researched a lot about stress, it is important to understand that stress in itself is not good or bad. It is how we handle the stress that determines whether it becomes positive or negative for us.
McGonigal explains that "Stress can be your friend or your enemy. It depends on how you look at it". She believes that stress can motivate us to achieve our goals and give us energy and focus to deal with challenges. But if we perceive stress as something dangerous and unmanageable, it can lead to negative effects on both the body and the mind. So it is not the stress that is the problem, but rather our reaction to it. Learning to manage the stress in a healthy way can help us take advantage of its advantages and avoid its disadvantages.
Do we need some stress to get out of bed and be productive or can we live completely without stress and still manage to work and get life together?
Stressing or not stressing is an issue that many of us are struggling with. Is it really necessary to have stress to be productive and achieve our goals? The answer is not as simple as one might think.
According to Dr. Adam Perlman, head of integrative medicine at Duke University, is due to the individual's tolerance level. He says: “The level of stress that is good for you may be different from someone else. The most important thing is to have a balanced lifestyle and to listen to your body. "
There is a prevailing culture that glorifies stress and long working days. But a study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that there is a price to pay for this lifestyle. The researchers found that people who worked longer working days and experienced higher levels of stress had poorer health in the long run.
What has long -term stress for consequences?
It is important that we learn to distinguish between productive stress and excessive stress. Living without stress is not possible, but having a healthy relationship with stress is important to achieve our goals and maintain our health and well -being.
According to the psychologist and author Kelly McGonigal, it may be helpful to think about stress as something that can give us energy and motivation when we need it the most. In a Ted Talk, she explains that "if we believe that the stress we experience can help us meet challenges and develops, we will experience less harmful effects of the stress".
How do you know when stress goes from "normal" to being dangerous?
According to an article from Harvard Health Publishing, you can use some signs that the stress has gone too far and is dangerous. These include:
- physical symptoms such as headache, stomach pain or muscle pain
- feelings of fatigue and lack of energy
- difficult to concentrate and make decisions
- changes in sleep habits either too much or too little sleep
- irritability and mood swings
If these symptoms of stress last for an extended period of time, it may have serious consequences for one's health. An article from the American Psychological Association (APA) points out that prolonged stress can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety and other health problems.
In summary, stress can be dangerous if it lasts for a long time and is not handled in a healthy way. There are signs that the stress has gone too far, such as physical and mental symptoms, and it is important to take these signs seriously and take care of yourself.
What consequences can it have to ignore stress?
The question of what happens when we ignore stress is important to take seriously. Allowing the stress to take over and ignore its effects can have serious consequences on both physical and mental health. A study from the American Psychological Association shows that ignoring stress can lead to everything from sleep problems and elevated levels of anxiety and depression to heart disease and premature death. Researchers have found that high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol for an extended period of time can cause inflammation and damage to the body's cells.
Dr. Mithu Storoni, author of the book "Stress-Proof" says, "Although certain amounts of stress can be useful, it may be a lost struggle when we try to ignore it for long periods of time. It's like keeping a ball under water, It may work for a while but in the end it will explode to the surface. "
Ignoring stress can also adversely affect our behavior. A study from the University of California, Berkeley, found that stressed people tend to make less healthy decisions, such as eating more fast food or avoiding exercise.
Of course, it can feel tough with all the stress we have around us today, but we can learn to deal with stress so that it does not have long -term consequences. We have fantastic tools in the form of emotional cards that teach children, with adult support, to talk about all emotions. click here To read more about how we have developed them in collaboration with a child psychologist.
