Can we learn to manage stress?
Stress is something that we all face in our lives, whether it's from work, relationships, finances or health. Some people have an easier time dealing with stress while others struggle with finding the right balance. Regardless of how we deal with stress, it is part of our everyday life 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 to the health of our children.
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 it is a question that many parents ask themselves today - is it good to stress?
According to psychologists and researchers, it depends on the type of stress 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 psychological problems. According to a 2013 study, it appears that "positive stress" can be beneficial to health by increasing levels of hormones that help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
So, if stress can be good, when does it cross the line and become negative? According to the psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, who coined the term "burnout" in the 1970s, stress can become negative if it becomes overwhelming and lasts for a long time without any form of recovery. This can lead to burnout, health problems, illness and mental illness.
Overall, it can be said that stress in moderation 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 deal with it.
How do you then know what is good/bad stress?
So how do you know what is good or bad stress? The answer is not simple as it varies from person to person and situation to situation. An important factor is how long and how intensely the stress lasts. For example, short-term stress in an emergency situation can be good and help us focus and act quickly. However, 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 one person experiences as stressful may 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 prolonged stress can negatively affect our body by raising blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, weakening 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 as I said, stress does not 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 manage stress effectively in order to avoid negative effects on health. This can include living a healthy lifestyle, using relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation and having a good support system around you.
One of the most common questions when it comes to stress is how to distinguish between good and bad stress. According to psychologist Kelly McGonigal, who has done a lot of research on stress, it is important to understand that stress in itself is neither good nor 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 reach 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 body and mind. So it is not the stress itself that is the problem, but rather our reaction to it. Learning to manage stress in a healthy way can help us reap its benefits and avoid its drawbacks.
Do we need a little stress to get out of bed and be productive or can we live without stress and still manage to work and get our lives together?
To stress or not to stress is a question that many of us struggle with. Is stress really necessary to be productive and achieve our goals? The answer is not as simple as you might think.
According to Dr. Adam Perlman, director of integrative medicine at Duke University, it depends on the individual's tolerance level. He says: “The level of stress that is good for you may be different than for someone else. The most important thing is to have a balance
There is a prevailing culture that glorifies stress and long working hours. 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 hours and experienced higher levels of stress had poorer long-term health.
What are the consequences of prolonged stress?
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 essential to achieving our goals and maintaining our health and well-being.
According to psychologist and author Kelly McGonigal, it can be helpful to think of stress as something that can give us energy and motivation when we need it most. In a TED Talk, she explains that "if we believe that the stress we experience can help us face challenges and develop, 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, there are some signs that stress has gone too far and is dangerous. These include:
- Physical symptoms such as headache, stomach ache or muscle pain
- Feelings of exhaustion and lack of energy
- Difficult to concentrate and make decisions
- Changes in sleeping habits, either too much or too little sleep
- Irritability and mood swings
If these symptoms of stress continue for a long time, it can 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 conclusion, stress can be dangerous if it goes on for a long time and is not managed 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 are the consequences of ignoring stress?
The question of what happens when we ignore stress is important to take seriously. Letting stress take over and ignoring its effects can have serious consequences on both physical and mental health. A study by 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 over a long 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 beneficial, it can be a losing battle when we try to ignore it for long periods of time. It's like holding a ball under water, it may work for a while but eventually it will explode to the surface."
Ignoring stress can also negatively 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.
