Sunday, April 08, 2007

Causes of Stress and Management

So now we understand what stress is. It’s the sympathetic nervous system reaction towards a certain situation which primes us for activity. It’s the same “flight or flee” response that evolved to meet our prehistoric forefather’s demands for survival. And it is the same nervous system response that readies our body to strenuous activities like running a marathon; the same nervous system response that readies our aboriginal forefathers for a hunt and a kill. The only thing is that, in today’s modern and cultured society the need of such automated function is not needed, this “flight or flee” response gets of little use, but yet still it is triggered often.

The “flight or flee” response of our nervous system is one big contributor to everyday causes of stress and management. Because every time this happens, it releases certain chemicals into our body, to support muscular action that is anticipated to take place. One of the chemicals, Epinephrine (or better known as adrenaline) allows certain bodily changes takes place. One of them, it results in the acceleration of heart and lung action to sustain the need of oxygen and calories for burning of energy. Another is that some blood vessels of the body are constricted to allow more blood where it’s needed. Some of them are the pain receptors of the body. This is all needed once, for the heavy activity like fighting or putting down prey; now it’s just wasted energy. Less blood enters the brain too, thus it’s hard to think while you’re running. A dilation of pupil occurs to widen the view of the surroundings, making your eye sensitive to a bigger angle of vision. Other lesser occurring reactions include the inhibition of tear glands, salivation, and food processing, and sometimes the relaxation (or inability) to retain bladder control, and the inhibition of erection or sexual appetite.

Finding the Causes of Stress and Management

Finding the causes of stress and management is the most efficient way to handle stress. By doing so, you will not only counter the ill effects of this but also divest these energies into something useful. Here are some tips finding the causes of stress and management controlling it.

Anger and fear is the psychological preparation of the body to fight or flee. When your angry, blood starts to pump more oxygen into your system, that’s why there’s always the risk for heart failures especially with those having heart conditions. One of the biggest causes of stress is anger, fear, hatred and other emotions similar to it.

Anxiety is also another great contributor to stress. Depression, lack of motivation, sadness, grief, these emotions and other similar to it are causes of psychological stress. They may not excite you in the same way as being angry but they do inhibit several bodily functions.

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