Stress has become a part of everyone’s life due to a shift from traditional to modern lifestyle. Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress can be categorized in several ways- duration (acute/chronic), domain (physical/psychological), and severity (traumatic/daily hassles). Chronic stress can cause inhibition of brain cell development and disruption of adaptation of the brain, which can negatively affect the body and cognition of the person. Stress produces both adaptive and maladaptive effects on the physiological system. Stress is not always bad for everyone, at least up to a point. It can help to perform under pressure and motivate us to do our best. One scientific study states that mistakes, obstacles and failures are potential opportunities to learn and build resources for coping with future negative events. We can protect ourselves by recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Causes of stress
- Personal Problems that can cause Stress
- Physical health: especially chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis.
- Emotional problems: such as anger you cannot express, depression, grief, guilt, or low self-esteem.
- Relationships with others: Such as having problems with your relationships or feeling a lack of friendships or support in your life.
- Major life changes: such as dealing with the death of a parent or spouse, losing your job, getting married, or moving to a new city or having a new baby.
- Stress in your family: such as having any member of the family who is under stress, or being a caregiver to a family member who is elderly or who has health problems.
- Conflicts with your beliefs and values: such as someone may value family life but may not be able to spend enough time with his/her family as he/she wants.
- Social and Job Issues that can cause Stress.
- Surroundings: Living in an area where overcrowding, crime, pollution, or noise is a problem
- Social situations: Not having enough money to cover expenses, feeling lonely, or facing.
Discrimination based on your race, gender, age, or sexual orientation.
- Job: Being unhappy with your work.
- Unemployment: Losing your job or not being able to find work can also add to your stress level.
Signs and symptoms of stress
The following table lists some of the common signs and symptoms of stress. The more signs and symptoms, the greater stress overload.
| Cognitive Symptoms | Emotional Symptoms |
|
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| Physical Symptoms | Behavioral Symptoms |
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Here is a chance to evaluate your own stress
Self-assessment of level of stress
| In the last month, how often have you: | Never | Almost Never
(1-5 days in month) |
Some-times
(6- 10 days in month) |
Fairly Often (13-19 days in month)(3) |
Very Often (>20 days in month)(4) |
| 1. Been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly? | |||||
| 2. Felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life? | |||||
| 3. Felt nervous and “stressed”? | |||||
| 4. Felt unsure about your ability to handle your personal problems? | |||||
| 5. Felt that things weren’t going your way? | |||||
| 6. Found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to do? | |||||
| 7. Been unable to control irritations in your life? | |||||
| 8. Felt that you weren’t on top of things? | |||||
| 9. Been angered because of things that were outside of your control? | |||||
| 10. Felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them? |
Interpreting the score:
| Score | Your stress level |
| 0 to 10 | Below average. Congratulations, you seem to be handling life’s stressors well at the moment. |
| 11 to 14 | Average. Your life is far from stress-free so now is the time to learn how to reduce your stress to healthier levels. |
| 15 to 18 | Medium-High.You may not realize how much stress is already affecting your mood, productivity, and relationships. |
| 19 + | High. You are experiencing high levels of stress. The higher your score, the more damage stress is doing to your mind, body, and behavior. |
Ref: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm
Effects of stress on bodily functions
| Normal | Acute stress
(A few minutes) |
Chronic stress
(Stress which goes on for some days) |
|
| Brain | Normal blood supply | thinks more clearly | headaches or migraines, tremors and nervous tics |
| Mood | happy | increased concentration | anxiety, loss of sense of humor |
| Saliva | normal | reduced | dry mouth, lump in throat |
| Muscles | blood supply normal | improved performance | muscular tension and pain |
| Heart | normal rate and blood pressure | improved performance
|
hypertension and chest pains
|
| Lungs | normal respiration
|
improved performance
|
cough and asthma
|
| Stomach | normal blood supply and acid secretion |
reduced blood supply reduces digestion |
ulcers due to heartburn & indigestion
|
| Bowel | normal blood supply and bowel activity | reduced blood supply reduces digestion | abdominal pain and diarrhoea
|
| Bladder | normal
|
frequent urination due to increased nervous stimulation | frequent urination, prostatic symptoms |
| Sexual organs | (male) normal. (female) normal periods etc | decreased blood supply | (m) impotence. (f) menstrual disorders |
| Skin | healthy | decreased blood supply | dryness and rashes |
How yoga can reduce stress
Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines stretching exercises; asanas, regulated breathing; pranayama, and relaxation. Yoga helps to increase an inner strength that allows to face overwhelming fears, frustrations, and challenges of everyday life. Yoga exercises help to regulate the breath and relax the body by gently releasing tension from the large muscle groups, flushing all parts of the body and brain with fresh blood, oxygen, and other nutrients, and increasing feelings of well-being. Yoga practice causes slower breathing throughout, which slows the heart rate, breathing rate and lowers the blood pressure and directly deactivates the arousal system in the autonomic nervous system,” turning off the fight-or-flight mechanism, and increasing the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic nervous system. The discipline of yoga directs thoughts to the present and away from any negative state and gives us a greater sense of self-control. Yoga practice increases secretion of good hormones like endorphin which makes a person feel happy.
Hence, we can state that yogic lifestyle and yogic practice can manage stressful responses of the body and can enhance awareness to deal with stress effectively.
Author
Ram Kumar Gupta is Assistant Professor in Psychology Department. He has worked as a scientist in the field of yoga research with Patanjali Research Foundation which has resulted in 47 research papers and 22 conferences. He has done post-graduation in Clinical Psychology and in Yoga and Holistic Health. In addition, he was editor in a book entitled ‘Evidence-Based Perspectives on the Psychophysiology of Yoga and Its Applications, IGI Global, Pennsylvania, USA’ which was published in 2020. He has also done internship with Agra Mental Hospital. He is working in different areas of mental health like rehabilitation center, counselling, stress management workshop and other program. He was involved in conducting more than 10 international conferences and workshops related to yoga and psychology.
