Stress is a perpetually active element in the lives of the general population. According to statistics released by the National Health Interview Survey, at least 75% of people experience stress every couple weeks. Although stress is inevitable, excessive stress levels can contribute to a variety of health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. To minimize the negative effects of stress, it is necessary that we learn to keep stress levels normal and to learn how to most effectively deal with it.
According to clinical psychologist, Martin V. Cohen, Ph.d., “Keeping stress at a comfortable level seems to be the key to physical and mental well-being.” The biggest issue most of us seem to have with stress is our inability to effectively and efficiently deal with it. The best way to cope with stress is to recognize and understand when we are in stressful circumstances and to learn relaxation techniques and coping behaviors that work under those particular circumstances.
Miranda Larsen, a senior at Glendale Academy, says her coping strategies could use some improvement. “When I’m in stressful situations, I freak out. Rather than trying to deal with it, I let it overwhelm me.” To prevent stress from overwhelming us, we must first learn to recognize our response to it. When we initially experience stress, our bodies are wired to experience the “fight or flight” response, which is essentially our bodies’ way of preparing to meet challenges. Symptoms include an adrenaline rush, increase in heart rate, heightened awareness and dilated pupils. These symptoms, though necessary in life-endangering situations, are unneeded in the stressful situations we experience daily. Learning how to alleviate the effects of the “fight or flight” response is necessary to normalize stress levels.
In Martin V. Cohen, Ph.D’s essay, “Stress: The Silent Killer,” he states several easy methods to deal with stress. Activities such as sleep, practice of good nutrition and exercise are some of the simplest and most effective ways to deal with daily stress. Sleep, a restorative activity, allows us to recover from the stress we experience daily, some foods have the capacity to decrease anxiety levels and exercise enables us to burn off excessive stress hormones. Because sleep, nutrition and exercise are activities we should be practicing regardless of our stress levels, effectively dealing with stress should also be seen as a necessary part of our daily lives.
Alexandria Lee
I'm Alexandria Lee, but call me Alex. I attending Glendale Academy as a senior this year.
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