In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. Stressful stimuli can be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical reactions.

Stress is Essential for Survival

Stress is not always a bad thing. Stress is  essential for survival. Stress releases powerful neurochemicals and hormones that prepare us for action (to fight or flee). If we don't take action, the stress response can lead to health problems. Prolonged, uninterrupted, unexpected, and unmanageable stresses are the most damaging types of stress. 

Stress and Disease

• aging
• anxiety disorders
• asthma
• cancer
• cardiovascular disease
• depression
• gastrointestinal problems
• high blood pressure
• migraines and
• fluctuations of blood sugar in diabetics.

There also is scientific evidence showing that people experiencing psychological stress are more prone to develop colds and other infections than their less-stressed peers. Overwhelming psychological stress (such as the events of 9-11) can cause both temporary (transient) and long-lasting (chronic) symptoms of a serious psychiatric illness called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Job Related Stress

Moderate amounts of stress can give challenge and flavor to life. Too much stress however, can negatively impact work performance and well-being.  Factors at work that can contribute to stress ma include:

• Heavy workload
• Long Hours
• Understaffing
• Inadequate resources
• High responsibility and decision making
• Tight deadlines/ Unrealistic work target
• Poor management
• Lack of support
• Lack of training
• Low employee morale
• Low compensation
• Lack of recognition
  

Managing Stress

• Be mindful. You can selectively change the way you react, by first identifying stress in its early stages. Listen to your body and feel the early signs of stress (maybe you can feel tightness in your chest, or your response starts quickening). Take these early signs as an opportunity to implement relaxation techniques like counting to ten and deep breathing, and/or use it as an opportunity to remove yourself from the stressful situation before it gets worse. Bottom line: learn to recognize stress for what it is. Increase your body's feedback and make stress self-regulating.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. Try to prioritize a few truly important things and let the rest slide Learn how to best relax yourself. Determine if the issue is worth stressing about? is it something that you have no control over to change?
• Try positive thinking. Positive thinking does help bring about positive change. Negative thoughts can affect the brains thinking and result on physio-chemical changes within your body...and thought process.
• Try not to personalize things. Maybe the other person or situation you are dealing with is really about them and their poor coping techniques and not about you.
• Avoid extreme reactions. Why hate when a little dislike will do? Why generate anxiety when you can be nervous? Why rage when anger will do the job? Overreacting can escalate stress.
• Walk Away. Remove yourself from the stressful situation. Many people bring stress upon themselves by not walking away.
• Do not keep things bottled up inside.  Talk about your worries to your friends and family members.
• Get enough sleep. Lack of rest can aggravate stress.
• Eat well. Keep balanced diet – Fresh vegetables and fruits. Avoid sugars, processed foods, too much caffeine.
• Get Organized. People who are time conscious, hardworking and achievement-oriented often work under more stress than those who are easy going and relaxed.
  
• Do not over commit yourself. Many people crate their own stress by making commitments that were to aggressive, and self imposed in the first place.
• Prioritize. If you feel overwhelmed with a "to do list" reduce the number of events going on in your life and you may reduce the circuit overload. Set a realistic list of items to do and start prioritizing.
• Exercise Regularly. Exercise is one of the best physical stress-reduction techniques available. Exercise not only improves your health and reduces stress caused by unfitness; it also relaxes tense muscles and helps you to sleep. Exercise has a number of other positive benefits you may not be aware of: (1) It improves blood flow to your brain, bringing additional sugars and oxygen that may be needed when you are thinking intensely. (2)  By exercising, you speed the flow of blood through your brain, removing bio waste products caused by our body's internal actions faster.(3) Exercise can cause release of chemicals called endorphins into your blood stream. These give you a feeling of happiness and positively affect your overall sense of well-being. (4) There is also good evidence that physically fit people have less extreme physiological responses when under pressure than those who are not. This means that fit people are more able to handle the long- term effects of stress, without suffering ill health or burnout.
• Meditate. Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to be very effective in controlling stress.
  
• Reduce brain clutter. Practice clearing your mind of disturbing thoughts good technique is to write down what is bothering you, then file it away, and out of your mind
• Take 5 for yourself. Give yourself a break if only for a few moments daily.
• Engage in hobbies: Music, painting, philately, travel – whatever is your interest, have time for it.
• Avoid self-medication or escape. Many of our ways in dealing with stress – drugs, pain, medicines, alcohol, smoking, and excessive eating -- actually are counterproductive in that they can worsen the stress and can make us more reactive (sensitive) to further stress.
• Avoid excess caffeine and sugar.  Dietary extremes such as excess sugar and caffeine can affect sleep and further exacerbate stress.
• Stop and smell the roses. It is important to keep things in perspective and balance your work life and personal life and take time to do things that give you joy. You will ultimately not only be happier and healthier, but more productive and more fun to be around.
  

Conclusion

Stress is part of our everyday lives. Although stress can not be avoided, we can learn how we react to it and employ techniques to help us better manage it, so it doesn’t manage us.