What is Stress?

STRESS,TENSION AND ANXIETY DEFINED: "Stress is physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. Tension is mental or emotional strain, suspense, anxiety, or excitement. Anxiety is a reaction to a real or imagined threat, a general feeling of uneasiness or dread." It's important that you recognize that your perception is your reality AND you can create a change.

"STRESS" is a word you hear all the time. Everyone knows about it, but it means something different to each of us. When you say "I'm stressed" you might mean any one of these:

Tension, Conflict, Pressure, Exhaustion, Strain, Upset, Nervousness, Unhappiness, or Powerlessness.

Most people use it to mean either:

Situations they are facing: "I'm under a lot of stress" and their response and feelings about situations:

"I'M STRESSED OUT!"

Generally, stress is when the total of life's challenges, big ones and little hassles together, seem bigger and stronger than you are for more than a short time. This is what creates the anxiety symptoms we call stress.

Remember, things only seem "stressful" to you,if they appear more powerful than you are or your ability to deal with them.

ASSESS YOUR STRESS

Learn to assess external problems, your attitudes, and weaknesses more accurately. Decide what is the major cause of the imbalance?

You can develop a practical plan to regain balance. Avoid or reduce the external problem? Strengthen yourself to cope with it? Change you attitude? Get help? A combination of all?

Stress isn't always a bad thing, because everyone needs a certain amount of challenge to make life interesting and enjoyable.