FREE ESSAY ON RESPONDING TO STRESS

RESPONDING TO STRESS

Responding to Stress
Suppose that you are in your car in the middle of a traffic jam heading home from school
after a terrible day. You feel frustrated and groan as you think about the calculus
midterm you have tomorrow, which you still have to study for. Suddenly, you have to hit
the brakes. Your heart starts beating faster and you insult the driver whom nearly made
you crash. Are these reactions normal? Indeed they are, since they are merely examples of
stress. Many everyday circumstances, such as deadlines, tests, debts, and conflicts in
personal relationships are stressful. Routine hassles at home, school, and work may
create strain that affects mental and physical health and decreases the quality of life
because tension accumulates. Stress is an everyday occurrence that renders emotional,
physiological, and behavioral responses.
When people are under stress, they usually react emotionally. Emotional responses are a
natural and normal part of life, although most of the time stress tends to elicit
unpleasant emotions rather than pleasurable ones. However, these unpleasant emotions
serve an important purpose, since sometimes stress can make one cry and crying functions
as an excellent therapy to get rid of pressure. Some common emotional responses to stress
include irritation, frustration, and depression. For instance, because many people
undergo mood swings and become irritated as a reaction to stress, they may end up hurting
their relatives or friends. Even more, some people might become frustrated as they notice
that they cannot achieve what they want at a particular moment. This frustration makes
one feel hopeless and leads to depression. Depression is the most common emotional
response to stress. People, not being able to adapt to change appropriately, may feel
overwhelmed and often fail to recognize that they have a problem. When the situation
comes to the point of depression, it is necessary to seek professional help in order to
avoid further psychological complications. Even more, physiological changes may also
accompany emotional responses.
Eating disorders, insomnia, and nervous breakdowns are the most common physiological
responses associated with stress. Nowadays life is so agitating that it is common for
people to disregard their eating habits because of so much pressure and work. This
malnutrition includes not eating sufficiently or over-eating to cope with anxiety.
Insomnia is another physiological response to stress. Humans cannot function well without
sleep because sleeplessness directly affects behavior. Fatigue will make a restless
person become less productive and this creates even more stress. Moreover, nervous
breakdowns also constitute a direct physiological reaction to frustration. It is common
for people to feel nervous when having to meet the demands of society because of
pressure. A way to deal positively with stress must be found when physiological effects
become apparent and there is a change in behavior. 
Emotional and physiological responses to stress can often lead to changes in behavior.
For instance, because of depression caused by frustration people may not work to their
full potential because stress takes away their desire to excel in daily activities.
People might also behaviorally respond to stress by being aggressive towards others.
Aggression is almost always caused by frustration, although people may aggressively
attack those who have nothing to do with their problem. Verbal abuse is an example of
this type of behavior. While being emotionally disturbed, people can sometimes insult
those not responsible for their misfortunes. Similarly, once the situation turns to
physical abuse, it is obvious that one needs to seek treatment. Even though aggressive
behavior leads to a release of emotional tension, the interpersonal conflicts that often
emerge increase stress. On the whole, behavioral changes caused by stress serve as a
warning for those who need to take more positive actions to improve their reactions to
stress. 
In brief, stress is a normal reaction to everyday circumstances that triggers emotional,
physiological, and behavioral responses. Because our mental and physical health is
affected by strain, it is necessary to find effective techniques to cope with stress. For
instance, meditating while listening to comforting music helps to relax ones body and
mind. Likewise, a soothing massage releases muscular tensions and immediately reduces
pressure. In addition, a vigorous workout relieves stress, since one is able get
distracted from the problem. Finally, talking to a trustworthy person is always
reassuring. All in all, it is necessary to deal with the responses to stress on time so
that psychological problems do not become an issue.
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