Stress

Taking the lid off the pressure

We all stress about stuff. It’s only natural. We want our lives to be a certain way, but we can’t control everything that happens. In fact, we only can control ourselves and how we react. That is what we mean by stress.

Money, relationships, sickness and loss can all cause stress. But it’s how you deal with these issues that will make a difference in your physical and mental health.

Stress comes in different flavors

Acute stress is the most common and it’s due to unexpected pressure that is put on you suddenly. It’s easy to treat and manage. Examples:

• Losing your wallet with all your money in it
• Crashing your car
• Getting the flu right before graduation

Chronic stress is long-term and takes a toll on the body and the mind. Sometimes you can be so used to it, you don’t even know it’s there. Examples:

• Caring for your mother who has Alzheimer’s
• Constantly fighting with your teenager
• Working long hours but don’t seem to get anything done

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is when you relive a traumatic event time and time again. Examples:

• Avoiding crowded places like the supermarket
• Jumping up every time a door slams or a lawn mower starts up
• Picking fights for no real reason