What is stress?
Stress is caused when we experience excessive levels of pressure upon us. Stress occurs when the levels of pressure outweigh our coping abilities, creating an imbalance which leads to us feeling overwhelmed, very anxious, unable to manage the demands upon us and feeling out of control.
The pressure can be imposed externally via our work or home situation, but it can also be self-imposed.
If we imagine a set of weighing scales and we have a moderate level of pressure on one side and good coping skills on the other, the scales will be in balance and we feel able to cope.
If we add extra pressure this can tip the scales so that our coping skills are completely outweighed by the excessive amount of pressure. This imbalance can result in stress.
Pressure motivates and stimulates us to work more effectively. Most of us need and enjoy a certain amount of pressure as without any we wouldn’t achieve much in our day!
A manageable level of pressure feels good and can be positive, but that level is different for everyone. Recognising the level of pressure which YOU can manage is important.
Do you feel out of control?
Fight or Flight
The physical and psychological symptoms of stress can be very unpleasant and distressing.
They are very real.
You may experience any of the following:
Feeling extremely anxious, agitated, shaky or sweaty, panicky, you can’t think clearly, tense, knotted stomach, tight chested, breathing shallowly, holding your breath or difficulty in breathing properly, fearful or angry, overwhelmed and not in control. (You may have a panic attack which can be very scary. There is more information about how to deal with these at the back of the book.)
These symptoms are the Fight or Flight early survival response which our bodies used when we lived in the wild where there were real physical dangers such as mammoths! Your brain has sent signals for the body to release adrenaline into your bloodstream which gives you the energy needed to Fight or Flee from the dangerous situation or ‘mammoth’.
These responses, which may be mild or severe, are normal, although nowadays the danger is usually psychological and not physical. Even though the responses can be extreme and are not so relevant today, our body still uses them as its main priority is to survive.
Sometimes the fight or flight response is delayed and may occur after the stressful period. It might happen when you least expect it which can be disconcerting or worrying.
Although the physical symptoms of stress can be the result of excessive pressure, they are triggered by your thinking. Negative, worried or anxious thoughts create anxious feelings which induce physical responses of tension, fear, panic and sometimes anger. These physical responses occur when your brain receives your anxious thoughts and decides you are ‘in danger.’ e.g. a mammoth is approaching!
It’s helpful to remember that however awful you feel, it is a temporary state. Using the techniques in my book can enable you to reduce the unpleasant symptoms you are experiencing and make them disappear.
Really Fast Fixes to Feel Better Quickly
You can make yourself feel better and back in control quickly by getting rid of the fight or flight response.
There are 2 ways to do this effectively:
- By changing your breathing
- By doing something physical
You might like to try listening to my free audio recordings or buy my book.