BEAT THE STRESS

Stress is defined as an organism's total response to an environmental condition. Stress typically describes a negative condition that can have an impact on an organism's mental and physical well-being. How we perceive a situation and how we react to it is the basis of our stress. If you focus on the negative in any situation, you can expect high stress levels. However, if you try and see the good in the situation, your stress levels will greatly diminish.

Effects of Stress:

Memory problems

• Inability to concentrate
• Poor judgment
• Pessimistic approach or thoughts
• Anxiousness

Emotional symptoms

• Moodiness
• Irritability or short temper
• Agitation, inability to relax
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression or general unhappiness

Physical symptoms

• Aches and pains
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Indigestion
• Changes in blood glucose
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
• Frequent colds

Behavioral symptoms

• Eating more or less
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating oneself from others
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

You can protect yourself by recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects. Chances are, nobody has to tell you that exercise is a great stress reliever. But here's the thing: You can reduce stress even more—and make that reduction last longer—if you tailor your workout specifically to your personality type. Vigorous exercise releases endorphins into the system. Endorphins are morphine-like hormones that are responsible for the feeling of elation, or well being that distance runners get from running. Other chemicals like dopamine and serotonin are also released in the brain during exercise. Together, these give a feeling of safety and security that contributes to off-setting some of the "internal" causes of stress, such as uncertainty, pessimism and negative self-talk. Cardiovascular exercise like jogging releases a feel-good hormone, also called the athlete's high.