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Stress
"Never
before have we had so little time in which to do so much." Franklin
D. Roosevelt 1
Wow, what a statement. If
that was true back in 1933-1945 then, then how much more true it is today.
Anything that brings on feelings of stress is
called a stressor. Here are some examples:
- Adapting to constant, rapid change.
- Handling a major life event, such as
getting married, moving into a new home, adopting a child, death of a
spouse or loved one, divorce, marital separation, jail term, personal
injury or illness.
- Juggling many roles and
responsibilities.
- Going from one stressful situation to
the next without taking time to relax.
- Being overwhelmed by events or things
in our lives.
Today life has become fast paced. It no
longer is just "fast food" it has become "fast
lifestyles"!! Everyone having to get ahead of the next
person. Life continues to speed up without any extra time being given.
Stress is becoming a normal way of life.
When faced with stress,, chemicals in our bodies
are released and they trigger many changes in your body. Your heart
may pound, blood pressure may rise, stomach may become tense, muscles may
tighten. Over time, some of the symptoms below will begin to show:
Symptoms of Stress
Physical
Frequent colds or flu, headaches, trouble sleeping, muscle tension, skin
problems, trouble with digestion, sweaty palms, indigestion, skin outbreaks
(cold sores, rashes), shortness of breath, cold hands and feet,
sleeplessness, oversleeping, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, tight stomach, tight
muscles, low back pain, ulcers, temporary paralysis.
Mental
Poor concentration, forgetfulness, learning problems, frequent negative
thoughts, speech problems, poor judgment, disorganization, fuzzy perception,
confusion, making simple math errors, lack of interest, diminished
creativity, disorientation, negative self-talk, inability to think
logically.
Emotional
Anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, feelings of helplessness, a lack
of purpose, relationship troubles, moodiness, humorlessness, abrasiveness,
hostility, nervousness, tension, sarcasm, selfishness.
Behavioral
Anger, eating poorly (eating problems), hording and gorging, control
battles, driving recklessly, lack of impulse control, lying, poor peer
relationships, demanding, clingy, abusing alcohol or drugs, being accident
prone, stealing, destructive, showing aggression, sadness, extreme
happiness.
If you remain in high stress situations
for a long time the body forgets what to do when out of the stress.
You must re-teach your body what to do and how to calm. This is an
involuntary function of the nervous system.
Wow.. if we seriously look at the above, we
can't help but come to the conclusion that we as parents are stressed and
our children are stressed as well!
1. Did you know that Franklin
D. Roosevelt served as President of the United States for more than 12
years!! That is longer than any other person. He was the only
President elected four times. He died just 83 days after becoming
President for the fourth time.
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