I know that this has been emphasized before, but i would realy like to talk about it since the semester is coming to an end. I know i have been very stressed with the amount of work i have to do and it has deffinately affected my health.
So what is stress? Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. There is a stress reponse which is you body's fight or flight response. This is the body's way of protecting itself. When this response works properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can help you by giving you extra strength to defend yourself. One example is when you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. So this is why you are more aware when you have a presentation or are more focused during the end of close game. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. Health problems such as:
-raise blood pressure
-suppress the immune system
-increase the risk of heart attack and stroke
-contribute to infertility
-speed up the aging process
Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Also too much stress can be bad. The amount of stress differs from person to person. People react differently to too much stress. Your ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of your relationships, your general outlook on life, your emotional intelligence, and genetics. Overall stress is never really a good thing.