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THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF STRESS
by Marta Araneta with addt’l reporting by Annie Z. Nisce



It comes as no SHOCK that stress plays a PART in what’s been ailing you. Left unchecked, the PRESSURES and tension of modern-day living can LEAD to weight gain or at its extreme, heart disease and MENTAL illness.

Daily living offers situations that are overwhelming and stressful. Perhaps a major deadline at work is drawing near or an upcoming event is about to take place. A recurrent knot forms between your neck and shoulder blades, causing physical discomfort. Stress is part and parcel of our existence, and how we cope with the difficulties can define, simply put, how we stay alive.

Stress is divided into two categories: Acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term). Acute stress is commonly known as the “fight or flight” response. Chronic Stress can bring about serious mental problems, like anxiety disorders, depression, nervous breakdowns, and psychosis; and under such conditions, the patient is no way capable of taking care of herself. A diabetic, for instance, takes extra steps to arrest the progress of the disease but when a stressed-out diabetic starts guzzling alcohol, neglects regular exercise, and forgets to plan her meals and check her glucose levels, this only spells double trouble.



LIVING DANGEROUSLY

This information on the dangers of stress is not news. Yet most of us head on recklessly with our lives, ignoring the telltale triggers and symptoms of stress that can easily lead to disorder. It is important to note however, that handling stress will be different for each individual. “Anything that’s different to you can be stressful. It all depends on HOW you adjust to it,” (HEHE) according to Dr. AT. When you cough, that doesn’t mean you have pneumonia, unless you have poor antibodies. The same thing applies to a person’s mental state. We are all equipped with the mechanism to process and cope with stressors. A normal, functioning person who makes a mistake will find ways to correct it. But the same situation will depress and tear apart an obsessive perfectionist.



WINNING THE BATTLE

For the regular Joe and Jane on the street, whose daily stress is less extreme, there are several doable ways to keep stress under control. Eating healthy, engaging in regular physical activity and striking a good balance between work and play are all-important stress busters. Establish a network of friends. Sharing your concerns and probably even having a good cry with someone who understands you have been proven to relieve the uptight feeling that’s associated with stress. We all need an objective “outsider” to help us see problems in a different light. Get into a hobby that you can enjoy by yourself or with friends. The possibilities are endless: from gardening to cross-stitching to yoga.

“If you’re in a high-stress job, there are a few things you can do to boost your chances of living longer,” adds Dr. M. “First, cut down on the smoking. Besides being a cancer risk, smoking increases your baseline blood pressure and increases the chances of coronary heart disease. Second, eat right and watch your weight. Third, exercise. Let your body get used to increased metabolic demands in a controlled fashion. This conditions your systems to adjust, the way an athlete trains to attain physical peak performance. Dr. AT suggests approaches that dig deeper into a person’s psyche. “Set yourself high but realistic goals. Recognize your talents and limitations and stop comparing yourself with others. We are all different.”

She also suggests to “Learn to have fun being alone. Nowadays, people get depressed once they don’t have an ‘audience’, as though their self-esteem depends on what others think and say about them… Your self-esteem must come from within and not from what you have. Finally, accept that not everything must go your way all the time: Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Stress boils down to a failure to evaluate reality. I have seen people broken and fallen, but they survive because they’ve known how to get up and start walking again.”

Excerpt from MEGA magazine 160-07-2006.

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Typing that stressed me out lol. Now I have to go eat brunch and catch some more sleep later. (No wait, seriously, I'm updating? what the world has gone into ) *yawns*