Question

Critique / respond to this persons post on - The relationship between stress and health and the importance of learning positive measures to ensure our physical and mental well-being. Explain how “a stressor is a condition or event that challenges or threatens a person” also discuss stressful events reduce the body’s natural defenses against disease” in some writings what do you think. Finally what is the importance of knowing good coping skills and setting boundaries for ourselves where our obligations are concerned?

--- I learned that, or atleast concluded that I use work and stress as a means to fill in the empty space. That is to say that I rely on my stressors to cope with silence. Stressors in my life include work, side projects that I tend to pick up on a whim, maintaining relationships with those closest around me, and financial issues. While this may not be the best way to deal with the stressors in my life, but I have a tendency to ignore the emotional burden that comes along with the stressor which is not to say that I don't deal with the problem at hand, but rather I ignore the emotional tension that comes along with the burden--essentially making myself numb. While this isn't necessarily the healthiest way to deal with stress, it allows me to deal with the physical problem at hand first before worry about the emotional side of the problem. This helps with prioritizing the problem, for example such as school work without worrying about how to handle the emotional burden such as "will I graduate"? While there certain is a mind, body and soul connection I also think that to a certain degree there is a conflict of interest such as for example--if something might be good for the development of the body it may not necessarily be good for the soul or for the mind.

Answer 1

Stress is the human reaction to the events in our environment.A stressor is a biological or chemical agent or an external stimulus or an environmental condition that creates stress to the organism.Stressors have physical, chemical and mental responses inside of the body.Physical stressors produce mechanical stresses on skin, bones, ligaments, muscles and nerves that cause tissue deformation and in extreme may cases tissue failure.It may also cause responses associated with metabolism and tissue repair.Physical stressors may produce poor work performance,pain etc.Stressors may also affect mental function and performance.Mental and social stressors may affect behavior and how individuals respond to physical and chemical stressors.

The chemical reactions triggered by stressful situations result in destructive attack of stress hormones being pumped around the body. While these hormones are useful in acute situations, their ability to interfere with the immune system can result in inflammation, reduced white blood cells, and a higher susceptibility to infection and tissue damage.Immune system is body’s first line of defense against invading bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.Organs, tissues, cells and cell products that all work together to fight harmful substances and protect us from getting sick.

Stress can affect our immune system in two ways:

1. By creating chronic inflammation that harms tissues
2. By suppressing immune cells needed to fight infection

Thus there are many coping strategies-

• Minimum 6 hours continuous rest
• exercise- 20minutes/day; atleast days in a week
• break a sweat to release Endorphins
• talk things out someone you trust
• organize life
• learn to manage anger
• rethink situation and learn to be more flexible
• fill your life with fun things to do
• keep your sense of humor
• donot react to the stressful situation
• balance in all that you do