Stress is inescapable. People are constantly being affected with stress in their everyday lives. So the question is: What is stress and what causes us to be stressed?

Stress is when a person’s mind and body are experiencing emotional and physical strain due to a very demanding and difficult  situation in their lives. It can be caused by many things that happen in everyday life like one’s personal health or a loved one’s health, mental disorder, romantic and family relationships, major life changes, disasters, and conflicts with peers or people who disagree with your opinion are all things that cause a person to be stressed and have anxiety.

According to the article, “Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes” by Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Melinda Smith, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., and Lawrence Robinson, “It is your body’s way of reacting to a ‘threat’”.

The article also states when your body senses danger, whether it is real or fake, the body goes into what is called the “stress-response”. This response can give you more strength to stay focused, more energy to stay alert while working, and sharpens your concentration. Slamming on your breaks while driving to avoid an accident is an example of your body reacting to a stressful situation.

However, at a certain point, stress hits its breaking point and instead of being helpful to your body, it becomes harmful. This is called chronic stress– stress that is constant and harmful towards your body.

“Your nervous system doesn’t distinguish between emotional and physical health very well,” the article says. “Your body can react to an extremely stressful situation like a school deadline or bills the same way it would if you were facing a true life or death situation; like a terrible car accident.”

The more “emergency’ stress that is being activated by your body, the harder it is for your body to relax and release that stress. It starts to affect everything in your body; your immune system weakens, the digestive and reproductive systems slow, your chances at having a heart attack or stroke heighten, and it can cause you to look much older. Dealing with extreme stress constantly can also lead to problems like anxiety, sleep deprivation,  depression, and mental health problems.

TThe article also states, “Stress starts to feel familiar after a while. Your body dangerously gets used to it”.

According to their studies, there are four different kinds of symptoms: Cognitive (memory problems, inability to concentrate, constant worrying), Emotional (depression, anxiety, irritability, loneliness), Physical (pain, diarrhea, nausea, frequent flus), and Behavioral (sleeping more/less procrastinating, nervous habits).

Stress is all around us, but it is the way we look at stressful situations and the way that we handle them that affects our minds and bodies. Society often puts a bad image with the word “stress”, but Psychologist Kelly McGonigal believes that we should think of stress in a different way and learn how to use that stress to help us succeed in difficult situations, which she explains in her TED Talk.

“When you can change your mind about stress, you can change your body’s response to stress”, McGonigal says.

Think of your stress in a positive way. You have to think of hard situations as an opportunity to become stronger.

“Your heart pumping fast is preparing you for action, your heavy breathing is helping you to get more oxygen to your brain,” Mcgonigal states. “Participants in a study at Harvard who were told to view their stress in this way thought of it as helpful. They were less stressed, more confident, their heart rate was down.”

McGonigal explains that, “Stress makes you social”, and the body contains a stress hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin helps the body to feel more relaxed in a stressful situation by making you crave physical and social contact. It is a built-in way for your body to be rid of its stress. People who spend their time helping others and who are more sympathetic are shown to have a lower stress level.

“How you think and how you act can transform your experience with stress,” McGonigal states.

Being able to cope with stress shows that you are able to deal with life’s greatest challenges. Chase the more stressful things, because, in the long run, you will be more happy with yourself and proud of what you have accomplished. Don’t think of stress as a negative thing. Use stress to your advantage and remember that your body is helping you get through the situation.

McGonigal stated, “How you think about stress matters… Get better at stress. Next time your heart is pounding from stress.. think to yourself this is my body helping me rise to this challenge. When you view stress in this way, your body believes you and your stress response becomes healthier.”