Definitions of Stress
There are several definitions of stress. It seems that it is like most things in our world today. People and organizations want to come up with something original to be able to claim theirs is the true definition of stress. I don’t want to recreate the wheel. We’ve got toooooo many wheels in our world today, so I’ll share what others have said.
Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, in the 1930s was the first one to use the term “stress” when relating to behaviors either of animals or humans. He studied the reactions of laboratory animals to outside stimuli, such as bright lights and noise. Later he expanded his studies to include the perceptions and responses of humans in trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday life situations.
His definition of stress is “The non-specific response of the body to any demand placed on it.” The Mayo Clinic defines stress as “A normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life.” The American Institute of Stress explains that it’s difficult to define stress because it means something different to different people, and no one wants to settle for one specific definitioin.
Me? I like Hans Selye’s definition. Non-specific says it all for me. It allows for the fact that not all of us react the same way to the same situation. What is stressful for one person may not be stressful for someone else. In fact, the same person may react differently to the same stressful situation at different times. Human behavior is not an exact science.
That definition also allows for different “non-specific” responses—they could be physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual.
Up until the 1930s, stress was used for centuries in the field of physics to explain elasticity—the ability of a material to return to its original size after being compressed or stretched by an external force. I can remember the discussion in high school physics class as to whether a rubber band returned to its original shape after being stretched out. Something similar would be the stress put on a piece of metal. A piece of jewelry will break when too much stress is put upon it, like a chain breaking when a child pulls on it.
When we discuss stress in these posts, we’ll be using Hans Selye’s definition of stress. Other writers may come into discussion as well.
Come back to see us soon! We’re getting closer to finalizing our other products and services!!!
Stay tuned!
Blessings,
Karen
Relieving Stress – Are You Ready?
Have you had enough of stress in your life? How committed are you to wanting to do something about the stress you feel? On the following scale from one to ten, with one meaning you have no commitment to relieving the stress you feel, and ten meaning you are totally committed, mentally place a hash mark on the line below to indicate your level of commitment to doing something about relieving or reducing the level of stress in your life.
Why do I ask this kind of question? I ask it because reducing or relieving the stress you feel in your life is directly proportional to your commitment to doing something about it. Reducing stress and the effects of stress depend mainly on your willingness to make changes in your life.
Isn’t that ironic? Change in itself can trigger a stress response in you. There are so many different things that can influence the stress you feel in your life. You can begin with nutrition and diet, exercise, your knowledge of stress and its symptoms, identifying the things, people and situations that trigger a stress response from you, your knowledge and practice of coping skills, knowledge of what is really important to you, the degree of control you have over your environment, your willingness to change, perseverance, etc.
These will be some of the topics that will appear in this blog. Our commitment to you is to provide you with information, tips and techniques to support your efforts in bringing about effective changes in your behavior.
Stay tuned! We are developing more products and services to offer you choices in helping you learn more about this thing called stress and what you can do about it. If you have any comments about this topic, feel free to click on the comments button.
Blessings,
Karen
Stress Overview
Stress is here. Stress is there. Actually, stress is everywhere. It seems like no matter where you turn these days, stress is there to meet you. People are losing their homes; people are losing jobs; people are living longer so you may have to deal with aging parents and all the complications that come with that. Our economic times are distressing and insecure. Students experience more stress in schools today than ever before. The suicide rate for teenagers is high. The threat of terrorism is a topic of concern for most countries. Traveling by plane today is a hassle. Health issues abound; obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and mental illnesses are on the upswing. Workloads have increased. Downsizing has taken its toll on those still employed. Workers are asked to do more with fewer resources. Does it ever end?
That’s a pretty bleak picture of our world today. Stress will always be with you. You can’t get away from it. It seems to go along with living. So, is there hope? Is there anything you can do to reduce the stress in your life?
Look at the above categories again. You have little control over most of the categories. You have little control over losing your job or in controlling our current economic times. You have no say in travel procedures, or the distribution of workloads, etc. One of the things that you do have some control over is your health. And we’ll discuss that from time to time.
I do believe there is hope. I am an optimist—probably the greatest optimist you will ever meet and I do deal with reality. What I also believe is that there is a direct correlation between the stressful situations you meet and the number of “tools” you have to deal with that stress. In other words, the more stressful situations you have, the more tools you need to deal with or to cope with those situations.
That’s what this blog is all about. I wish I could remove some of the stressful situations from you. There are too many of you, and only one of me. So, the next best thing I can do is to share some tips and techniques that I have shared with the participants in my stress management classes. The feedback I have received from them tell me that these tips and techniques work. Some will work better for you than others.
Stay tuned! This site is growing day by day, and we are preparing additional products and services to help make your life a little less stressed.
Have a GREAT day, and come back soon!
Blessings,
Karen
THE URGENCY TO RELIEVE STRESS!
Last time I shared with you my stress about launching an internet business. I’m outside my “comfort zone.” Most of my life has been spent as a teacher/trainer/facilitator, interacting with participants in my classes or collaborating with clients. My professional career and speaking in public for the past 20 years has been highly interactive. Just thinking about speaking in public may trigger some of you to feel stress, or you might say, “Thank goodness it’s you and not me.” Some things however, have stayed the same, as in the content material, and the knowledge, and skills areas.
Other things have changed. I’m working in a different environment (stress), and the delivery of the material and getting class participants will be different. It’s called change, and the result is increased stress.
How about you? In these changing times, do you find yourself working in a different environment than what you have been used to? If you are, realize you may be experiencing some feelings of stress. Anytime change happens, there is some stress—even if you are prepared for the changes. Some stress happens even when your work area changes. Change disrupts your “comfort zone.” Sometimes it’s gratifying to know that you have the right to feel stressed.
Stress affects every aspect of your wellbeing—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The effects of stress can be long lasting unless you have the knowledge and tools or techniques to cope effectively with the stress you feel.
- 90%-95% of adults in the United States are having to deal with stress in their lives
- Stress has been linked to serious disease—hypertension, heart disease, stroke and depression, only to name a few
- About 40% of adults suffer adverse health effects related to stress. The jury is out on this one. Some resources say that the medical field cannot directly say that stress “causes” disease, but everyone generally agrees that prolonged stress is a contributing factor to disease. Stress may also contribute toward the complications of disease.
Do something nice for yourself today! You deserve it! MAKE time to do something you enjoy. Schedule some “down” time—just for you. Do something to relax! Look at the above statistics—don’t go there. Don’t forget to BREATHE! (Tip #1 from an earlier blog post.)
Have a GREAT day, and come back to visit soon! Watch for new products and services to help you deal with your stress!
Blessings,
Karen
Help! Unexpected Stress
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the essential training workshops blog. I am glad you stopped by for a visit! We’re all about the topic of stress and how to deal with it effectively.
Being “Stressed out” is a topic of conversation for many people today. We can discuss the stress of our economic times, people losing jobs, their homes, the threat of terrorism, heavier workloads, having to do more with less, etc. Who isn’t experiencing stress these days?
How Stress Caught Me Unexpectedly
Have you ever started a new job with little experience in the field? Stress. Have you been transferred to a new job within your company because your position has been eliminated? Stress. Have you had to take on new responsibilities without some knowledge and skills of what is required for the job? More stress.
Well, welcome to my world currently. This is the first post for this blog. I could tell you a lot about stress right now. I have been a corporate educational trainer/consultant for the past 20 years. I love what I did. No stress, except maybe deadlines. I was confident and self-assured. I knew what I was doing. No stress.
Then, I got a bright idea! I decided to take the programs I designed for corporations, redesign them some, and deliver training programs over the internet to reach more people. Redesign was no problem. Little stress. Then there was the computer, the internet and unfamiliar territory for the first time in a long time. Big-time stress for me.
I was overwhelmed! There is soooooo much information. I struggled with information overload about websites, marketing, selling, growing lists, etc. More stress.
When I started to write this first article, I sat in front of the computer for ten minutes wondering what I should write. I knew my subject matter was going to be stress, its physical, mental and emotional effects on our wellbeing, and talking about the tips and techniques to help us cope with the stress we are feeling. I began to notice (awareness) that I had stopped breathing normally. I was actually holding my breath. I felt nervous. That happens a lot when we are faced with stressful situations. Do you have a tendency to hold your breath? How would you react if I asked you to speak before an audience of 500 people?
To Relieve the Stress You Feel
So, the first tip about dealing with stress is, breathe. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Do this three times, and each time let go of some of the stress.
When you are faced with any stressful situation, you need extra oxygen getting to your brain to help you think clearly. So, just when you need more oxygen, you may be getting less. That doesn’t help the situation.
Once I became aware of what I was doing, I took a deep breath, gathered in my energy and began to write. Several deep breaths along the way have helped calm the nervousness. Try it. It may work for you as well. The Result? Less stress.
Stay tuned! There will be more tips and techniques to help you deal with the stress you are feeling in your life—whatever the circumstance. Next time I’ll share some statistics about stress.
Have a wonderful day, and return again soon for the latest updates!
Blessings,
Karen
