Stress is defined as a mentally or emotionally distracting condition occurring because of difficult pressures.

Stress affects a person's physical health; usually the symptoms are increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, irritability, and depression. This plague can affect all ages and both genders. The main reason why stress is so dangerous is because it can be fatal to a person's health. Stress is defined as a mentally or emotionally distracting condition occurring because of difficult pressures. Millions and perhaps even billions suffer everyday from stress and its effects. Stress affects a person's physical health; usually the symptoms are increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, irritability, anddepression. This plague can affect all ages and both genders. The main reason why stress is so dangerous is because it can be fatal to a person's health. Not only can stress lead to many heart diseases, but also it could make a person panic-stricken. Although stress may look unconquerable or inevitable, it is possible to control it. There are many quick and easy steps for managing and limiting a person's stress. The key is patience and careful planning. Although it sounds obvious, many people do not recognize they have stress factors. Some common sings for people who have stress are fatigue or irritability. Sometimes family members even abuse each other domestically. People who realize they experience stress can point out the common causes that they have. After a person points out the stressors he or she can exploit them. For example, if you know if you are going to be spending money on useless things and that it could make your wife angry then you could refrain from doing this to avoid unnecessary stress. After a person has avoided his or her stressors they would be more relaxed. However, if people forget their stressors they can easily have reminders such as posted notes on the fridge. This step essential because if you can't recognize you have stress then you cannot control it. Secondly, exercising and hobbies can greatly reduce stress, by not only keeping you in shape but also lowering your blood pressure. For example, if you enjoy basketball, then get with some friends and go the park. If you cannot play basketball, you can also watch a game. If it makes it easier, than people should encourage their friends to exercise with them. This would give people more support they probably lack. If people are not the athletic type then maybe they can enroll in something like a book club. That way they can ease their mind and forget about stressors.Exercising is a way to preoccupy the mind and have fun at the same time. Another stressor is competition. In the world we live in today there is always competition among us. Everybody competes for everything: to be in first place, to having a handsome girlfriend or boyfriend, being smarter, to be more athletic, cooler, or even richer. Everyday is overloaded with gratuitous competitions. Competition is usually there because of people's mixed feelings. Some people are insecure, while others just feel they have to be better than the guy next to them. In order to get over this a person must observe what they are competing for. Usually the competition among us rewards us with nothing. If you want to compete, then you should play a sport or a hobby and have fun. Be calm and avoid rivalries, which can cause a person tension. These little useless competitions lead to many sleepless nights and unnecessary mood swings. People should encourage themselves to do things that bring themselves joy. The most detrimental stress is when people focus on the negative aspects of their life. These people never realize how blessed they are to have what others die for. Most people who have a lot of stress think too negatively. The solution to this problem is simply thinking more positively. Instead of thinking of why an event happens, be happy that it wasn't fatal and that you're still alive. For example, if you're married with financial troubles you could be happy that you have someone there for you whom you can depend on. The problem is

people do not understand how fortunate they are until they lose what they have. If a person feels depressed they are most likely very irritable. While positive thinking can lead to many positive consequences, negative thinking will only lead to negative consequences. In conclusion, there are almost countless amount of benefits for managing stress. By managing or channeling a person's stress it will lead to a better life and a better outcome. Just some of the physical benefits of controlling your stress include more strength, better sleep, and less fatigue. It can also prevent high blood pressure, pain, or any other heart problems. The most emotional benefits are a batter quality of well being and life, reduced irritability and pressure. The most important benefit of stress management is being able to get your life back together. There are many quick and easy steps for managing and limiting a person's stress. If people realized all these essential steps they would no longer be stressful today as they are. It is important people don't carry around necessary stress like competitions and negative aspects of their lives. After a person has conquered stress he or she will have a much better peace of mind.

Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each and everyones life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in peoples daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress are numerous and ones ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living. First, stress is

defined as an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well being

At one time or another, most people experience stress. The term stress has been used to describe a variety of negative feelings and reactions that accompany threatening or challenging situations. However, not all stress reactions are negative. A certain amount of stress is actually necessary for survival. For example, birth is one of the most stressful experiences of life. The high level of hormones released during birth, which are also involved in the stress response, are believed to prepare the newborn infant for adaptation to the challenges of life outside the womb.

Stress Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing surroundings. It has physical and emotional effects on us and can make good or bad feelings. As a good influence, stress can help motivate us to do something, or help us through the day. As a bad influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression (overall, make you feel really crappy), which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomachs, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each an d everyones life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in peoples daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress

are numerous and ones ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living.

First, stress is defined as an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well being (Patel, 14). Stress is a universal feeling to everyone but the word stress means different things to different people. Some people define stress as events or situations that cause them to feel tension, pressure or negative emotions such as anxiety or anger (Patel, 15). Other people may view stress as a process involving a persons interpretation and response to a threatening event. In any case, stress has many facets of how one perceives and responds to the certain predicament that is ailing them.

Stressors are anything that causes stress. Any event, thought, or situation that cause stress is called a stressor (Feldman, 10). Modern life exposes people to many stressors. Some physical stressors may include natural disasters, illnesses, and noise. More emotional stressors can include certain life experiences, such as death of a loved one or...

At one time or another, most people experience stress. The term stress has been used to describe a variety of negative feelings and reactions that accompany threatening or challenging situations. However, not all stress reactions are negative. A certain amount of stress is actually necessary for survival. For example, birth is one of the most stressful experiences of life. The high level of hormones released during birth, which are also involved in the stress response, are believed to prepare the newborn infant for adaptation to the challenges of life outside the womb. These biological responses to stress make the newborn more alert promoting the bonding process and, by extension, the child's physical survival. The stress reaction maximizes the expenditure of energy which helps prepare the body to meet a threatening or challenging situation and the individual tends to mobilize a great deal of effort in order to deal with the event. Both the sympathetic/adrenal and pituitary/adrenal systems become activated in response to stress. The sympathetic system is a fast-acting system that allows us to respond to the immediate demands of the situation by activating and increasing arousal. The pituitary/adrenal system is sloweracting and prolongs the aroused state. However, while a certain amount of stress is necessary for survival, prolonged stress can affect health adversely (Bernard & Krupat, 1994).

Stress has generally been viewed as a set of neurolo...

Stress is unavoidable and it is not possible to eliminate it from our lives entirely. Life is full of challenges, and a life without some turmoil is not only impossible but is also undesirable. The hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands of modern life have made stress so commonplace that it has become a way of life for many people.

In small doses, stress can help people perform under pressure and motivate them to do their best. But it is not desirable to constantly be in an emergency mode as the mind and body would have to ultimately pay the price. Stress is a normal physical response to events that make us feel threatened or upset our balance in some way. When a threat is perceived, our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and Cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action. As a result, our heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and senses become sharper. These physical changes increase our strength and stamina, speed our reaction time, and enhance our focus, thus preparing us to either fight or flee from the danger at hand. This reaction to a real or imagined danger is called the stress response. The stress response is the body's way of protecting us. When working properly, it helps us to stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save our life by giving us extra strength, or for example, spurring us to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. The stress response also helps us rise to meet challenges. It keeps us on our toes during a presentation at work, sharpens our concentration when attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives us to study for an exam when we would rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to our health, mood, productivity, relationships, and our quality of life. It is important to understand that our body does not distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When we are stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, our body reacts just as strongly as if we were facing a life- or-death situation. If someone has a lot of responsibilities and worries, chances are that their emergency stress response may be 'on' most of the time. The more our body's stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off. Leading a long-term stressful life can even rewire the brain, leaving us more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in our body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Problems related to sleep and digestion, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and skin conditions such as eczema are some other health problems that or caused or exacerbated by stress. The ability to withstand stress differs from person to person. While some people seem to thrive on the excitement and challenge of a high- stress lifestyle, others crumble at the slightest obstacle or frustration. The ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of a person's relationships, general outlook on life, emotional intelligence, and genetics. The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship or death of someone

close. However, anything that puts high demands on us or forces us to adjust can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion. Also, to an extent, what causes stress depends on our perception of it. Something that is stressful to a person may be enjoyed by someone else. For example, a person may get stressed while going to office due to his anxiety that traffic will make him late, while another may find the trip relaxing and enjoy listening to music while he drives. Stress can also be self-generated. It may occur due to children and family, being too busy, inability to accept uncertainty, pessimism, perfectionism, lack of assertiveness, unrealistic expectations, etc. The most dangerous thing about stress is that it can easily creep up on us, to the extent that we get used to it. We start to feel familiar, even normal, and it takes a heavy toll without even our noticing how much it is affecting us. The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently. So, it is important to learn how to recognize when our stress levels are out of control. Some of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress are cognitive symptoms (memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, constant worrying), emotional symptoms (moodiness, irritability or short temper, inability to relax, sense of loneliness and isolation, depression or general unhappiness), physical symptoms (aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, loss of sex drive, frequent colds) and behavioral symptoms (eating more or less, sleeping too much or too little, isolating yourself from others, neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol or cigarettes to relax, nervous habits like nail biting). The more signs and symptoms, the closer one may be to stress overload. However, the signs and symptoms of stress can also be caused by other psychological and medical problems. While unchecked stress is undeniably damaging, there are many things that one can do to reduce its impact and cope with symptoms. Managing stress is easy if one learns to handle his thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment, and the way he deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you cannot, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation. Stress can be reduced and managed to healthy levels through regular mediation. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body's relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in our everyday stress levels and a boost in our feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase our ability to stay calm and collected under pressure. A considerable amount of research has shown that meditation has benefits on mental health, including a reduction in proneness to depression, an increase in emotional positivity, and an increased ability to deal with life's inevitable stresses. Meditation not only involves relaxation (the

cessation of unnecessary effort) but promotes mindfulness, which helps the stress-sufferer to recognize unhelpful patterns of thought that give rise to the stress response. It also involves the active cultivation of positive mental states such as love, kindness, compassion, patience, and energy. Meditation means awareness. 'Watching your breath' or listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation. Meditation means 'a cessation of the thought process'. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one. The benefits of meditation are manifold. When practicing meditation, our heart rate and breathing slow down, blood pressure normalizes, sweat less, and we use oxygen more efficiently. Also, our adrenal glands produce less Cortisol, and our immune function improves. It leads to an increase in creativity. In short, meditation is wonderfulit is free, always available, and amazingly effective in short-term stress reduction and long-term health. Stress is unavoidable and it is not possible to eliminate it from our lives entirely. Life is full of challenges, and a life without some turmoil is not only impossible but is also undesirable. The hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands of modern life have made stress so commonplace that it has become a way of life for many people. In small doses, stress can help people perform under pressure and motivate them to do their best. But it is not desirable to constantly be in an emergency mode as the mind and body would have to ultimately pay the price. Stress is a normal physical response to events that make us feel threatened or upset our balance in some way. When a threat is perceived, our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and Cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action. As a result, our heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and senses become sharper. These physical changes increase our strength and stamina, speed our reaction time, and enhance our focus, thus preparing us to either fight or flee from the danger at hand. This reaction to a real or imagined danger is called the stress response. The stress response is the body's way of protecting us. When working properly, it helps us to stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save our life by giving us extra strength, or for example, spurring us to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. The stress response also helps us rise to meet challenges. It keeps us on our toes during a presentation at work, sharpens our concentration when attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives us to study for an exam when we would rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to our health, mood, productivity, relationships, and our quality of life.

It is important to understand that our body does not distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When we are stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, our body reacts just as strongly as if we were facing a life- or-death situation. If someone has a lot of responsibilities and worries, chances are that their emergency stress response may be 'on' most of the time. The more our body's stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off. Leading a long-term stressful life can even rewire the brain, leaving us more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in our body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Problems related to sleep and digestion, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and skin conditions such as eczema are some other health problems that or caused or exacerbated by stress. The ability to withstand stress differs from person to person. While some people seem to thrive on the excitement and challenge of a high- stress lifestyle, others crumble at the slightest obstacle or frustration. The ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of a person's relationships, general outlook on life, emotional intelligence, and genetics. The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship or death of someone close. However, anything that puts high demands on us or forces us to adjust can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion. Also, to an extent, what causes stress depends on our perception of it. Something that is stressful to a person may be enjoyed by someone else. For example, a person may get stressed while going to office due to his anxiety that traffic will make him late, while another may find the trip relaxing and enjoy listening to music while he drives. Stress can also be self-generated. It may occur due to children and family, being too busy, inability to accept uncertainty, pessimism, perfectionism, lack of assertiveness, unrealistic expectations, etc. The most dangerous thing about stress is that it can easily creep up on us, to the extent that we get used to it. We start to feel familiar, even normal, and it takes a heavy toll without even our noticing how much it is affecting us. The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently. So, it is important to learn how to recognize when our stress levels are out of control. Some of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress are cognitive symptoms (memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, constant worrying), emotional symptoms (moodiness, irritability or short temper, inability to relax, sense of loneliness and isolation, depression or general unhappiness), physical symptoms (aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation,

nausea, dizziness, chest pain, loss of sex drive, frequent colds) and behavioral symptoms (eating more or less, sleeping too much or too little, isolating yourself from others, neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol or cigarettes to relax, nervous habits like nail biting). The more signs and symptoms, the closer one may be to stress overload. However, the signs and symptoms of stress can also be caused by other psychological and medical problems. While unchecked stress is undeniably damaging, there are many things that one can do to reduce its impact and cope with symptoms. Managing stress is easy if one learns to handle his thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment, and the way he deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you cannot, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation. Stress can be reduced and managed to healthy levels through regular mediation. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body's relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in our everyday stress levels and a boost in our feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase our ability to stay calm and collected under pressure. A considerable amount of research has shown that meditation has benefits on mental health, including a reduction in proneness to depression, an increase in emotional positivity, and an increased ability to deal with life's inevitable stresses. Meditation not only involves relaxation (the cessation of unnecessary effort) but promotes mindfulness, which helps the stress-sufferer to recognize unhelpful patterns of thought that give rise to the stress response. It also involves the active cultivation of positive mental states such as love, kindness, compassion, patience, and energy. Meditation means awareness. 'Watching your breath' or listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation. Meditation means 'a cessation of the thought process'. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one. The benefits of meditation are manifold. When practicing meditation, our heart rate and breathing slow down, blood pressure normalizes, sweat less, and we use oxygen more efficiently. Also, our adrenal glands produce less Cortisol, and our immune function improves. It leads to an increase in creativity. In short, meditation is wonderfulit is free, always available, and amazingly effective in short-term stress reduction and long-term health.