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Paige Baker

Professor Christopher Calhoun

English 1201

3/29/2020

Stress Management

Managing stress can be very different from person to person. There is so many factors

when it comes to trying to manage one's stress. The circumstances that is causing your stress is

a big factor but even someone's age or gender can play a role as well. It is no secret that

everyone will experience some form of stress in their life. From acute to episodic acute stress to

chronic stress. I personally have experienced stress at a young age. I tend to stress myself out

more about everything even the small things that I shouldn’t even be stressing too much about.

I never knew how to manage it till last year when I took a class about it. I always thought that

there wasn't anything I could do; stress happens to everyone and that’s just how it is. I am no

master on how to manage stress but it has help me feel more relieved that it's not "just how it

is".

You know what stress is but do you know exactly what happens in our body's that

makes us feel stress? When we feel under pressure and start to feel stressed our bodies go into

flight or fight mode or sometimes called the stress response. Our body releases three different

hormones called; adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. When those three hormones are
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released, it helps us determine what to do next and deal with the feelings of stress and what it

is doing to our bodies.

Acute stress is the most common and the one which triggers the flight or fight response.

We often feel acute stress when new challenge or event happens in our life. If we make a bad

decision at work get or into a fight with a close

friend or family member. Acute stress can also

occur in "happier" stress situations like when you

get scared in a haunted house, when you are at the

top of a roller-coaster and it's about to go down

the hill, and even jumping off the diving board. It is

good to have those events happen to cause acute

stress so that our body gets the practice of how to

respond to different scenarios.

Episodic acute stress is a step higher than

acute stress. This is when you experience acute

stress very frequently. People who experience episodic acute stress are the people who worry a

lot about almost everything. They tend to look at the negatives in every possible situation.

People who suffer from this kind of stress, cannot see that stress is just a part of life and it is not

always bad. If you suffer from this form of stress, it can cause negative health effects.

Chronic stress is when your acute stress isn’t resolved from the initial response.

Unfortunately, this kind of stress hardly ever goes away. People from chronic stress from
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money problems, toxic relationships, bad job experiences, etc. Long term stress can be very

hard on your body and can cause multiple health problems including cancer, heart disease, lung

disease, suicide, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Stress can be different for different for

both genders. According to the American

Psychological Association, women are more likely

than men to report that they have a great deal of

stress in their lives. According to the American

Psychological Association, 51% being women and

43% of men. While men and women both suffer

from high stress in their lives, they differ by how

they manage their stress. Men are more likely to

play sports and exercise to get their mind off of

whatever is causing them stress. Women say that

they like to read and spend time with friends and

family to reduce their stress for the time being.

However, they did have a few activities that they

both like to do to give themselves a break from

stress including watching television and listening

to music.

Just like genders, age can be a factor in

how we manage stress. Throughout our lifetime we are bound to have obstacles and situations
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that will cause us some form of stress. We can see signs of stress as early as 6 months old.

Babies haven’t experienced much stress but separation from their parents or not being able to

fit the right shapes in the toy will cause them to be stressed and upset. Let's break down the

age groups into different generations.

Generation Z are from ages 22 and younger. Their reported stress is a 5.4 out of 10, with

1 being little to no stress (American Psychological Association). Generation Z is more stressed

out about what their future will look like. They have been growing up in a time where there is

so much controversy over so many different topics like gun control, LGBTQ rights, and what

happens to always be a problem, race. The main stressors of this generation are money, work,

and health concerns. All of this stress has 27 percent of this generation has said their mental

health is fair or poor. Generation Z manages their stress by distracting them with social media

and video games which can also be very bad for them in the end.

Millennials are from ages 23 to 38. They are reported to have the most stress in today's

world with 5.7 out of 10 in 2018 (American Psychological Association). Millennials are stressed

about unrealistic expectations that are put on them, as well as beginning the next and one of

hardest chapter of their life. They stress because they have been going to school for so long and

once, they graduate they have to find their place in the world. It brings a lot of stress because

no one truly knows what is next for them because jobs are scarce and they also have to worry

about the student loans they have racked up. Millennials tend to have the hardest time

managing their stress. Only 29 percent of millennials say they are doing an excellent job

managing their stress. The ones who says that they are doing a great job, manage their stress

by talking to some sort of a counselor.

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Generation X are from ages 39-54. They rated their stress at a 5.1 out of 10 in 2018

(American Psychological Association). Gen X is more stressed about personal debt and housing

costs. Although they are almost right with the millennials at being the most stressed out

generation, they have the worst coping mechanisms when dealing with stress. They are at the

top of the percentages to say they overeat, drink alcohol, and smoke to help "manage" their

stress.

Boomers are from 55-73. They have

rated their stress at a 4.1 out of 10 in 2018

(American Psychological Association). They

may be one of the lowest stressed

generation, but their stressor is one of the

hardest. Boomers have a hard time dealing

with the stress of health issues among their

loved ones and themselves. Their stress

level has decreased a little more than 1

percent, which will be the lowest it has

been in a while. They say this is because

they have become better at managing their

stress by talking about their feelings and

willing to compromise and move past problems rather than to bottle them up.

The Silent Generation is from ages 74 and older. They have the lowest reported stress

rate at a 3.3 out of 10 in 2018 (American Psychological Association). The silent generation is the
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lowest because they say managing stress gets better with age. I believe that they are better

because they have lived life and they have found out that they should not sweat the small stuff

because they have found out how much it can impact your life and health. Along with the

boomers, the silent generation are more capable of letting go of stressors and compromise in

arguments.

A lot of people have said they have tried to manage their stress but it doesn’t work. That

may be true but there are so many different ways to manage one's stress. There might be a way

that helps your friend but not so much yourself. That is okay. Again, everyone is different so we

all handle stress differently.

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A few different ways to manage stress according to the American Psychological

Association are; exercising, eating healthy, meditation, managing time, becoming a more

positive person, and seek support.

1. Exercising is a way to put all of your stress into your workout and feeling more

relieved after. Everyone knows that feeling of regret after shoving so much food

down your throat and you sit there miserably thinking bad things about yourself.

2. Eating healthy can improve your mindset about yourself and give you more energy

to maybe cross off some chores that has you stressed out.

3. Time has a way of stressing everyone out. It seems that everyone is in a hurry to go

somewhere. If you manage your time better, you can stop to "smell the roses" from

time to time and appreciate life. It will also alleviate the stress of being late and

being in a bad mood.

4. Seeking support is one of the more helpful ways to reduce your stress. Stress can

really deteriorate your mental health and it is very important to keep your mind

right. There is a stigma about going and talking to a therapist and I hope that one

day sooner than later, that the stigma is put to rest. You are trying to help yourself

and no one should every feel bad about doing that.

5. Becoming a more positive person will help you get over your stressors faster. If you

look at it in a more positive light, you can overcome or help yourself understand that

life is going to be full of stressors and there is nothing you can do to stop them from

coming but you can realize that there is ways to help you manage them.
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6. Meditating is a great way to relieve stress. According to the Harvard Men's Health

Watch, one of the easiest ways to reduce stress is to focus on your breathing. Breath

meditation is very easy and you feel a sense of relaxation instantly. At least 5 min a

day can really help you stay calm and will help your health in the long run.

How to do breathing meditation:

Step 1. Find a quiet space that you can sit down, stand, or walk and be in a

comfortable position.

Step 2. Get your mind focused on how relaxed you are, how you are sitting, feel

the sensations.

Step 3. Now focus on your natural breathing. How you feel when you inhale and

exhale. You can count your breath cycles to help you focus more.

It doesn't matter how old or young you are, what your race, religion, or circumstance is,

stress will always be a part of our lives. It is our responsibility to take care of ourselves and use

the resources we have to reduce our stress. If we educate ourselves of how to manage our

stress then we will live a more happy and healthy life.

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Works Cited

“Breath Meditation: A Great Way to Relieve Stress. Simply Observing the Breath Can Damp

down Stress and Open a Door to a More Healthy and Mindful Lifestyle.” Harvard Men’s

Health Watch, vol. 18, no. 10, May 2014, p. 5. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=25108947&site=eds-live.

K, Daniel. Awaken, 21 Sept. 2019, www.awaken.com/2019/09/what-are-10-natural-ways-you-

can-stay-healthy-under-stress/.

Kumawat, Giriraj. “Simple Yet Efficient Stress Management Tips.” Thrive Global, 12 Aug. 2019,

thriveglobal.com/stories/simple-yet-efficient-stress-management-tips/.

“Stress by Generation.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological

Association, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2012/generations.

“Types of Stress.” Healthline, www.healthline.com/health/whats-your-stress-type#types-of-

stress.

Woolston, Chris. “Aging and Stress.” Consumer HealthDay, 1 Jan. 2020,

consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/aging-1/age-health-news-7/aging-and-stress-

645997.html.
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