On the other hand, distress is the negative type of stress--the stress that we don’t handle well, or the stress that puts us on "overload".
Most of the time, we simply call it "stress".
Stress Affects Health and Wellbeing
The signs and symptoms of stress (or the side effects) show up in a number of ways:
Effects of stress on health - The effect of stress on health can be startling! If you don’t
relieve stress and tension
in your life, and it becomes chronic you may see these physical effects of stress on the body:
Inability to sleep/Insomnia
Colds, flu
Dysfunctional immune system.
Indigestion
Blurred vision
Headaches and migraines
Constipation/Diarrhea
Aching muscles
Ulcers
Allergies such as hives
Constipation or Diarrhea
Digestive problems
Change in appetite
Negative effects of stress on our mental state and emotions - Stress affects health of our inner life, as well. Our ability to function mentally and emotionally, under stress, is impaired:
Obsessive thinking - we keep going over and over a thought.
Depression
Weepiness - feeling low
Feeling anxious for no particular reason
Mood swings
Irritability
Easily angered
Inability to "switch off"
Difficulty in concentrating
Memory problems
It’s important to use
good stress management techniques
--so the physical side effects of stress do not become chronic or permanent.
Does Stress Affect Everyone Equally?
Unfortunately there is no way to predict how stress will affect you, as the physical and mental effects of stress are different for different people. For example:
Different personality types are more vulnerable to stress.
People cope with stress differently.
There are many types of stressors! Each person faces different obstacles in his life. And each person interprets an event differently.
There are many ways of coping with stress. Some are healthy--some are not.
Because each person has her own set of values and beliefs, her own ways of coping, and her own life events, there is no way to predict what the side effects of stress will be for that person.
On the other hand, learning to use healthy stress management techniques, including changing one’s belief system (if necessary), will go a long way toward a healthy, happy lifestyle!
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