By Jolene Wise

Anyone who is alive has experienced stress at some point in life. For most people, this is just a fact of daily living. Stress, however, does have several different forms. Sometimes it is a good thing. In other cases, it can cause long-term psychological and even physical damage.

The American Psychological Association recognized three main types of stress that people commonly experience. Considering the implications involved in some forms of this condition - heart problems, depression, fatigue - it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms.

Acute

This is a very common form of the condition. It tends to arise rather quickly in relation to past, present or future pressures. This kind of stress can be fantastically exhilarating for people, such as a roller coaster ride that has long been anticipated. It can also present as a reaction to a bad situation, such as an accident. It is a temporary form of tension that tends to go away rather quickly.

If this form of tension is a reaction to something bad, it can present with some physical symptoms. These might include stomach upset, headaches and loss of appetite.

Although the acute brand of tension can hit like a semi-truck, it generally has no long-term impacts. Since it is generally resolved fairly quickly, it is considered a normal reaction to a very exciting experience or a very bad day.

Acute Episodic

This type of stress can be a little more serious. It tends to present in people who live in a state of disorganization. When people are constantly late, constantly worried and have too many things that are going on at once, this type of tension can hit on a frequent basis. This tends to be the case with people who are driven and have Type A personalities. It can also strike chronic worriers.

The symptoms of episodic tension are the same as regular acute tension, but they can have long-term impacts. People who suffer from frequent episodes of acute tension are more subject to heart disease, high blood pressure, tension headaches and more.

Chronic

This is the kind that most people deal with on a daily basis. It can stem from financial situations, poor relationships, trauma and even lousy working conditions. While its effects are often easy to ignore at first, it can lead to some serious outcomes. This type of stress is associated with heart attacks, outbursts of violence, stroke and even suicide.

Stress can be a normal bodily reaction to a scary or even fun and exhilarating situation. It can also be a long-term killer. Keeping stress under control and limiting it where it can be can help people enjoy life to the fullest and avoid some serious medical conditions down the road.

Stress Causes Are Almost Infinite

Removing stress from life entirely is not possible and it isn’t even a terribly healthy idea. Stress sometimes is a very natural and even “good” reaction to certain situations. When it dominates a life, however, and presents itself on a chronic basis, the need to locate its causes and try to eliminate some of them is rather important. Unfortunately, it causes are practically infinite and what impacts one person negatively might not another.

So, how does a person identify the causes in their own life? It might take sitting down with a pen and paper and brainstorming. Think of all the little things that cause angst, worry, pressure and tension. List out the big things that do, too. The bad stress causes are anything that make a person anxious, worrisome or even uncomfortable, sad or depressed.

Common Small Stress Causes

While the little causes might not seem like a big deal, they can wear on a person over time. Since these are often the easiest to eliminate or lessen, it is worth looking closely at them. They include:

Over scheduling. When a person has to run from one thing to the next day in and day out without a break, it can wear quickly. Learning time management skills, enlisting help or simply saying no can help lessen the impact of this kind of stress.

Disorganization. Believe it or not, piles of work that are unfinished, a cluttered home and not having places for the important things, such as car keys, can lead to stress. Anyone who has ever been late to work in the morning because car keys were lost can attest to this one. Getting organized, working through clutter and even keeping unfinished work out of sight when it is time to relax can all help.

Finances. For some people this constitutes one of the biggest stress causes, but in the big picture it generally is a small problem. If finances are out of control, try setting a budget, looking into ways to pay down debt or even other options to help streamline life and payment pressures.

Traffic. Sitting in traffic day in and day out, always running late and feeling helpless can create stress. To battle this cause, try leaving earlier, taking a different route or simply acquiesce and listen to relaxing music in the car. Make the drive enjoyable and the stress shouldn’t mount so much.

Large Stress Causes

The small problems are generally easier to tackle and manage to the benefit of a person. The big causes of stress, unfortunately, can be a little more difficult to handle. They, however, can have a big impact over time. Some of the most common large stressors in life include:

Bad relationships. Dysfunctional relationships can create a great deal of stress. If getting out isn’t an option, consider counseling to make things go more smoothly.

Poor working conditions. People who are trapped in jobs they hate, often feel a lot of stress. Getting out isn’t always easy, but if it’s possible, looking for another job can help lessen the impacts.

Medical conditions. Personal medical conditions or those of loved ones can cause stress. While solving this problem is not always possible, working with medical professionals and learning to accept what cannot be changed can help lessen the impacts of stress here.

Stress causes tend to be very personal. What bothers one person and makes them anxious or stressed out doesn’t always impact the next. Locating the sources of negative stress in one’s life and working to lessen them can protect health and greatly improve peace of mind.

Stress Relief

Stress is directly and indirectly related to a score of very serious medical conditions. From heart disease and cancer to headaches and stomach disorders, this very real mind-body reaction to outside pressures and internal worry can take its toll on a person’s life. When it becomes too much, stress relief is often called for.

The best measure to take for stress relief does depend a lot on the type of stress in question. Chronic, everyday stress, for example, can often only be tackled by facing the issues that can be changed head on and learning to accept issues that cannot be changed. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Acute stress tends to go away on its own, but if it is acute and repetitive, life changes might be in order to help with stress relief.

While it is not always feasible to dramatically change a career, get out of a bad relationship or make financial problems go away, stress relief can still be realized. There are a variety of things people can do on their own to experience stress relief without having to make drastic changes or use medications.

The Power Of The Mind

When stress relief is an absolute must, many people find that learning how to refocus thoughts can very much help. The key is to determine the stressors that can be changed and those that cannot. Learning to tackle what can be changed and accepting those things that cannot can remove a great deal of stress from life. While a person might not be happy with the stressors that cannot be removed from life, he or she might learn to look at them differently and make the decision not to allow them to impact thoughts and moods so much.

Techniques that can help with this include:

Hypnosis. Many people find that self-hypnosis helps them channel thoughts and focus in more on the positive rather than the negative.

Deep breathing, visualization. This can also help with refocusing and helping a person gain the drive to tackle issues that can be changed.

Formal Stress Management Training

Some people find they need a little more intensive help than they can give themselves to enjoy stress relief. Therapists, psychologists and other professionals can help with formal stress management training. They can also assist people in identifying stress in their lives and by helping brainstorm ways to handle and manage it effectively.

Dealing with stress might be a perfectly normal part of life. When it becomes too much or it is chronic, however, finding the right kind of stress relief can be very important. There are ways to manage its effects and keep them at a minimum.

Jolene Wise is a behavior science expert and writer for DiagnosisStress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jolene_Wise

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