Overcome the Threats of Stress
Today, we lead an increasingly stressful life. Some experts are
of the opinion that a little stress can be good for you. A small
dose of stress pushes the limits of an individual both
physically and mentally and is sometimes crucial for achieving
optimum performance. Stress induces a 'fight or flight' response
in our body, which leads to the release of adrenaline into our
blood stream. For example, students sitting for an exam are
often in the grip of a stress response and this helps them to
focus and giving their best performance. However, as we all
know, prolonged stress is very bad for the body. While a little
stress enables us to meet deadlines, longer exposure to it might
induce a heart attack or other major health crisis. Stress is
both a physical and psychological response. When the physical
and mental demands on our body are more than what it can cope
with, the body starts to show the symptoms of stress. The usual
characteristics of this kind of a reaction are fatigue,
insomnia, developing an irritable disposition, constant and
nagging worrying and in some cases, depression. The reasons for
stress are many. They can be brought on by both work and
personal situations. It has been observed that the increasing
demands on today's workforce have actually led to a loss of
productivity over the past decade or so. The 1997 National Study
of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) noted that as compared to other
industrialized countries, workers in America spend the most time
at their place of work, which can lead to a host of family and
job related conflicts. Also, the threat of downsizing is
everywhere; constantly worrying about job security has become a
part of modern life. Work related stress impairs both work and
family life. On a more personal level, the loss of a loved one
or a divorce can send people into depression. If you feel
overwhelmed by the very task of leading your daily life, you are
heading towards anxiety-induced disorders. Financial concerns
related to your family, constantly worrying about your loved
ones - all this leads to a very stressful life. Stress is very
harmful for our bodies. Some of the primary manifestations of
this are fatigue and the impairment of our immune system. This
makes us vulnerable to diseases like the flu and the common
cold. This may be accompanied by insomnia and digestive
disorders (like stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and
constipation). People who usually suffer from stress are prone
to an increase blood pressure and related problems. Long term
and chronic stress is especially harmful for your heart. It can
also contribute to the premature aging of your brain cells,
leading to neurological damage. There are supplements available
that can help your body cope with a stressful state. Chief among
them is Anxietol 7