How Stress Can Affect Our Health: Positive Effects

Assignment: Most people experience a degree of stress in everyday life. Explain how stress can affect our health, and there any positive effects of stress? In our daily lives, things do not turn out as expected. As a result, people either get disappointed or work hard to ensure they try their best to make them turn out well. When things do not go as expected, people are usually thwarted or disenchanted. They get stressed over it, and it consumes a lot of their energy. At times one may wonder what stress is. “Stress is the body’s reaction to harmful situations—whether they’re real or perceived” CITATION Web18 \l 1033 (WebMD, 2018). According to English Oxford Living Dictionaries, stress can also be defined as “A state of mental or emotional strain, or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances”. Causes of stress People experience a degree of stress in their everyday life. The circumstances they endure vary, hence resulting in everyone undertaking different stress effects. One may be stressed while at work, in the family or at their places of residence. Such situations make one anxious, filled with worry and fear and at times angry. While at work, superiors might fail to recognize how productive one has been or one may feel the pressure of reaching a particular target. At home, one may be having family issues such as financial issues or disputes with the family members. At the place of stay, one may also not be getting well along with the neighbours. All the above can make one get stressed easily which is not good for their health. Stress Impacts Stress is not an obvious state of mind. “Stress isn't just something that happens in your head — the effects reach almost every part of your body” CITATION Pra17 \l 1033 (Praderio, 2017). When people talk about stress, they only think of what they have experienced; whether it is a physical or psychological effect. Stress has an immense impact on one’s health. First and foremost, it can lead to depression. Too much pressure or being overwhelmed can easily make one fall into depression which is not good for their health. Most of the times one may think they cannot take it anymore and opt to end their lives. Stress can also deprive one of sleep. Instilling too much pressure on oneself because things did not go as expected can rob one of sleep. One may stay awake the whole night and think about the issue. Lack of sleep is not good for any individual. Also, when one deprives themselves of sleep, their bodies may not function well. One may make wrong food choices which can goad them to eat a lot hence become obese. It can also make one lose focus easily. While in school, students get stressed due to the pressure of getting good grades and delivering assignments on time. Students who are stressed find it hard to focus in class. They always feel the need to get good grades and deliver their assignments on time to please their professors as well as their parents. Consequentially, they get to hurt themselves in the process since they do not have their interests at heart. Stress can make one demean themselves. While at work, employees may be working their asses out to impress their employers. However, some employers fail to notice it hence this makes some of the employees to work even harder. These employees try their level best to ensure that they please their superiors. They can even go to great lengths as to do whatever is asked of them. They are often worried about getting paid, being sacked and their job security. They end up getting tired hence their level of productivity decreases. Effects of stress on one’s health The impact stress has on an individual affects their physical and mental health. However, stress can be beneficial or harmful to an individual. “While stress affects everyone in different ways, there are two major types of stress: stress that’s beneficial and motivating – good stress – and stress that causes anxiety and even health problems” CITATION ULi18 \l 1033 (ULifeline, 2018). Stress effects vary from one individual to another. Whatever one experiences in their lives may not be similar to what another individual encounter. Also, whatever one might be going through may or may not lead to a stressful situation to another individual. Negative effects Stress is not good for the body and mind. It derails one as it consumes their energy, desire to achieve goals as well as make one eat unhealthily. Though good stress is beneficial and motivating, too much stress can interfere with the body both physically and psychologically. “And while some stress can help you kick butt when your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, daily stress can mess with your mind and body in serious ways” CITATION Oer17 \l 1033 (Oerman, 2017). Below are some negative effects of stress: Our bodies need energy to function properly. Thinking a lot about something makes one wear out easily. This is because dwelling a lot on something can lead to stress. Too much stress consumes one’s...