One million Americans suffer from heart attack every year. 13 million doses of tranquilizers and sedatives are prescribed yearly. There is an estimated 50,000 stress-related suicides every year. There are 12 million alcoholics in the United States.
There are hundreds of experiences in our daily lives which cause stress and these stress-causing events are called stressors. The stressors can create good stress (positive stress) and distress (negative stress). Normally, our body and its system are conditioned to cope with stressors, but there is an optimum level at which each one of us can cope with and still function well. When the limit is exceeded, we become victims of stress.
Too little stress makes life dull, boring, irritable and apathetic.
Too much stress overwhelms a person, leading to many of the ailments mentioned earlier.
And yes, stress is a potential killer.
Here are the 4 deadly causes of stress:
#1 Mental Rush
When we are seated and at rest, our minds are rushing somewhere or the other. We may be waiting for an appointment with a doctor or waiting for an interview call but we are hurrying and rushing in our thoughts. The mental rush or the mental hurry is one of the main causes of tension.
We need to take it easy. Thomas Fuller says that haste and rashness are like storms which break and wreck people's lives and their businesses. William Muldoon, a great athletic trainer observed that "people don't die of disease; they die of internal combustion."
As we rush about our lives, stress keeps on building in the mind within, until it leads us to a nervous breakdown or a heart attack.
#2 Irritation
We may not always show it but the irritation inside burns up our emotional energy uselessly. Every time you get irritated, you are burning up valuable emotional energy, which can be used constructively.
We must develop the patience to curb irritation. "A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains." According to Benjamin Franklin, "He that can have patience can have what he will.
There are some insignificant events that usually cause irritation. You must remember: If we cannot change the people around us, we can at least try to change our reactions to them.
#3 Mental Fatigue
We are often apt to underestimate the demands of intellectual or mental work, as against hard, physical labor. Psychiatrists say that people who work with brains need more sleep and rest than manual workers. When mental fatigue sets in, we cannot think clearly or react reasonably.
#4 Overwhelmed by the Problems We Face
The word problem is derived from the Latid word "Pro balo" and means deliberately thrown in our way. It is because we react to problems negatively that we create panic and stress within us.
It has been said that a problem is like a pebble. If you hold it close to your eye, it seems magnified and it blocks your entire vision. Now, if you hold it at arm's length, you can see its shape, color and size. If you drop it at your feet, you can effortlessly walk over it.
Start learning to overcome stress before it's too late. Learn to smile and relax. Never become tense. Take it easy but never be lazy. Practice silence and learn to pray. The world looks bleak and miserable to those who are fatigued. Give the body enough sleep; recharge your heart and soul by connecting yourself to God constantly. Then your soul can work to relieve your stress and restore your depleted energy.
Source: Stress Free Life by Helping Hands & Hearts Inc and Gary A. Yupangco Foundation, Inc.
