WEBVTT 00:00:11.529 --> 00:00:16.329 Good morning, everybody. It is 1 .33 a .m. It's 00:00:16.329 --> 00:00:19.190 NeoGentrics, your favorite podcast host, here 00:00:19.190 --> 00:00:21.629 with more food for thought, thoughts if it were 00:00:21.629 --> 00:00:25.309 you, informational tips as always. Now, last 00:00:25.309 --> 00:00:28.510 time we covered what anger is and how to manage 00:00:28.510 --> 00:00:33.179 it. among other things as well now i didn't cover 00:00:33.179 --> 00:00:35.539 depression and i did go back over my notes and 00:00:35.539 --> 00:00:37.780 as it turns out i did cover everything so i won't 00:00:37.780 --> 00:00:41.259 be revisiting that topic however i did mention 00:00:41.259 --> 00:00:44.119 that i was going to cover sleep but something 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:46.920 came across that prevented me from doing so today 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:49.100 so i'm going to go ahead and cut to the chase 00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:52.320 we're going to cover what stress is its symptoms 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.119 and its triggers and then after i'm going to 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:58.840 cover how to reduce stress in certain ways so 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:01.829 that Your hair, unlike mine, won't turn white. 00:01:02.289 --> 00:01:05.390 I'm 24. My hair shouldn't be turning silver. 00:01:07.129 --> 00:01:10.469 Unless it's a genetic thing, then I'm just ultimately 00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:15.250 screwed. Anyway, what is stress? Now, this is 00:01:15.250 --> 00:01:18.730 the question for today. From my knowledge, it 00:01:18.730 --> 00:01:21.310 is effectively coping with stress and managing 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:24.209 stress and finding ways to reduce unnecessary 00:01:24.209 --> 00:01:26.909 or unhealthy levels of stress that are more important. 00:01:28.929 --> 00:01:32.370 It's a skill basically everybody needs. Negative 00:01:32.370 --> 00:01:37.609 stress, tension, anxiety. They're extremely common 00:01:37.609 --> 00:01:39.810 problems in modern life. Most people will suffer 00:01:39.810 --> 00:01:43.129 from potentially dangerous or debilitating symptoms 00:01:43.129 --> 00:01:45.349 of stress and stress -related issues at some 00:01:45.349 --> 00:01:48.310 point in their lives. So no one is stress -proof. 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:57.120 Just keep that in mind. Alright. Stress is a 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.620 response to an inappropriate level of pressure. 00:01:59.780 --> 00:02:04.000 That's the basic definition of what it is. You 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:06.280 can encounter stress from a number of sources, 00:02:06.420 --> 00:02:09.280 including but not limited to personal stress, 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:12.099 which may be caused by the nature of your work, 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:16.240 changes in your life, or personal problems, which 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:19.340 is a very common thing. Stress in family or in 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:21.520 friends, which in turn may affect you and make 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:29.469 you irritable. Also may affect you and I'm not 00:02:29.469 --> 00:02:31.090 covering workplace stress at the moment, but 00:02:31.090 --> 00:02:33.389 I will cover that later Stress can be described 00:02:33.389 --> 00:02:37.110 as distress Distress that is caused as a result 00:02:37.110 --> 00:02:39.389 of demands placed on physical or mental energy. 00:02:39.750 --> 00:02:42.590 It can arise as a result of factors included 00:02:42.590 --> 00:02:45.650 Including the following so I'm gonna go ahead 00:02:45.650 --> 00:02:48.099 and cover a few things here The first thing is 00:02:48.099 --> 00:02:51.039 anxiety. Anxiety is caused when life's events 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:53.919 are felt to be threatening to an individual's 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:56.180 physical, social, or mental well -being. The 00:02:56.180 --> 00:02:58.759 amount of anxiety experienced by an individual 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.460 depends on how threatening these life events 00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:04.020 are perceived to be, individual coping strategies, 00:03:04.379 --> 00:03:06.620 or how many stressful events occur in a short 00:03:06.620 --> 00:03:10.340 period of time. In which case, it also can cause 00:03:10.340 --> 00:03:25.729 a mental issue as well. Next on the list would 00:03:25.729 --> 00:03:29.389 be tension. Yeah, that's right, tension. It's 00:03:29.389 --> 00:03:31.830 a natural reaction to anxiety. Believe it or 00:03:31.830 --> 00:03:34.050 not, most of these aren't singular, like they 00:03:34.050 --> 00:03:36.789 cause other issues as well. As far as tension 00:03:36.789 --> 00:03:39.889 is concerned, it's a part of primitive survival 00:03:39.889 --> 00:03:42.069 instinct where psychological changes prepare 00:03:42.069 --> 00:03:44.550 the individual for that fight or flight instance 00:03:44.550 --> 00:03:47.370 that I mentioned before under the anger podcast. 00:03:47.949 --> 00:03:50.169 If you haven't heard it, go back and listen to 00:03:50.169 --> 00:03:53.810 it, episode 62, okay? This sympathetic response, 00:03:54.129 --> 00:03:58.509 as it is known, results in a chemical called 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:02.370 ATP being released in the body and causes muscles 00:04:02.370 --> 00:04:08.030 to tense ready for action. Don't ask me what 00:04:08.030 --> 00:04:10.509 ATP stands for. For the life of me, I couldn't 00:04:10.509 --> 00:04:12.669 pronounce the word if I tried. Actually, let's 00:04:12.669 --> 00:04:16.490 go ahead and give it a shot here. Adenosine triphosphate. 00:04:16.610 --> 00:04:19.149 Yeah, that's close enough. If you don't know 00:04:19.149 --> 00:04:22.540 what that is, go and look it up. Blood vessels 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:26.579 near the skin tend to constrict to slow bleeding 00:04:26.579 --> 00:04:29.660 if injury is sustained and to increase the blood 00:04:29.660 --> 00:04:32.420 supply to the muscles, heart, lungs, and brain. 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:35.519 Digestion is inhibited, the bladder relaxes, 00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:38.899 the heart rate and breathing speed increases, 00:04:38.899 --> 00:04:41.019 and the body sweats more as a result of tension. 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:44.120 The person affected becomes more alert and their 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:47.490 eyes... um dilate and a surge of adrenaline gives 00:04:47.490 --> 00:04:49.850 rise to an increase in energy keep in mind this 00:04:49.850 --> 00:04:52.129 is false energy your body doesn't actually have 00:04:52.129 --> 00:04:56.149 it these responses are extremely useful in situations 00:04:56.149 --> 00:05:00.970 of physical danger but unlike um unlike for primitive 00:05:00.970 --> 00:05:03.589 humans many of the anxieties of modern life are 00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:05.730 not ones that can be solved by fight or flight 00:05:05.730 --> 00:05:10.420 reactions or by a physical response Okay, modern 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:13.420 day stressful situations tend to continue for 00:05:13.420 --> 00:05:15.379 much longer periods of time and an immediate 00:05:15.379 --> 00:05:17.360 response doesn't relieve the anxiety provoking 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:22.259 situation. Therefore, prolonged states of anxiety 00:05:22.259 --> 00:05:24.259 can lead to symptoms of stress which prevent 00:05:24.259 --> 00:05:27.339 the individual from returning to his or her normal 00:05:27.339 --> 00:05:30.560 relaxed state. Keep this in mind. So prolonged 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:32.639 stress can therefore be detrimental to health 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.220 and well -being. But I think we've already expressed 00:05:35.220 --> 00:05:39.759 that pretty well. Let's go over our physical 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:41.860 signs of stress. Okay, in addition to feeling 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:44.439 uneasy tense and worried physical sensations 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:48.660 of continuous stress can include these Then I'm 00:05:48.660 --> 00:05:50.839 about to name some you may be familiar with some 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:52.939 you won't and some you might be grossed out by 00:05:52.939 --> 00:05:55.180 But the simple fact is that they are still signs 00:05:55.180 --> 00:06:00.779 of stress Dizziness indigestion or heartburn. 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:04.120 Yeah, that one can be caused by it tension headaches 00:06:05.310 --> 00:06:08.550 Aching muscles, trembling or eye twitching, diarrhea, 00:06:09.089 --> 00:06:21.009 frequent urination, insomnia, tiredness, and 00:06:21.009 --> 00:06:25.769 impotence. I'm not going to explain what that 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:27.449 one is. You're going to have to look that one 00:06:27.449 --> 00:06:35.379 up yourself. And palpitations. Unaware that they 00:06:35.379 --> 00:06:37.259 are suffering from stress and visit the doctor 00:06:37.259 --> 00:06:39.720 with symptoms of indigestion, muscle pain, headaches, 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:42.639 etc. Severe stress can lead to panic attacks, 00:06:43.019 --> 00:06:46.079 chest pains, phobias, and even fears of being 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.879 seriously ill. Continued stress can lead to feelings 00:06:49.879 --> 00:06:55.540 of lethargy, lethargy, I'm saying these words 00:06:55.540 --> 00:06:59.259 wrong today, I'm sorry, I'm so tired. Lethargy, 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:02.579 tiredness, migraines, severe stomach upset, and 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:05.800 sleeplessness. As with such symptoms, you should 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:08.379 seek the help and advice of healthcare professionals. 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:11.680 Once the symptoms are recognized, however, as 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:13.839 being caused by stress, it is possible to control 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:16.720 and reduce the stress levels. This can be done 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:18.560 through learning a number of stress -relieving 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:32.949 techniques, which we will cover later. Now let's 00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:37.610 take a slight deviation for a second here. Stress 00:07:37.610 --> 00:07:40.050 has inducing events and situations in which it 00:07:40.050 --> 00:07:42.230 can cause major problems. Different people find 00:07:42.230 --> 00:07:44.629 different events and situations more or less 00:07:44.629 --> 00:07:47.269 stressful than others. Individuals have a range 00:07:47.269 --> 00:07:48.769 of events or situations that are particularly 00:07:48.769 --> 00:07:51.730 stressful to them, but most people would agree 00:07:51.730 --> 00:07:54.230 that major events such as losing a job, divorce, 00:07:54.490 --> 00:07:58.029 money problems would be way more stressful as 00:07:58.029 --> 00:08:02.980 far as anything else goes. Of the most stressful 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:06.220 situations in life come as a result of unplanned 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:09.959 changes in personal circumstances. Now, I have 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:15.939 a list here that was compiled based off of some 00:08:15.939 --> 00:08:22.720 research by a psychologist. And on a scale of 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:28.899 1 to 100, how bad, or I guess one way to put 00:08:28.899 --> 00:08:32.490 it is... Which events would be considered high 00:08:32.490 --> 00:08:35.669 stress factors as such in a person's life? With 00:08:35.669 --> 00:08:39.049 death of a spouse or partner being at 100 % and 00:08:39.049 --> 00:08:42.950 minor violations of the law being at 11%. And 00:08:42.950 --> 00:08:45.450 believe it or not, holidays and Christmas range 00:08:45.450 --> 00:08:50.710 between a range of 12 and 13. Pregnancies range 00:08:50.710 --> 00:08:55.370 at a 40. Sexual problems range at a 39. Same 00:08:55.370 --> 00:08:57.429 with death of a close friend. You got between 00:08:57.429 --> 00:09:03.720 37 and 39. Marital separation and death of a 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.559 close family member between 63 and 65%. Personal 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:12.320 injuries at 53. Even getting married ranges at 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:15.820 50%. So, you know, different things can cause 00:09:15.820 --> 00:09:19.820 high levels of stress. Life changes can have 00:09:19.820 --> 00:09:22.340 a direct effect on health, both either good or 00:09:22.340 --> 00:09:25.840 bad. Now, people who have a life change score 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:29.700 of 200 to 300, as far as the scale goes, I didn't 00:09:29.700 --> 00:09:33.620 cover the entire list for sake of time, half 00:09:33.620 --> 00:09:36.360 exhibit health problems in the following year. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:40.240 And of those with a score over 300, or at least 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:44.610 with 75%. become ill in the following year the 00:09:44.610 --> 00:09:47.009 most stressful change is the death of the spouse 00:09:47.009 --> 00:09:50.090 as i mentioned earlier widowers have a 40 percent 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:54.250 higher death rate than normal and have had higher 00:09:54.250 --> 00:09:56.710 rates of illness and depression and as i mentioned 00:09:56.710 --> 00:09:59.909 before as depression is concerned it can cause 00:09:59.909 --> 00:10:02.970 mental instability to the point where suicide 00:10:02.970 --> 00:10:07.639 is actually an issue so It's not only unpleasant 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.480 events that can be stressful. Almost any change 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.399 in circumstance can cause stress as we readjust. 00:10:13.460 --> 00:10:15.639 If possible, it is wise not to have too many 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:18.980 changes in life at the same time, in which case 00:10:18.980 --> 00:10:35.519 you become mentally unstable. Okay? So. In addition 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.200 to stress being caused by events, certain situations 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:40.559 can lead to people feeling stressed. Although, 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:43.240 as mentioned before, the degree of stress will 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:47.419 depend almost amongst others and other things 00:10:47.419 --> 00:10:52.460 on that individual's coping strategies. Depending 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:55.340 on how they choose to handle the stress can determine 00:10:55.340 --> 00:11:00.159 how well or how high the stress level is. The 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:06.299 environment can make up stress. For, how do I 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:09.559 phrase this? For example, noise, crowded places, 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:12.299 poor lighting, pollution, other external factors 00:11:12.299 --> 00:11:14.919 over time, things that we have no control over 00:11:14.919 --> 00:11:17.259 can cause a person to feel anxious and irritable, 00:11:17.419 --> 00:11:20.539 therefore causing stress. So, yes, the environment 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:24.700 can make us stressed, but it's up to you to decide 00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:27.620 how you wish to handle it to determine the degree 00:11:27.620 --> 00:11:30.659 of stress that you're in. A stress in the modern 00:11:30.659 --> 00:11:32.840 day life can also be a source of stress as well. 00:11:34.350 --> 00:11:36.129 We now communicate with people in many different 00:11:36.129 --> 00:11:38.649 ways through the internet mobile phones of various 00:11:38.649 --> 00:11:41.450 broadcast media and the expression expectation 00:11:41.450 --> 00:11:46.889 of a quick response has increased You know using 00:11:46.889 --> 00:11:50.210 my podcast as an example here We also have many 00:11:50.210 --> 00:11:52.509 more commodities available to us and some people 00:11:52.509 --> 00:11:54.830 feel an expectation to maintain a certain lifestyle 00:11:54.830 --> 00:11:59.580 and level of consumerism In addition, for many 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:02.559 women, it is now the norm to manage a full or 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.220 part -time job and to be the primary caretaker 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:09.179 and nurturing person in the family. I don't know 00:12:09.179 --> 00:12:12.340 when this happened, but it did, so deal with 00:12:12.340 --> 00:12:15.320 it. All of these changes mean that stress is 00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:18.779 now unfortunately commonplace in both our personal 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:20.840 and professional lives. This should not be the 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:28.639 norm, but that's the case. program of stress 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:32.659 management uh fussing over stress focusing on 00:12:32.659 --> 00:12:37.679 stress prevention as much as much as relief um 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:40.600 is an essential part of modern day living and 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:42.899 it's definitely something that a lot of people 00:12:42.899 --> 00:12:47.340 should do um it's not a skill that should be 00:12:47.340 --> 00:12:53.820 avoided with that it brings this segment to a 00:12:53.820 --> 00:12:58.610 close now in my next episode i for this podcast, 00:12:58.769 --> 00:13:02.929 I will cover 10 tips for dealing with stress 00:13:02.929 --> 00:13:06.730 for those who have to deal with it and how to 00:13:06.730 --> 00:13:11.450 manage it, okay? All I've covered in this podcast 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:15.370 was what is stress and what causes it. Just to 00:13:15.370 --> 00:13:20.269 keep it simple, that's all this is about. Now, 00:13:20.269 --> 00:13:22.610 thank you for listening and enjoy the rest of 00:13:22.610 --> 00:13:22.950 your day.