1.+What+is+stress?



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 * Stress is a feeling that is created when we react to particular events. That feeling has existed among humans since ancient times. Stress is the adaptations in the body that are triggered by both physical and mental factors, known as the stressors, and stress is basically a good thing. It makes the body ready for physical activity and in old days stress was necessary for the survival. Stress is the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus and strength. It acts as the body's alarm system. The heart beats faster, the blood pressure increase and intensity of breathing increases. The body also reacts with muscle tension and an activated immune system. In old times the stress was of short duration and when the danger was gone the individual returned to normal state. In todays society the danger is of a different kind and the stress lasts longer.﻿ **=====

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﻿﻿It is not possible to avoid all stress. Some of the stress is unavoidable and a part of life. But even if we can not avoid all stress it is possible to learn how to handle 80% of the stress, which is unnecessary. The unnecessary stress makes us busy for no reason and the reaction does not help us in any way. It is harmful to the body and it makes us feel mentally bad. We become less effective and in some situations, we are exposing ourselves and the surroundings for danger. =====

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﻿It is common that people believe that it is the technology in today's society that creates stress. The computers are faster than before, the cooking has to be faster and generally everything has to be faster. Living in today's society is like living in a fast movie. The technology makes everything go faster and we are not able to keep up. Our bodies work in the same way as in the old times and we can not keep the same rate of increase as the technology. In an EU-report there is a research that shows that almost one third of the Europeans think that their job makes them stressed. It also shows that the stress increases in countries with poverty as well. This is because the working hours are decreasing while the pressure of more effective work is getting higher, but it is also because of the new diagnosis methods. Social support is important for people stressed by work. =====

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﻿At the end of the day, stress is preceded by the conflict between capacity and demands. When we realize the time is not enough to finish our to-do-list, we lose the true picture of reality. The reason why people often are stressed is because of the things we have not done or the things we have ahead of us. We have these predjudies about the people surrounding us; We think they are effective and successful and we feel we have standards to live up to. If this kind of stress gets long-running the body will be damaged. The body will have a harder time recovering in the future and the immune system will be worse which can lead to more infections and deseases. When the stress takes a bigger part in our life the body also gets tenser and the musculature get shorter. The body can not send its signals as good as before, it gives its energy to the most essential parts in the body. This reaction is called the feedback system. =====