Anxiety and Stress : How to Handle it Nicely

Anxiety and stress often go hand in hand.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it has been estimated that nearly twenty million people of adult age suffer from anxiety.

This estimation is based on the individuals that actually seek assistance for stress and anxiety relief.

Most anxiety related disorders and conditions stem from the fact that an individual experiences some type of stress in which they are unable to effectively manage.

In other cases, anxiety may lead to stress because the individual does not have the tools that are required to effectively cope with the anxiety that is experienced.

All in all, it boils down to stress relief, or the need to relieve oneself from the anxiety that is being experienced.

Effects of Anxiety and Stress

There are many physical and physiological effects of stress and various types of anxiety that are experienced.

When the body encounters a situation in which it feels to be a threat (this can be anything from a stressful day on the job to test anxiety), it immediately begins to go into a stressful state. This is a normal response that can lead to serious consequences when it comes to your physical and physiological balance if experienced on a continual basis.

The mind will perceive a certain event, a troublesome situation, or any other type of circumstance as threatening and/or dangerous in some way. This perception of a threat may actually be real, or in many cases, imagined.

The body will do what it feels is necessary to protect itself from the perceived danger and/or threat.

It becomes defensive to a potentially offensive situation. Many doctors and mental health specialists refer to this reaction as the “fight-or-flight response”.

There are several events that take place in the body when this occurs.

First, a set of hormones are released under the instruction of the nervous system. The first is a hormone that is called cortisol and the second one is basic adrenaline. These hormones are intended to provide the body with a defense as well as typical stress relief.

Once the hormones kick in, the heart will begin to beat faster than normal in order to deliver blood to the body and increase the circulation to prepare to handle the event that is causing stress. Naturally, the pressure in the blood will increase as well.

In addition to this, the lungs will expand and allow you to breathe more quickly. This is all part of the process in which the body performs in order to help provide stress and anxiety relief. You have been introduced to the physiological effects of stress and anxiety.

The physical effects include strengthening you to take action, allowing you to have higher and quicker reflexes and response rates, and being able to endure for longer periods of time. It also helps you become more focused on the task at hand.

The Advantages of Stress Management

There are many advantages of stress management as it relates to anxiety and stress that is experienced in the day to day lives of individuals.

If you experience high levels of anxiety and stress in your life, and your body is urged to enter into the “fight-or-flight response”, then there is an immense amount of pressure placed on the organs of the body, as well as the other systems that help to keep you healthy and the body functioning as it should.

Therefore, it is important to know how to cope with the culprit of the stress before getting to this stage of danger. Anxiety and stress management has been found to effectively reduce the strain on the body, as well as the mind.

There are many different types of stress management techniques that can be implemented in your life when it comes to basic stress and anxiety relief.

Exercise, relaxation techniques, and even simple breathing strategies have been found to reduce the physical and physiological effects on the body when a danger is perceived.

Appropriately managing your time, engaging in meditation strategies, and even medicines that are natural in basis such as Melatonin, Black Cohosh, Valerian Root, and St. John’s Wort have been said to assist those seeking stress relief.

Then, of course, there are cognitive behavior and therapy strategies, basic mental health counseling, and even FDA approved prescription medications that can be beneficial.

Conclusion

Anxiety and stress is a challenging situation – especially if you are not equipped with the proper coping techniques to handle situations that your mind and body perceive as a threat.

Stress can lead to devastating effects on the body. These effects may include sleep complications, diseases that are autoimmune based, severe depression, weight loss or gain, diseases of the heart, circulation difficulties and more.

If you experience anxiety and stress, you are likely to benefit from learning a stress management technique that is suitable to your lifestyle and your specific needs. The ideas mentioned here are sure to set the pace for successful coping of these events.

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