Sandra Njera Elizabeth Matarazzo English 1301 21 March 2012 The Stress Effect In twentieth-century society, the noise

level is such that it keeps knocking our bodies out of tune and out of their natural rhythms. This ever-increasing assault of sound upon our ears, minds, and bodies adds to the stress load of civilized beings trying to live in a highly complex environment, wrote Steven Halpern. According to studies, surveys, and interviews, it has been proven that everyone has a different definition of stress. Indeed, it has been difficult for scientists to define. Stress can be produced by mental tension or physiological reactions, and in some cases it may lead to illness. However, it is often treated as disease and even like a mood. Is stress really a natural reaction of a demanding life style? Can it be controlled? Stress is a normal physical response to events that make individuals feel threatened or upset. While the body tries to adjust to different circumstances or a change in the environment, it is put under extra work, resulting in physical and mental wear. In other words, body is stressed. The human body responds to those situations by activating the nervous system; therefore, stress disturbs the body's normal way of functioning. And because everyone is different, each person doesnt respond to stress the same way. Then, the first step in confronting stress is to respond to it; physical exercise, such as running, jumping rope, and fast walking, will keep stress controlled. Individuals get used to live one way or another, and no longer realize that this life style is affecting them. The use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs as an attempt to relieve

stress can have harmful effects. Instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state. Everything has consequences, and stress has its own. Many times, when confronting stressful situations, individuals react with fear and anger. For example, a person who is robbed at gunpoint is probably going to react with fear. This person may fear for his or her personal safety. An event like this may lead to a traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, many people react to stress with anger and violent behavior. One example for this case could be someone who gets mad with everyone at work because he or she has problems at home. Crying is also a common reaction that people have during times of stress. It helps to relax the body and the mind. Stress is a physiological reaction that may lead to illness. Stress symptoms may affect health. Not everyone realizes, but stress may actually be the culprit of those every-day problems as headaches, frequent insomnia, and decreased productivity at work. These symptoms affect the body, thoughts, and feelings. To manage stress, individuals should be able to recognize the common symptoms. The main causes of stress were studied by Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, from the University of Washington. These seem to be the biggest causes of present day stress levels in modern societies: financial and workplace problems, interpersonal relationships, health difficulties, and irritants. These factors of stress are taking over the men and women of this century. The effects of stress on the body arent always as bad as many people believe. Although difficult, stress can be controlled. Under some circumstances, the effect of stress could mean death. Some bad effects include headaches, insomnia, anxiety,

depression, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, chest pains, breathlessness, backaches and neck pain amongst other things. However, stress can also be focused in solving problems; when an individual is under a dangerous situation that generates stress, he or she can focus that stress to avoid being paralyzed by fear. Depending on how much control this individual has over stress, he or she can react with a certain level of effectiveness to the situation. Several ways exist to deal with stress overloads and to avoid it. Learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge could be very useful in future situations. Being realistic and knowing how to relax can keep stress controlled. Finally, it could be very helpful to outline that stress is a force that can be focused as a motivation to reach goals.