The Management of Stress

1450 Words3 Pages

Everybody has at least one thing in common. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed, heartbreak, you’re right, but that’s not the answer I’m looking for. The correct answer is stress. Everyone has stress in his or her life at one point or another. It’s one of many inevitable parts of life. Whether it’s busting out a research paper for Psychology at the last minute, expecting your first child to be born, to making sure you’re up in time to catch the Saturday morning cartoons, it’s clearly evident that everyone goes through stress. The real question is, how is stress handled in our society? A person is defined by how they handle the stressors in their lives and how they overcome stressful moments. This paper will explore the aspects of stress management; hoping to help others in their times of stress.

To fully understand stress management, one must understand the natural stress response. When a person encounters a perceived threat, the hypothalamus, a tiny region located at the base of the brain, sets off an alarm in their body. Through a combination of both nerve and hormonal signals, the system prompts their adrenal glands, located at the top of the kidneys, to release a surge of hormones which include adrenaline and cortisol. The adrenaline causes an increase in the heart rate, thus causing an increase in the blood pressure and energy supplies of the individual. Cortisol, which is the primary stress hormone, creates an increase in sugars which are known as glucose in the bloodstream. This enhances the brain’s use of glucose and decreases the availability of substances that help repair tissues. This alarm system also communicates with regions of the brain that control moods, motivation, and fear. Once the perceived threat has p...

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Works Cited

America’s #1 Health Problem. (n.d.). Retrieved from The American Institute of Stress website: http://www.stress.org/americas-1-health-problem/

Borchard, T. (2010). 18 Ways to Manage Stress. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 1, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/06/23/18-ways-to-manage-stress/

Chronic stress puts your health at risk. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001 Heissman, K. (2012). Stress Management Practices: What Works and What Doesn’t. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 1, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/stress-management-practices-what-works-and-what-doesnt/00011942

Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress. (n.d.). Retrieved from Helpguide.org website:http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

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