What is Stress, what are the causes and how to overcome it

Stress is the body’s reaction to the demands of daily life.  Stress can be caused by many factors; hectic schedules, problems at work, family issues and lack of sleep.  If you ask people to explain what causes stress for them, they may provide different answers.  We all react differently to stress. What causes stress for one person may not be the case for someone else.  How we respond to life’s demands is critical.  Some stress can be good.  It can help with focus, energy or encourage you to meet deadlines.  However, without stress prevention, a person’s health can be affected leading to headaches, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and depression.

Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms
Cognitive Symptoms	Emotional Symptoms
Memory problems Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Seeing only the negative Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying	Moodiness Irritability or short temper Agitation, inability to relax Feeling overwhelmed Sense of loneliness and isolation Depression or general unhappiness
Physical Symptoms	Behavioral Symptoms
Aches and pains Diarrhea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Chest pain, rapid heartbeat Loss of sex drive Frequent colds	Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Dealing with Stress

As practitioners, we can offer practical tips and focus on how to manage stress to prevent it from becoming chronic and overwhelming:

With a proper diagnosis, implementing these practices into your patient’s daily routines and using the right herbal formulas, you can help your patients reduce stress in their life and get them on the road to a healthy mind and healthy body.

Resources : Table url http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm