Combating Stress Response
Stress Response
Stress comes in two forms: acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is stress that is momentary and short-term, and chronic stress is constant stress, experienced over a long period of time
Acute stress
Meeting deadlines
Stuck in traffic
Tests/exams
Work
Relationship
Chronic Stress
Loved one is sick
Unhealthy relationships
Work
etc.
When you are confronted with stress the body sends information to the amygdala, an area of the brain that processes emotion, and interprets the images and sounds. When amygdala perceives the information to be dangerous it sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is basically the command center of our body, and has control over involuntary responses and autonomic responses (breathing, blood pressure, breathing, dilation and constriction of blood vessels, bronchioles). The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system control two different functions of the body during stress. The parasympathetic, slows everything down, and the sympathetic speeds everything up. When the hypothalamus reacts to stress, it triggers the sympathetic nervous system to release epinephrine that essentially increases the heart rate, returns blood to the heart, speeds up the respiratory rate and ultimately prepares the body for the stress response. The sympathetic nervous system functions as a gas pedal and the parasympathetic system function as the brakes. People have no issue with producing a stress reaction, but calming the stress reaction down, is the issue.
Combating Stress
In a recent 2013 University of Nevada, Las Vegas study, students found in a capstone project that professional peer coaching, yoga and meditation can be effective with decreasing stress and improving concentration, focus, low performance in classrooms, and learning.
Yoga: The study used a Hindu based yoga program that taught the suppression of all activity within the body and mind, and through different practices the study found students were able to suppress negative activity.
Mediatation: This study used two different types of meditation programs: Vipassana meditation and Mindful meditation. Students found that as they focused on seeing things as they are, they were able to put less stress into things that have no worth or meaning.
Professional Coaching: When students had professional feedback/coaching stress levels decreased because students were more aware of their responsibilities and were able to prioritize and accomplish goals more efficiently and effectively.
The best way to combat stress is to use physical activity, relaxation responses and social support. These three techniques will allow you to control stress responses and improve your overall health.
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/docview/1430912113?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=3611
