Stress is the body’s response to environmental conditions or stressors that upset a person’s equilibrium. Many things can happen to a person especially women who get stressed out from daily activities. Let’s face it, a lot of women take on many roles – wife, cook, mother, cleaner etc. And now that the kids are getting ready to head back to school that will be another thing to add to their list. So before we take a look at how to actually become stress free, let’s take a look at what stress really is.

Many changes happen to our bodies when we’re stressed. It involves almost every organ in the body including the brain, nerves, heart, blood flow, release of hormones, digestion and muscle function. These changes in the body that happen due to stress are called the “fight or flight” response. Any event, circum stances, or environment that arouses our emotional response, can cause stress. Even changes for the better such as, going on vacation, starting a new job or the kids going back to school can cause stress. Sometimes we tend to get stressed at little things like waiting in line or traffic delays.

What’s important to note is that what is stressful to one person may not be to another.

Short sessions of stress upset the body and can cause common physical symptoms that disappear when the source of the stress fades away. The symptoms are more likely to fade away, once a person has developed effective stress-coping mechanisms and has regular outlets for expressing their feelings.

Stress also produces numerous changes in the body’s chemistry. In a stressful situation, the brain sends out chemical signals that tell the adrenal glands immediately to secrete stress hormones (catecholamines and adrenaline). These hormones begin a chain reaction in the body: your heart rate speeds up, blood pressure rises, blood is diverted from the intestine to the muscles to promote getting out of danger, and insulin production rises to enable the body to quickly metabolize energy. All of these responses are designed to help get away from danger.

Being stressed for a short period of time is not harmful. But prolonged stress keeps the body in a state of overdrive and can have noticeable effects on physical health. It may stimulate the production of excess stomach acid, which can lead to an ulcer. Or it may harm already damaged blood vessels and raise blood pressure, causing angina or even a heart attack. It may also provoke serious eating or under eating, which obviously affects the person’s weight.

Extended stress may also be involved with the onset or the progression of such diverse illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, baldness, asthma, nervous tics, skin rashes, menstrual irregularities, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diabetes, and low back pain.

How can I be stress free!?

Here are a couple simple, yet effective ways to deal with your stress. Keep in mind that there are hundreds of ways to deal with your stress so try many things and see which ones work for you.

Exercise (highly recommended!), recreational activities, and hobbies.

Socialize with friends with whom you can share the good and the bad with.

Learn new relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or tai chi.

Organize your month/week/day.

Avoid the use of tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or alcohol to deal with stressful circumstances.

Don’t make small situations bigger than they really are.