Ever had those days when you just wanted to pull your hair out? You felt like you had weeks of work to do but only one lousy day to complete it all. Whether you’re a student or a parent, sometimes life can get overbearing. You then begin to worry and worrying causes you to stress. According to the Oxford Dictionary, stress is to subject a mental faculty to strain or to overwork it. When you stress out it not only affects your mind but it also affects your body as well. Your body responds to this stress in three stages, the mobilizing of energy, the consumption of energy, and the draining of energy.
The first stage of the stress response is the mobilizing of energy. In this stage your body discharges adrenaline and your heart begins beating faster. This can happen during a good and bad situation. For example, in a good situation, the moment before you walk out to perform, your palms are sweating and you feel like you are going to be sick. You are nervous about your performance therefore your body is reacting to your stress. In a bad situation, like the running from something that frightens you, your body pumps adrenaline and this causes you to run faster than you usually would. The first stage of mobilizing energy has been experienced by everyone whether in a bad situation or a good one.
The second stage is your body consuming energy. If you cannot get away from the first stage your body has a backup plan. It begins releasing “stored sugars and fats.” During this time you “feel driven, pressured, and tired.” A person may also find themselves drinking soda, coffee, and smoking more than they usually do. You can also catch the flu and feel strong anxiety. For example, if you have a huge test to study for and you only have three days to study for it because you procrastinated; your first stage kicks in. If the mobilizing of energy is not working your body goes into the second stage and in this stage you have more anxiety and you find yourself feeling sick and exhausted. It is usually not good for your body to get to this stage because you are causing your body to feel stress and get sick as a result. This leads to the last stage.
The last stage of the stress response is the draining of energy. At this point, if you are sill stressed your body’s energy is drained. The more energy your use the harder it becomes for your body to produce it. You are “chronically stressed.” You may go through “insomnia, errors in judgment, and personality changes.” This is a very serious problem because you can also develop “serious sickness” like heart disease, ulcers, or mental illnesses.” A good example of this is a man who lost his job and has a family of five to feed. He ends up getting really sick because he is stressing about how he is going to feed his family. If this stage happens, it is extremely dangerous to not only your physical health but also to your mental health.
The three stress responses from your body are mobilizing energy, the consuming of energy, and the draining of energy. If not properly handled, these three stages can have a monstrous effect on your body. So next time you’re stressed, think about the grave consequences of it and don’t let stress get the best of you.
Works Citied
Yourself, By Understanding. “Stress.” Canadian Mental Health Association. Web. O8 Nov. 2010. 6 November 2010.
"Stress." Oxford English Dictionary: The Definitive Record of the English Language. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
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