What are major life events?
Researchers have been studying the effects of major life events for decades, most notably Holmes and Rahe, who developed the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale in 1967. Their research looked at the connection between certain life events and illness. They found that the more major life events a person experienced, the higher their risk of experiencing serious illness. On this scale, death of a spouse was the most stressful life event, going through a divorce was second, and marital separation was third.
Acute vs. Chronic Stress
We humans are well adapted to short-term, acute stress. When we experience stress, our blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate all go up, we start to sweat, our muscles and stomachs tighten, and we may even shake. These are some of the symptoms of the “fight or flight” response which exists to help us in case of emergency. This kind of response happens automatically when we’re in actual danger, like narrowly avoiding a car accident. It also can happen when we get pulled over for speeding, go to the dentist, or give a speech to a large crowd. It is an “expensive” response for the body so it takes time for us to recover after the danger is over. This is why after the event, we’re usually very tired and need to rest.
When we have sufficient time to recover from stressful events before the next one happens, we typically suffer no long-term, ill effects. However, many of us live, work, and go to school in environments that are chronically stressful and anxiety-provoking. Our kids or aging parents get sick and need our help. We may have a very demanding boss or may be working long hours with few if any breaks. We may live in crowded or noisy areas. Elections as well as natural and man-made disasters happen and we watch it all on television or on social media. We worry about paying the bills and about how our kids are doing in school. If you add a major life event to these everyday kinds of stressors, you may feel that it’s all too much and can’t cope. What’s more is that chronic stress has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, diabetes, and chronic pain conditions.
How do you know if you’re chronically stressed?
Everyone experiences stress differently but most people who feel chronically stressed notice many of these symptoms:
· Problems with falling or staying asleep
· Grinding teeth at night
· Frequent headaches and pain that can’t be explained
· Digestive problems
· Physical exhaustion
· Significant increase or decrease in appetite
· Feeling overwhelmed, bad about yourself, or worrying excessively
· Forgetfulness
· Inability to focus or make decisions
· Procrastination or avoiding responsibilities
Try these 5 tips today
The good news is that you don’t have to let anxiety and stress control your life and keep you from doing the things you want and need to do. Here are five tips that you can start using today to help yourself feel better:
· Decide what you can control and do your best to focus on those things
· Say “no” more often
· Take breaks during the day (even 10 minutes helps!)
· Spend time outside in nature even if it’s just your own backyard
· Set a “worry” alarm clock for a few minutes everyday during which time you’re allowed to worry as much and about anything you want but only until the alarm goes off. Then, move onto something else.
For more information about anxiety and panic, please visit my Anxiety Treatment page.