Stress Part II
Members,
Welcome to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Day (CBT) on the forums!
Two days a week will now be known as CBT day.
Once a week a health educator will launch a challenge. Members are encouraged to take on the challenge and post their results. Four days later, a educator will post specific tips and strategies to aid you in the way you look/interpret yourself and the way you view the world.
This week we will be talking about stress…
Manifestations of stress are numerous and varied but they generally fall into four categories (this is only a partial list of most common symptoms:
· Physical: fatigue, headache, insomnia, muscle aches/stiffness (especially neck, shoulders and low back), heart palpitations, chest pains, abdominal cramps, nausea, trembling, cold extremities, flushing or sweating and frequent colds.
· Mental: decrease in concentration and memory, indecisiveness, mind racing or going blank, confusion, loss of sense of humor.
· Emotional: anxiety, nervousness, depression, anger, frustration, worry, fear, irritability, impatience, short temper.
· Behavioral: pacing, fidgeting, nervous habits (nail-biting, foot-tapping), increased eating, smoking, drinking, crying, yelling, swearing, blaming and even throwing things or hitting
There are two kinds of stressors: external and internal.
External stressors include:
· Physical environment: noise, bright lights, heat, confined spaces.
· Social: rudeness, bossiness or aggressiveness on the part of someone else.
· Organizational: rules, regulations deadlines and office politics.
· Major life events: divorce, lost job, promotion, new baby.
· Daily hassles: being stuck in traffic, forgetting your purse
Internal stressors include:
