Stressed much?!

So, if you're an average person, more likely an average American, you probably take a dose of stress everyday. That's basically how common it is. According to an article written early last year on the Washington Post website, fifty-four percent of Americans are concerned about the stress on their everyday lives. The number of kids and teenagers suffering from stress also continues to increase, which causes kids to be more likely to take up dangerous habits like smoking, drinking, etc. to deal with these issues. Stress also increases risk for heart attacks, strokes, depression, and chronic pains and aches.

The reason I brought that up is because although stress is something normal in life, what we consider our "normal" lifestyle has dumped loads of worried thoughts into our brains. The major sources of stress would most likey include your job, school and financial issues as well as personal problems, such as family issues or maybe your friends.

If you haven't yet thought about the daily impact stress has on you, take a moment to sit back and reflect. Compare situations like watching television to working on a project or studying for an important exam. Ask yourself questions like...

What thoughts were going through your brain?
Did you have any idea how fast your heart was beating?
Were you extremely irratable during any interruptions?
Did you find yourself looking at a clock continuously?
Were you performing any odd movements, like tapping your foot or rubbing your hands?

Some of those might actually not help you, but you get the idea. If you did find yourself extremely stressed on a fairly regular basis, it would be a good idea to take a day to recollect yourself and relax. These are commonly known as 'mental health' days. (I myself will admit to taking a couple off from school.) It's not completely uncommon. According to that same article, twenty-five percent of workers have taken a day off from work to deal with stress.

It's better to get it taken care of sooner or later. Sixty-six percent of Americans said they were likely to seek help for their stress. If you are reluctant to see someone like a therapist, try relaxing activities. For example, a hobby. Plan a day with friends or family or just for yourself if you want.

However, it is always imperative to see a doctor when stress becomes so serious, it disables you to follow a normal lifestyle or if you've been through something extremely traumatic as that can be a cause of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder.)


Yeah, just thought I'd put that out there. Yes, I am stressed myself at the moment.