Psychological Stress.

Stress is your body's response to change. It is a very individual thing. A situation that one person finds stressful may not bother someone else. For example, one person may become tense when driving; another person may find driving a source of relaxation and joy. Something that causes fear in  some people, such as rock climbing, may be fun for others. There is no way to say that one thing is 'bad' or 'stressful' because everyone is different. Not all stress is bad, either. Speaking to a group or watching a close football game can be stressful, bur they can be fun too. Life would be dull without some stress. We all have stress sometimes. For some people, it happens before having to speak in public. For other people, it might be before first date.

Sometimes stress is helpful - it can encourage you to meet a deadline or get things done. The key is to manage stress properly because unhealthy responses to it may lead to health problems in some people. People can get migraine and gastritis because of stress but long-term stress can increase the risk of disease like depression, heart disease and a variety of other problems. Another long-term stress-related illness called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after an event like war, physical or sexual assault, or a natural disaster.

If you have chronic stress, you will need to go for counselling. Counselling can help you find ways to relax and calm down. Medicines, rest and a good diet may also help. However, the best way to deal with it is to take care of the underlying problem. Outside events (like problems with your boss, preparing to move or worrying about a child's wedding) can be upsetting but remember that it is not the outside force, but how you react to it inside that is important. You cannot control all the outside events in your life but you can change how you handle them emotionally and psychologically. There are some things that you can change and there are some that you cannot.The sooner you realise this the better. You do not have to solve all of life's problems. Talk out your troubles and look for the good instead of the bad in situations.

Most people try to find solutions to overcome stress. For instance, someone feeling pressured by a difficult situation might start smoking or overeating. Finding more satisfactory ways to respond to pressure will help protect your health. The time is now.