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When I was discussing successful weight loss strategies, decreasing your level of stress was one of them. Weight gain is just one of the many health challenges you may encounter when you are exposed to chronic types of stress in your daily life. 

Today I want to discuss stress thoroughly by 

• defining what it is, 
• introducing the 5 types of stress
• naming which type of stress you should eliminate from your life as much as you can 

So let’s talk about stress then, shall we?

Defining Stress

Dr. Hans Selye defined stress from a health and wellness perspective and he states:

‘Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand’.(1.)

Selye also mentioned that stress could be enhancing or debilitating. 

• Eustress is commonly called positive stress with enhancing effects. This stress has a short duration and comes with excitement (for example before a marathon run)
• Distress, however, is the negative one with serious health impacts and this could be either short or long-term. In this case the individual experiences frustration and exhaustion, or in worse cases anxiety. 

Types of Stressors

Although there are two main types of stress as previously mentioned,  to further understand which one you may encounter it is imperative to be aware of the 5 stressors that could trigger eustress or distress. (2.)

1.Acute time-limited stressors

As the name suggests this type of stressor tends to trigger shorter term stressful situations. This situation may provoke anxiety, however challenges are more present here than agony.  

Being asked to give a presentation at a meeting is an example here.

2.Brief naturalistic stressor

As the name suggest  a brief stressor also triggers situations that are present for a shorter period of time, however, in this case a real-life challenge is encountered.

A job interview, a final exam or a competition could be the examples here.

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3.Stressful event sequences

In this case a focal event generates a series of hardships with longer-terms consequences which could impact you sometime in the future. 

An example here could be when one loses his or her home which generates other major difficulties that come with not having a roof over the head.

4.Chronic stressors

In this case the stressful event has extensive effects on one’s life, it is caused by life-changing circumstances and the end of it is unknown.

A couple of important examples are when someone has to look after a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or an individual becomes physically disabled due to a car accident.

5.Distant stressors

These are traumatic events that took place in the distant past, however the emotional impacts of it on one’s life are long-lasting. Experiencing physical abuse as a child or serving in the military during a war are the most common examples here.

Which one to eliminate and Why

While I was discussing the 5 types of stressors in the previous paragraph it became clear that there is

1. acute stress, which is relatively shorter in duration, and
2. chronic stress which is present for a longer period.

The first two types of stressor could cause acute stress.

Since acute stress is a part of the biological system to support survival, it is mostly experienced for a brief period and allows an immediate response to the stressor. That’s why acute stress rarely leads to long-term health consequences.

However, chronic stress is the one to watch out for. Since chronic stress could be with you for a longer period of time your physical health might be more impacted. 

Basically the chronic stress is referred to as a distress which is the ‘bad one’. 

A few common causes of chronic stress are:

• cultural factors
• the fast-paced modern life
• obligations that have to be met within a short period of time.

Many mental and physical health conditions are caused by chronic stress, including cardiovascular disease, asthma, anxiety disorders, depression, stroke, or even certain types of cancer.

There are techniques and ways to significantly reduce the level of stress which will have major benefits on your health.

For example, mindful meditation has evidence-based benefits in terms of eliminating stress. Click here to read how you can get started with mindful meditation at your home.

If you are struggling to establish a healthy lifestyle that could help you reduce the level of stress in your life, then you might want to consider working with a health coach.

A health coach could guide you effectively on how to start a healthy lifestyle even if it seems challenging for you.

Summary

So today I was discussing the definition of stress, the types of stressors that cause stress, and what are the types of stress you should eliminate from your life in order to stay healthy, and avoid the underlying health impacts of chronic stress. 

Stay healthy and happy,

Eszter

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