What is stress?

It is estimated that between 250,000-300,000 Danes suffer from severe stress every day.

In addition, 500,000 Danes feel burned out and close to breaking down with stress. Stress is significantly an increasing public health problem in our society, costing Danish society more than DKK 29 million annually.

What is stress?

We hear about stress daily – but what is stress, really?

Stress is a term that defines a psychological impact or strain that people can be exposed to. Stress is a measurable state in the body, and thus not something we just imagine. If an individual is overloaded in relation to the resources he or she has available, a state of stress can be triggered. Particularly in the case of long-term strain or external demands, we can be affected by stress.

Stress is the body’s innate alarm system, which is a vital function for human survival. This is also referred to as the body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct.

Both humans and animals are born with this biochemical and vital mechanism, which helps us handle situations that are dangerous or threatening to us. If we did not have this mechanism, the survival of our species would be threatened. It is the body’s reaction to danger that takes effect.

We all know situations where we feel pressured. Whether it is for an exam or other situations where we feel afraid or threatened, we can feel our heart beating faster. During this process, the body releases, among other things, the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which enable our body and brain to perform extra in pressured situations – such as if we are facing a dangerous predator and need to flee. It is therefore a very effective mechanism we have in the body when we are faced with having to perform something extraordinary.

Long-term stress affects health

However, the body is only geared to be in this state for a short time. If we experience prolonged pressure, it can have major health-damaging consequences for the body with the risk of developing diseases that can be life-threatening.

For example, long-term stress can cause the body to secrete a number of signaling substances that can increase the risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases. These can include rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. Furthermore, long-term stress can have consequences for our memory and learning ability, as certain centers in the brain are affected by stress hormones.

If you have been affected by long-term stress, it can more or less paralyze your daily life. Therefore, it is also very important to take stress seriously. If the damage has truly been done, and you have not listened to your body’s signals over a long period, it can have long-term consequences for your health, well-being, and, not least, quality of life. Even small daily tasks can end up seeming overwhelming.

Physical and psychological symptoms of stress

Stress is a state that is measurable in the body.

The condition can be triggered by excessive work pressure and/or too many worries.

There are numerous symptoms of stress. And it is also very different how each individual reacts to stress. Generally, the body is working overtime mentally and physically, as the body has a persistent sense that danger is afoot.

For example, we may experience disturbances in our sleep because we are on high alert. This can be the start of a vicious cycle, as good sleep is a prerequisite for being able to overcome the day’s burdens. If we are not well-rested, the body and psyche simply work even more overtime, and eventually, we may feel that we completely lose control.

As mentioned, many different symptoms of stress can appear.

Often, the physical symptoms will appear first, and the longer the period involved, the more symptoms of stress will manifest.

Below you will find a number of the most common symptoms.

Physical symptoms of stress:

• Palpitations
• Higher pulse and increased blood pressure
• Trembling hands
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Hair loss
• Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders
• Shortness of breath or shallow breathing
• Digestive problems
• Involuntary urination
• Chest pressure
• Worsening or outbreaks of chronic conditions

Psychological symptoms of stress:

• Aggression and anger
• Irritability
• Sadness
• Racing thoughts
• Feeling of indifference/apathy
• Exhaustion
• Experience of being emotionally cold
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of overview
• Memory difficulties
• Difficulty concentrating
• Behavioral symptoms of stress:
• Sleep problems
• Lack of appetite or overeating
• Overuse of stimulants such as sugar, caffeine, tobacco, etc.
• Need for social withdrawal
• Outbursts of anger
• Threatening behavior
• Tunnel vision
• Lack of empathy
• Hectic speech
• Lack of sexual desire

The person suffering from stress is not always aware of it themselves. Not least because we are not always good at listening to our own bodies. In addition, it often happens that stress sufferers enter a state where the stress itself simply makes them work faster and faster.

In these cases, it is often those around them who must be aware of stress symptoms, possibly colleagues or family.

See also Couples Therapy

Stress Treatment

Studies indicate that conversational techniques are effective for stress treatment, as they strengthen the patient’s ability to handle the stressors that triggered the stress state. In addition, it is important to incorporate a number of measures into daily life that change the previous structure and strengthen the body’s own immune system.

Most importantly, your brain must be allowed to completely switch off. Once we have experienced stress, the body remembers, and it therefore takes much less for it to go into defense mode again if you are exposed to similar stressors. Therefore, it is also important that we look at a reorganization of your life so that you do not experience a relapse of stress in the future.

Stress is like anxiety and depression – the sooner you receive stress treatment, the sooner you can get back on track.

First and foremost, it is important to identify the conditions that triggered the development of your stress. Whether it is work-related, related to private life, or perhaps the challenge of balancing work and private life.

Furthermore, it will be crucial to look at how you, as a stress sufferer, can become better at handling the situations that trigger stress. Most often, it will be necessary to look at thought patterns, as it is frequently our own perceptions of the world and expectations of ourselves that bring us into a state of stress. Often, these thought and emotional patterns can also be decisive for both anxiety and depression.

To contribute to a daily life without too many challenges, it is also a good idea to look at the structure of your daily life as part of stress treatment, as well as to look at general preventive measures.

Prevent stress

It is not what we have to achieve that causes stress, but everything we do not achieve.

It is thus a state that arises when we feel an imbalance between what we should achieve or be able to do, and what is actually possible for us.

Therefore, preventing stress will largely involve thought and emotional patterns, as we can thereby change the expectations we have of ourselves. And then there will be a number of practical measures that can be advantageously embedded in daily life.

Preventive measures:

• Good night’s sleep
  Good sleep is essential for us to function optimally.
• Learn to let it go and lower your expectations
  If we have too high expectations of ourselves, it leads to too much self-reproach and expectations of what we feel we must accomplish.
• Planning and preparation
  We can prevent stress by being prepared for tomorrow. It provides mental peace and energy, so we are not constantly overtaken by here-and-now unexpected and unprepared tasks.
• Exercise
  It is now common knowledge that exercise is an important part of good physical and mental health. Exercise should therefore also be seen as an important tool for preventing stress.
• Learn to say no and listen to yourself
  A constant feeling of having to live up to others’ expectations is not healthy. It is important that you listen to yourself so that you do not take on too many tasks.
• Get your finances in order
  Nothing can be a heavy mental burden like financial disarray. Address your finances if they are lagging; it can be a major stress-preventing factor.
• Fresh air
  Make sure to get plenty of fresh air. It provides energy and can help create peace and clarity in your mind.
• Create structure in your daily life
  Structure as much of your daily life as possible so you don’t have those things to think about.
• Work with negative thoughts
  Self-reproach and insecurity can be major triggers for stress. Working with negative thought patterns is an important step, both in stress treatment and in relation to preventing stress. Here, a professional will work with you.
• What gives you energy and what drains you?
  If you have been affected by stress, it is incredibly important that you listen to your body and feel what gives you energy and what drains you. Make sure to cultivate what gives you energy – that in itself helps prevent stress.