Period 8 P.E. Blog 2.6 Stress

For most of you, school seems to be the biggest stressor in your lives. It is a good thing to be able to recognize what things cause you stress so that you can begin to address them. This week we will take a look at the physical and emotional effects of stress. Next week we will look at ways of coping with stress.

Many people do not understand the physical and emotional implications of stress. The effects of stress make daily tasks such as school, work, and even socializing, difficult. Stress affects the performance of the brain. When people are under stress, their memory suffers. Stress can cause irritability and nervousness.

The following are key stress indicators:

Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Loss or increase in appetite

Poor concentration or memory retention

Uncharacteristic carelessness

Anger or tantrums

Violent or anti-social behavior

Emotional outbursts

Alcohol or drug abuse

Nervous habits

Constant stress can trigger physical ailments such as high blood pressure. When the body is under stress, certain physical responses are triggered including:

Increase in heart rate and blood pressure

Rise in blood sugar levels

Increased blood flow to arms and legs

Increased blood clotting

If you remember back to our nutrition blogs many of the physiological effects of stress are the same as ones cause by a diet high in processed foods. When you combine these two together, you are on a fast track to health issues.

For this weeks blog, look back up at the Key Stress Indicators above and let me know if you have displayed any of those this past semester.