Effects of stress

There are both physical and cognitive effects of stress. Physical effects include tight muscles, rapid and shallow breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, adrenaline secretion and sweating. Cognitive effects can include difficulty concentrating and memory problems.

Stress can also be the engine, or driving force behind such disorders as substance abuse, performance of obsessive compulsive rituals, domestic violence, and eating disorders.

While stress is at times unavoidable and often even desirable (i.e. exciting and novel situations), it is necessary to develop techniques to manage stress so that it doesn't build to harmful levels. It is useful to think of ourselves as having a range of reactions to stress at its various levels. At the very lowest levels of stress we might feel peaceful and relaxed, although if we spend too much time at these low levels we might find that we are not challenging ourselves and we might not be productive.

In the middle, with moderate levels of stress, we might find an optimal level in which we are truly engaged in an active and productive life and yet not over that threshold where we cannot integrate our feelings, thoughts and behaviours.

At the highest stress levels we might be dysfunctional as the excess tension and energy is channelled into symptoms, as mentioned above.