Stress
Stress is an epidemic in the 21st century and impacts on people’s lives in many ways.
The 21st century is one in which stress is at its highest. With the increasing advancement of technology, society has become critically fast-paced and demanding. Deadlines, time restraints and the unknown are all catalysts of stress.
“Stress and anxiety have overtaken the contagious disease that once plagued our grandparents and are regarded as the new epidemics of the 21st century. Having developed vaccines for any number of communicable and deadly diseases we are now left with the unease of the mind.” (Beth McHugh Anxiety: The new plague of the millennium 2007).
What is stress? It is the emotional and physical strain which comes from our responses to pressure and demands from the external world. The world constantly puts us into overload. Working full-time with a household to run, anxiety at work, bills to pay etc. The world seems like a giant competition, everyone struggling to conform.
It is important that stress is managed as it is leads to health problems, sickness and depression as well as many other negative factors.
Stress can be detected by several physiological signs including increased heart rate, headaches, high blood pressure, sweat and body temperature.
What is felt emotionally when stressed could be anger, frustration, disorientation, fear, exhaustion, isolation, guilt, panic and confusion.
Some of the behaviour that follows stress is displacement, the development of a negative attitude, sarcasm, substance abuse, isolation, eating disorders and violence.
Society, in particular western society, has made amazing advances in transportation, energy, communication, medicine and agriculture yet people are unhappier. This is ‘the paradox of progress’.
Full-time employment is at its highest signifying how busy humanity is juggling full-time work with everything else. Everybody wants to own their house, own two cars, and be able to afford a summer...
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