My ranting friend wanted to use her Aikido-sharpened throwing skills to fling her landlord to the floor. There has been a steady build-up of these little annoyances.
First, it was a demand “no frying”, since the smell of fried food would “stick to the walls”. Next, it was a comment that her excess hair conditioner made his wife slip on the bathroom floor. Then, it was the hint that they actually preferred if she limited her stay to sleeping hours.
Oh dear. I had to distract her with the reminder of happier months ahead (her lease was ending soon) and the staunch promise to go biking over the weekend. Thus, her stress deflated and an uninjured landlord is happily walking the streets of Singapore once again.
STRESSED
It seems that I keep hearing friends walking away from doctor’s offices with stress-related illnesses. I’ve seen nausea, insomnia, acne, migraine and anxiety attacks. A doctor, post- examination, once asked me: “Do you have asthma?”. Uhmmm, no, never had it for as long as I can remember. But yes, it had been an extremely stressful month at work.
My body was telling me to shift focus, because the stress was hammering away at me.
Stress affects our entire bodies. The nervous system signals the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones will make the heart beat faster, raises blood pressure, change the digestive process and boost glucose levels in the system. Our nerves make our bodies get ready to “fight or flight”.
Under stress, the musculoskeletal system causes the muscles to tense up. The contraction of the muscles for long periods can cause tension headaches, migraines and constant backaches. Stress can make us breathe harder and more rapidly, making us hyperventilate and brings on panic attacks.
Acute stress, such as deadlines, annoying landlords and being stuck in traffic causes an increase in heart rate and stronger contractions in the heart muscle.
Repeated episodes can cause inflammation in the coronary arteries and makes one susceptible to heart attacks. Stress may also prompt us to eat much more or much less. It can also increase our consumption of tobacco or alcohol.
The signals from the body cause our minds to zone in on negativity, causing indecision or hasty decisions. It impacts our emotions and self-esteem as well.
DIFFERENT REACTION
Recent studies have shown that it is not the actual stress that harms us, but our perception of it. When we are stressed, we seem to think that we are incompetent, doomed, unattractive and that we are massive failures.
The Gospel’s second reading today tells us to “Never worry about anything, but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude.” (Philippians 4:6) This sounds like an ideal response, something to aspire for. But it is wise.
If we are unworried, then our faculties and bodies return to their optimum levels. If we are calm, we can become creative and inspired to tackle our problems once again. Stress only made us aware of the problem, but it did not impair us.
So think about it. The Christmas season is looming, and with all the buying and spending, it can become stressful. It wreaks havoc on our time, wallets and logic.
How will you respond?
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